A man allegedly shot dead his parents and wife over a domestic dispute in the Asadullahpur village of Phalia Tehsil in Punjab’s Mandi Bahauddin district, police said on Monday.

Mandi Bahauddin Police Sub-Inspector Zohaib Warraich confirmed the incident, stating: “A deeply tragic event took place in Asadullahpur village where a young man shot and killed his parents and wife.

“Evidence has been collected, and search teams have been formed. The suspect will be arrested soon.”

A first information report (FIR) was registered at the Bhagat police station under Section 302 (murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

According to the FIR, the police “received a call about the suspect allegedly shooting and killing his father, mother, and wife over a disagreement involving the sale proceeds of agricultural land”.

The deceased father had recently sold four kanals of agricultural land for approximately Rs20 million. His son, who returned to his native area from Kuwait just four days ago, demanded his share of the sale proceeds from his father, police said.

But as his father refused, the man pulled out a pistol in a fit of rage and opened fire. As a result, his 75-year-old father, 70-year-old mother, and 35-year-old wife died on the spot. The suspect fled the scene with the murder weapon, according to the FIR.

A police team from Bhagat police station arrived at the scene immediately and started an investigation. The bodies were taken to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital for an autopsy.

Police cordoned off the crime scene to collect evidence, and a forensic team was summoned, per the police.

Mandi Bahauddin District Police Officer (DPO) Waseem Riaz Khan visited the scene of the incident and instructed police to immediately apprehend the suspect.

Punjab Inspector General (IG) Dr Usman Anwar took notice of the incident and sought a report from DPO Riaz and Gujranwala Regional Police Officer (RPO) Tayyab Hafeez Cheema.

The IG directed the police officers to apprehend the suspect without delay and bring him to justice while also instructing them to provide legal assistance to the aggrieved family.

Earlier this month, four members of a woman’s family were shot dead in Nowshera’s Tatara area, allegedly by her husband and in-laws over a domestic dispute, police said.

In February, a man and his sons killed three women and injured three others of his brother’s family over a property dispute in the suburbs of Sargodha.