Tragedy: Man kills family, commits suicide

Said to be mentally unstable, suffered from depression.

KOHAT: A man committed suicide after killing two of his daughters and injuring three other family members – who also later died – in Garhi Mawaz Khan area on Monday.

City police official Jahangir Khan said he was informed about a shooting incident in Hafizabad Mohallah at around 1:40pm, adding he rushed to the spot and found out Wali Muhammad had opened fire at his family members, killing six-year-old daughter Qandila and five-year-old Safina on the spot. Eight-year-old Sadaf, 10-year-old son Ali and his wife Noorzadi were seriously injured before Wali turned the gun on himself.



Khan said he visited Noorzadi at the hospital where she told the police her husband was mentally unstable. She added Wali barged inside the house and opened fire at the family members for no apparent reason. “I saw Wali kill himself also,” she said.

Later in the evening, Sadaf, Ali and Noorzadi succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. According to the doctors, Noorzadi was in critical condition and was being shifted to Lady Reading Hospital but died on the way, said Khan.

He added initial investigation revealed Wali had psychological problems and was suffering from bouts of depression since the past one week. While Khan speculated the incident might be related to poverty, the exact motive of the killings is yet to be ascertained.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2^nd, 2013.