Swat man allegedly kills wife, flees with her treatment money

SWAT: A man allegedly killed his wife in the Balasor Chuprial area of Swat on Saturday and fled after taking money she had been carrying for medical treatment, residents said.

According to residents, the suspect was addicted to ice and had previously been arrested and jailed several times in narcotics-related cases. They said the woman had been on her way to seek treatment on the day of the incident after her 17-year-old son gave her money to cover the expenses.

Residents alleged that when she reached an area near a graveyard, her husband tried to take the money from her. When she refused, saying the amount was needed for her treatment, he allegedly attacked and killed her before escaping with the cash.

The couple’s three-year-old daughter was also at the scene. A resident who said he was among the first people to arrive after hearing the child crying said the girl was sitting next to her mother’s body, holding her mother’s shoes and crying. He said he took the child home, but she continued clutching her mother’s slippers on the way.

Residents said the incident highlighted the dangers posed by the spread of drug abuse in the area. They urged society and the authorities to treat the episode as a warning and called for stronger action to curb the use and trafficking of ice and other narcotics.

Police registered a case against the suspect and launched a search for him. Matta police are investigating the killing.