Infant daughter dies as jobless man poisons family members in Surjani

A two-year-old girl died after her jobless father poisoned his children and wife due to unemployment and poverty.

The tragic incident took place at a house located in Sector 10/5 within the jurisdiction of Surjani Town police station. Police said 40-year-old Azhar Khan, son of Muzaffar Khan, first poisoned his wife, Fatima, 35, and two daughters, four-year-old Umm-e-Hania and two-year-old Umm-e-Aiman, and then tried to commit suicide.

The man then phoned his brother, who lives in the same area, and told him what he had done. His brother immediately reached his house and found the family lying unconscious. The victims were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where two-year-old Umm-e-Aiman was declared dead on arrival.

According to neighbours, the family lives in a rented house while Azhar had been looking for a job after he had lost his factory job some time ago. “The girl was brought dead while her father, mother and an elder sister were in critical condition,” Karachi Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed Tariq tweeted. “History as provided suggests willful ingestion of “Neela Thota” (cooper sulphate) by the parents after giving the same to the kids.” The police surgeon told The News that the victims had been shifted to the Aga Khan University Hospital for further treatment. According to Surjani SHO Bashir Ahmed Wadu, an inspection of the house will be conducted to find out what kind of poison it was.

Woman commits suicide

A 22-year-old married woman allegedly committed suicide by consuming a toxic substance in Korangi’s Allahwala Town. She was taken to the JPMC where she died. The Korangi Industrial Area police are investigating to determine the cause of death.