Karachi police form high-powered body to probe family deaths

KARACHI: Five members of a family were found dead on Sunday inside a locked flat on the seventh floor of a residential building in Karachi's Ahsanabad area, police said, prompting the provincial police chief to order a high-powered investigation.

The dead were identified as Dr Umer, 45, his wife Mehwish, 35, their daughter Zainab, 10, and two other minor daughters, according to Dawn. Officials said the bodies were recovered from a room of the flat.

While investigators said they had so far found no evidence to suggest the deaths were a homicide, Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho has decided to establish a high-powered body to investigate the incident, Dawn reported. The newspaper said the deaths had sent shock waves through the city.

Arab News PK reported that police are probing the cause of the deaths. ARY News said more facts are expected after Umar's family reaches Karachi. Relatives were travelling to the city, the channel reported, and their statements could help investigators piece together what happened.

No further details about the circumstances of the deaths or the condition of the bodies were immediately available. Police have not announced any arrests or a cause of death.

The case has drawn attention in Karachi, where deaths of an entire family inside a locked home are rare and often raise questions about possible poisoning, suffocation, or domestic violence. Investigators have not endorsed any of those possibilities, Dawn said.

The high-powered body is expected to examine forensic evidence, witness statements, and the family's background, the newspaper added. The police chief's decision came after initial findings left the cause unexplained.

A spokesperson for the Karachi police could not be reached for additional comment. The identities of the two younger daughters and their exact ages were not provided in the reports.

This is a developing story.