The bodies of a family of five - a husband, wife and three children - were recovered from a flat in Karachi's SITE area on Sunday, with police suspecting the tragic incident to be a case of suicide. According to police, the bodies were several days old. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) East Zubair Nazir Sheikh stated that the bodies were found in a single room on the seventh floor of the building, with the flat's door locked from the inside. He noted that the deceased man was a doctor and the family's sole breadwinner. The bodies were shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital after the completion of legal formalities.
"The actual cause of death will only be determined after the postmortem," the SSP said, adding that investigations are underway from multiple angles to ascertain the complete circumstances. A neighbour informed police that the doctor had remained unemployed for a considerable period after his clinic shut down, but had recently secured a job at East City Hospital. Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar took notice of the incident and sought details from SSP East, directing him to immediately brief high-ups on the initial police actions. He emphasized that the inquiry must be conducted effectively and its findings made public. The Sindh Inspector General of Police also demanded a detailed report, calling for a transparent, impartial, and merit-based investigation to be wrapped up swiftly.
Initial police findings revealed that Dr Umar had resigned from a private hospital on September 13 following a cancer diagnosis. Investigators noted that the apartment was locked from the inside, and no mobile phone was recovered during a thorough search of the premises. Police further stated that Dr Umar's wife had attempted to sell the family's oven last week due to financial distress. Though a neighbour declined to buy the appliance, they provided the family with Rs 2,000 in financial aid. Law enforcement personnel had to break down the apartment door to gain entry, subsequently recovering the key from Dr Umar's possession. The deceased doctor originally hailed from Bahawalnagar.
Kamran, the citizen who alerted authorities via the Madadgar 15 helpline, told journalists that a strong and unbearable stench was emanating from the apartment. He recalled that Dr Umar and his children had not been seen for several days. Describing the doctor as a decent man, Kamran added that Dr Umar had recently been mugged when criminals deprived him of his salary and other belongings.