Four members of a woman’s family were shot dead a day ago in the Tatara area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshera district, allegedly by her husband and in-laws over a domestic dispute, police said on Sunday.

Nowshera police spokesperson, Turk Ali Shah, told Dawn.com that a first information report (FIR) has been lodged at the Akbarpura police station under section 302 (intentional murder) and section 324 (attempt to commit murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the woman, whose parents, brother, and uncle were killed in the attack allegedly by her husband, his two brothers and father.

According to the FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the complainant, a mother of two, said she married her husband a few years ago, but since then had been facing domestic issues and was living with her parents for the last four months. She stated that she had been pursuing a court case seeking a separate residence from her husband, refusing to continue living with her in-laws.

“The court recently asked my husband for a patch-up with me on the issue. He came to my parents’ home for reconciliation but started arguing with my family,” she said in the report.

The complainant said her brother-in-law, who was standing outside her parents’ house armed with weapons, came inside and opened fire at her parents and brother, killing them instantly.

Police spokesperson Shah said, “Efforts were underway to arrest the suspects who had fled the scene after the incident.”

Domestic disputes are not uncommon in Pakistan, often triggered by financial issues, inheritance, or family interference. In some cases, these escalate due to a lack of conflict resolution mechanisms, weak legal enforcement, and deeply rooted patriarchal norms.

Nowshera Police last month arrested the prime suspect in the murder of three children, with the alleged killer revealed to be the victims’ grandmother, according to a statement issued by Nowshera police.

On June 6, a man allegedly shot dead his son and daughter-in-law following an argument in the Tangi area of Charsadda district, police said.

In March, a man allegedly shot his elderly mother and two siblings dead in Nowshera district, a police spokesperson said. Rescue 1122 spokesperson said the suspect allegedly opened fire on his 82-year-old mother, brother and sister after a heated argument over power supply lines.