RAWALPINDI: A man attempted self-immolation after allegedly killing a young woman and setting her body on fire in the Dhamial area of the garrison city on Friday.

The woman’s body was shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital for postmortem.

The alleged killer was taken to Holy Family Hospital with more than 90 per cent burn injuries. The police have registered a murder case on the complaint of Mohammad Naseem, a foot constable.

The complainant said he was on duty in Liaquat Colony when he received an emergency call about a house fire at about 9:45am. He rushed to the scene and found a woman’s burnt body with cuts on her head and hands in a room. Beside the body was lying a critically injured man.

The injured was identified by the house owner as Talib Hussain, 40, a resident of Kallar Syedan. The house owner told the police that Hussain had been residing in a room of his house for the last one month.

The injured man in his statement recorded in the presence of the house owner said he killed the woman with an axe and then sprinkled petrol on her body and set her on fire. He also sprinkled petrol on his own body and tried self-immolation. The injured said the woman had been extorting money from him and was having relations with another person.

City Police Officer Syed Khalid Hamdani sought a report from the SP Saddar Division. According to a police spokesman, no evidence of honour killing was found; however, investigations are being conducted from all angles.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2026