No external injury found in postmortem of man and woman found dead in car

The postmortem examination of a man and woman whose bodies were found in the late hours of Tuesday in a car parked in the basement of an apartment near Seaview was completed on Wednesday at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).

Police suspect the deaths may have occurred due to suffocation. Doctors also confirmed that no external injury marks were found on the bodies and the cause of death had been reserved until laboratory reports were finalised.

This marks the third such incident in DHA since 2009 where people died from suffocation in enclosed vehicles with running air conditioners. In November 2024, a 25-year-old gym instructor, Javeria, was discovered dead and her brother-in-law Kashif Iqbal unconscious in a Suzuki Mehran in an auto shop in DHA Phase II. Earlier in 2009, a CA student, Shahzaib Shaikh, and his fiancée, Momal Solangi, a project coordinator in a private firm, died from apparent suffocation in a car parked inside a garage at the Darakhshan Villas.

The man and woman who were found dead on Tuesday night were identified as Shehbaz Malik, a retired captain, and Rukhsana Javed. According to police, initial findings suggest that the deaths may have been caused by gas accumulation inside the vehicle. Darakhshan SHO Shahid Taj told The News said that after receiving information, police reached the scene and found the bodies inside the car. The bodies were shifted to the JPMC where doctors conducted the postmortem examination.

“The postmortem has been completed but we are waiting for the final report to determine the actual cause of death,” the SHO explained. “Apparently, it seems that both victims died due to suffocation as in a stationary car with the air-conditioning running, ammonia gas often leaks after one-and-a-half to two hours and affects the nervous system of the occupants. However, nothing can be confirmed until the doctors issue their final findings.”

Regarding the relationship between the two, police officials said that according to the initial findings, they appeared to be friends. On the question of possible narcotics use, the officials maintained that it would be premature to comment on this at this stage as such details would become clear in the final postmortem report.

SHO Taj stated that the deceased man was around 52 years old. He lived in the same apartment complex and was the father of three children. The woman, estimated to be around 45 years old, was a resident of Federal B Area in District Central.

Police said they had contacted the woman’s husband, Javed, with the help of her mobile phone. He was asked to visit them in order to confirm her identification. Meanwhile, Karachi Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya said no marks of injury were found on the bodies. She added that all relevant samples had been collected and the cause of death had been reserved pending laboratory reports. So far, no FIR has been registered in connection with the incident. Police said that further legal action would be taken once they had the final postmortem report.