Five found dead in Karachi home as police investigate suspected suicide

Five people, including a married couple, another woman and two young girls, were found dead inside a house in Gulshan-e-Falak Naz, Block J, in Karachi’s Bin Qasim area, with police investigating a suspected suicide.

Police are examining a pistol licence recovered from the scene, while the post-mortem reports of all five deceased are awaited, a senior superintendent of police (SSP) said.

According to police sources, the house was locked from inside, with a double rod fitted to the door handle.

Investigators suspect the girls may have been poisoned before the suspected suicide, but the circumstances and cause of the deaths have yet to be established.

A note recovered from the house reportedly described severe financial difficulties faced by the family over the past six months, including unemployment and a lack of support from relatives.

The note mentioned a need for Rs26,000 to meet the children’s expenses and Rs35,000 to refill a gas cylinder. It also referred to alleged humiliation by relatives, mental distress and a lack of financial assistance for the father’s medical expenses.

The family reportedly expressed frustration over the lack of support for people in need and called for action against those who had allegedly abandoned them during their difficult circumstances.

The landlord said the deceased, identified as Shahzaib, had rented the house about five months ago for a monthly rent of Rs10,000. He said Shahzaib was unemployed and that no one appeared to visit the family.

The landlord said he had heard a gunshot from inside the house but had not paid attention to it at the time.

He added that he later knocked on the door to discuss shifting the solar power system to the electricity connection. When no one responded, he informed the police.

The bodies were shifted to the Edhi morgue in Sohrab Goth after post-mortem examinations.

Meanwhile, Sindh Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho took notice of the incident and sought a detailed report from the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) East.

The IGP directed the relevant officers to conduct a transparent investigation, collect evidence from the scene and take action in accordance with the law. He also ordered them to keep him informed about progress in the case.

Police said the investigation was underway to establish the cause of the deaths and determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.