The deceased were identified as 40-year-old Shahzaib, his wife Saba, also 40, their daughters Arya, four, and Aizal, five, and Shahzaib’s 18-year-old sister, Shumaila.
Police suspect the incident may be a case of suicide, saying Shahzaib had allegedly left a note before taking his own life.
According to police, Shahzaib referred to financial difficulties in the note. He was reportedly unemployed and had been struggling financially. Police said he had been managing his expenses by selling property inherited from his late father.
Sindh Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho took notice of the incident and sought a report from the deputy inspector general concerned.
He directed officials to conduct a transparent and impartial investigation to establish the circumstances and actual cause of the five deaths.
The police chief also ordered the collection of evidence from the scene, forensic examinations and completion of all legal formalities. He instructed officials to investigate all possible criminal aspects and keep him informed of the inquiry’s progress.
The incident comes weeks after five members of a family, including a man, his wife and their three children, were found dead in a flat in Karachi’s Ahsanabad area in the SITE neighbourhood.
Police had suspected suicide in that case as well, saying the bodies appeared to have been there for several days. The man, identified as Dr Umar, had reportedly been unemployed because of an illness and was facing financial difficulties.
