Woman, daughter found dead inside home in Karachi’s Malir

KARACHI: A woman and her eight-year-old daughter were found dead inside their home near the Malir river on Saturday, police and rescue officials said.

An Edhi Foundation spokesperson identified the deceased as 30-year-old Saba Hanif and her daughter, Nabiha Hanif. Their bodies were recovered from the house, which falls within the jurisdiction of the Malir City police station, and shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medico-legal formalities.

Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said Saba had a ligature mark around her neck, while no signs of violence were found on either body and no ligature mark was present on the child’s neck. She said samples had been collected and the exact cause of death would be determined after the reports were received.

During the initial inquiry, relatives voiced suspicion that Saba’s husband, Muhammad Hanif, was behind the deaths. Malir City SHO Riaz Ahmed Bhutto said Hanif was taken into custody and questioned, but was later released.

According to the SHO, Hanif told investigators that he worked as a labourer and that his wife had been getting taveez from someone in South Punjab because she was emotionally disturbed. He said she had recently returned from there and had asked him to move house, which he did.

SHO Bhutto said Hanif also told police that he had gone to work on the day of the incident. During that time, his father-in-law came to the house and found it locked from inside. After the door was broken open, the bodies were discovered, he added.

The officer said the woman’s father later came to the police station and stated that his son-in-law was innocent, after which Hanif was released from custody.

Investigators are also looking into the possibility that the woman first strangled her daughter and then died by suicide by hanging, SHO Bhutto said.