KARACHI: Police have recovered an alleged suicide note pointing to financial hardship and strained family relationships after five members of a family, including a married couple, their young daughters and the man’s sister, were found dead at a house in Karachi’s Bin Qasim area.
The bodies were discovered at a house in a private housing society located near Gulshan-e-Hadeed, during the night between Monday and Tuesday.
The deceased were identified as 30-year-old Shahzaib, a property dealer, his 28-year-old wife, Saba, his 20-year-old sister, Shumaila, and their daughters, five-year-old Aizal and three-year-old Arya.
According to preliminary police investigations, Shahzaib allegedly shot his wife before taking his own life, while his sister and the two children were reportedly poisoned. The bodies were shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medico-legal formalities.
Police also recovered a bloodstained handwritten note from the scene, which allegedly described the financial difficulties faced by the family and their unsuccessful attempts to seek assistance from relatives.
The note stated that the family had been struggling financially since the death of Shahzaib’s father and had been unable to find employment or meet basic household expenses.
“We have been asking our relatives for help for the past six months,” the note reportedly stated, adding that the family had sought money for groceries, milk for the children and even refilling their gas cylinder.
According to the note, the family alleged that their aunts, uncles and cousins had humiliated them and refused to provide financial assistance or help Shahzaib find a job.
Family of five found dead in Karachi’s Bin Qasim house
The note further claimed that relatives had told them not to ask for money, saying they had no relationship with them. It also alleged that the family was shunned, denied visits and, on some occasions, pushed out of relatives’ homes when they tried to meet them.
The family reportedly described feeling helpless and said the circumstances had left them depressed. The family was living in a rented house.
Malir Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) said a written note had been recovered and sent for forensic examination and handwriting verification.
The SSP said that the incident was being treated as a suspected suicide while investigators examined all possible aspects.