LAYYAH: A man, who had divorced his wife around two years ago, committed suicide after allegedly strangling his five children here on Thursday at Chak 341-TDA.

Tariq Ismail (35) suspected that his wife ‘As’ had an alleged affair with some one and divorced her about two years ago. The couple had a son and four daughters who had been residing with their father since then. Tariq, a van driver, was worried over financial problems.

His neighbour Waris Ali said Tariq’s sister-in-law Irshad Bibi visited his house and “We brought a doctor and shifted him [Tariq] and the children to Chowk Azam THQ hospital.”

The children identified as Tayyiba Bibi (13), Tayyab Tariq (11), Tanzeela Bibi (9), Shanza Bibi (8) and Saba Bibi (6) were pronounced dead and Tariq was shifted to Nishtar Hospital.

District Police Officer Muhammad Ali Zia told Dawn at the crime scene that Tariq in his dying statement confessed to strangling his children and consuming poison. “We have collected the evidence, sent samples to Punjab forensic lab and registered a case.”

After the incident, the mother of the slain children visited the house of Tariq and said she had been divorced over family disputes.

In 2003, Tariq had murdered his sister Salma Bibi, a lady health worker, in the name of honour at Chak 344 TDA. Choubara police had registered a case under section 302 on the complaint of his brother Arshad Ismail, but he was acquitted and released from jail after a compromise with the family.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2017