KARACHI: Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed on Wednesday revealed that two of the five family members found dead at a house in Karachi died from gunshot wounds to the head, while the causes of death of the other three victims are being withheld pending further reports.
Dr Summaiya confirmed that Shahzaib and his wife, Saba, each sustained a gunshot wound to the head.
Shahzaib was approximately 35 years old, while Saba was between 28 and 30 years old, according to the police surgeon. Samples for gunshot residue (GSR) testing, chemical analysis and DNA profiling have been collected from both victims.
The causes of death of the other three family members — Shahzaib’s sister, Shumaila, and his daughters, Aizal and Arya — have been reserved until the relevant reports are received.
Shumaila was aged between 20 and 22 years, while Aizal was approximately five years old and Arya was three. Samples for chemical analysis, serology and DNA testing have also been collected from all three, Dr Summaiya said.
The police surgeon said the available findings had not yet established whether the five deaths resulted from suicide or murder. The investigation is ongoing, and a case had not been registered yet.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths and their exact causes will be determined after the relevant investigative and forensic reports are received.
The victims were found dead at their house in a private housing society near Gulshan-e-Hadeed in Karachi’s Bin Qasim area during the night between Monday and Tuesday.
Police recovered a handwritten note from the scene referring to the family’s financial difficulties and strained relationships with relatives. The note reportedly indicated that Shahzaib had not received support from relatives during a difficult period.
Meanwhile, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader and Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Dr Farooq Sattar expressed grief over the tragedy and called for a serious review of the country’s economic policies.
In a statement, Sattar described the incident as a moment of introspection, saying that poverty, hunger and economic distress highlighted the hardships faced by ordinary citizens.
“Since we are ourselves part of the government, this is not merely a time to question others but also to recognise our own responsibilities and take practical steps,” he said.
Farooq Sattar urges govt to revisit economic policies after Karachi family tragedy
Questioning the country’s economic policymakers, Sattar said that if ordinary citizens were unable to provide two meals a day for their children, the government needed to reconsider its economic policies.