Man arrested for slaying wife, five children in 'honour' murder in Sargodha

MANDI BAHAUDDIN: Police in Sargodha on Monday arrested two individuals, including a man accused of murdering his wife and five children in a gruesome incident allegedly carried out in the name of ‘honour’, before attempting to take his own life.

The tragic killings occurred in Chak 25 South area of the district. District Police Officer Muhammad Sohaib Ashraf confirmed that the primary suspect — the husband of the slain woman — along with another individual nominated in the case had been taken into custody.

The police official said the main suspect was currently in stable condition after injuring himself during the incident.

According to police, a first information report (FIR) was registered at Bhagtanwala Police Station in the early hours of Monday on the complaint of the woman’s brother. The case includes charges under sections 302, 311 and 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The deceased were identified as the suspect’s wife, a teenage daughter aged between 15 and 16 years, three sons aged approximately five to six, nine to ten, and twelve to thirteen years, as well as an infant son only a few months old.

In his statement, the complainant said he had gone to his sister’s house along with relatives to meet her and give her "Eidi." Upon arrival, they found the main gate locked from inside and heard screams coming from within the house.

The brother said that when he looked over the wall, he witnessed the suspect attacking his sister and her children with an axe. When the suspect noticed them approaching, he also inflicted injuries on himself.

According to the FIR, the woman and her children died on the spot, while the suspect was injured after attempting to harm himself.

Police said the suspect allegedly committed the killings after suspecting his wife and daughter of having illicit relationships with another man. The complainant also nominated that individual in the case.

Following the incident, DPO Ashraf visited the crime scene and directed the Saddar Sub-Divisional Police Officer to submit a detailed report. Teams from Rescue 1122, forensic experts and the Crime Scene Unit were also dispatched to the location.

Authorities said evidence was being collected and a detailed investigation was underway to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

According to Federal Human Rights Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, more than 7,500 women were murdered in Pakistan between 2021 and 2024, including 1,553 cases classified as so-called honour killings.

The incident follows several recent cases of domestic and honour-related violence across the country. Last month, a young woman was allegedly murdered by her father and brothers over a love marriage, while in January a woman allegedly shot her husband dead during a domestic dispute in Taxila.