The bodies of a family of five, including a husband, wife and their three children, were found inside a flat in Ahsanabad, SITE, on Sunday. Police said the bodies appeared to be several days old and suspected that the family may have died by suicide.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) East Zubair Nazir Sheikh said the bodies were found in a single room on the seventh floor of the building. The flat's door was locked from the inside.
He said the deceased man was a doctor and the family's only source of income. The bodies were shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital after police completed the legal formalities.
"The actual cause of death will only be determined after the postmortem," he said, adding that police were investigating the case from different angles to identify the deceased and determine the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
A neighbor told police that the doctor had been unemployed for a long time after his clinic closed. However, he had recently found a job at East City Hospital.
Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar sought details from the SSP East and directed him to immediately brief him on all initial steps taken by police.
He said the investigation should be conducted effectively and its findings should be made public.
Sindh Inspector General of Police also sought a detailed report from the SSP East and directed officers to conduct a transparent and impartial investigation and complete it as quickly as possible based on evidence and merit.
Police have completed their initial investigation into the deaths of the five family members.
According to police, Dr. Umar had resigned from a private hospital on Sept. 13 after being diagnosed with cancer. Police said the apartment was locked from the inside and that officers conducted a thorough search but did not find a mobile phone.
Police also said Dr. Umar's wife had tried to sell the family's oven last week. A neighbor did not buy the oven but provided the family with Rs. 2,000 in financial assistance.
Police said they broke down the apartment door to enter the flat and found the key in Dr. Umar's possession. They added that the doctor was originally from Bahawalnagar.
Meanwhile, Kamran, who alerted police through the Madadgar 15 helpline, said a strong and unbearable smell was coming from the apartment.
Speaking to journalists, Kamran said the doctor and his children had not been seen for several days. He said Dr. Umar worked at a private hospital and was a decent person.
Kamran also said Dr. Umar had been robbed several days earlier, with robbers taking his salary and other belongings.
