PESHAWAR: The city police have arrested a man for murdering seven persons, including his former wife and three minor sons, a few days ago.

Four children, two women and a man were shot dead by unknown attackers in Phandu Road area in the limits of Chamkani police station on Monday night.

Addressing a press conference at the Malik Saad Shaheed police lines, Capital City Police Officer Abbas Ahsan said that complainant in the case namely Ibrahim turned out to be the murderer. He said the police had taken him into custody.

Mr Ahsan said the accused told the police investigators that he had divorced his wife about a month ago.

He said he was tricked into doing so by slain Habibullah, one of his relatives, at whose house, the woman along with her children was staying after getting divorced.

Mr Ahsan said an undertaking on a stamp paper found from the house of Habibullah, where the murders took place, showed that the accused had agreed to give his former wife an 11-marla plot and bear the expenses of his three children.

He said the accused during initial interrogation confessed to killing the seven persons.

He said Habibullah had forced the accused to divorce his wife, who afterwards had shifted to Habibullah’s house.

The police officer said the accused told the police that he did not want his former wife and children living with Habibullah.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2021