March 18, 2026
By Aitzaz Ibrahim
LAHORE
A man in Sargodha was charged with murder after he confessed to have killed his wife and five children in the name of “honour”, in a suburban area of Sargodha called Bhagtanwala.
Police said Muhammad Yaseen attacked his family members with an axe, killing all six of them. The suspect later attempted to take his own life by injuring himself but was shifted to hospital, where he is now out of danger, and in police custody. Police officials said the suspect confessed to the crime during initial interrogation. A case has been registered on the complaint of the brother of the deceased woman.
In his statement, the suspect claimed that he had doubts about the “character” of his wife and daughter, which led him to commit the killings.
The First Information Report (FIR), registered on the complaint by the brother of the deceased Farakhanda, said that she had been married to the suspect for around 18 years and the couple had five children. The victims include 16-year-old Noor Fatima and four sons — Ali Hassan, 12; Tayyab, 10; Hasnain, 6; and four-month-old Abdul Hadi.
The complainant told police that he visited his sister’s house on March 15 to give her Eid gifts. He said that upon arrival, he found the door locked from inside and heard screams. When the door was not opened, he climbed over the wall and entered the house.
He alleged that he saw the suspect attacking his family with an axe and that the house was covered in blood. Upon seeing him, the suspect injured himself and fell to the ground.
Investigation officer Muhammad Iqbal told Voicepk that the suspect had confessed to killing his wife, daughter and four sons. He added that the suspect also attempted suicide after the incident but survived.
Police said the suspect’s confession was corroborated by a man identified as Rashid, who allegedly received a call from the suspect informing him that he had killed his family and was about to commit suicide.
Officials said that Rashid, along with the suspect’s brother Sarfaraz, entered the house by scaling a wall and found the suspect lying injured in the veranda, while the bodies of the victims were inside a room.
Police said the murder weapons, including an axe, a knife and a hammer, were recovered from the scene and taken into custody for forensic examination.
According to police, initial investigation suggests that the suspect believed his wife and daughter were involved in an illicit relationship with a neighbour, identified as Ghulam Mustafa, and allegedly carried out the killings on this suspicion.
Police have taken Ghulam Mustafa into custody and further investigation is under way.
Separately, Punjab Women Protection Authority Chairperson Hina Parvez Butt said that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had taken notice of the incident and sought a report from the district police officer.