LAHORE: Police are still awaiting forensic and post-mortem reports to determine the cause of mysterious deaths of four members of a US-based family, including a woman and her three children, who were found dead in a rented house in Valencia Town two days ago.

The deceased were identified as Aleena and her children Rehan (16), Aresha (11) and Arsal (6).

According to investigators, the family had recently returned to Pakistan from the United States and had been living in a rented house.

Police had taken Aleena’s husband Nasir Dogar into custody for questioning before releasing him after recording his statement on Saturday.

Police quoted Dogar as saying that he had gone to the market and found his wife and children lying unconscious when he returned home. They were later pronounced dead.

He told the investigators that his wife had been suffering from mental health issues for the past three to four years and she was receiving treatment for the last six months.

He claimed that his wife was still conscious when he reached home and she told him that the children had gone to watch a movie with a relative before her condition deteriorated. He said she later lost consciousness and died, while bodies of the three children were found in another room of the house.

A senior investigation official told Dawn that preliminary inquiries suggested the possibility that the woman had administered poison to the children before consuming it herself. However, he stressed that investigators were examining the case from multiple angles and had not reached a final conclusion.

“The exact cause and circumstances of the deaths will only be established after the post-mortem and forensic reports are received,” the official said.

Police said further legal action would be decided in light of the medical and forensic evidence.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2026