Distressed father poisons children, takes own life over inability to buy Eid clothes

A labourer in Punjab's Rahim Yar Khan district reportedly poisoned his three children before ending his own life over his inability to buy Eid clothes for them, police said on Monday.

The incident occurred in Sardar Garh Basti Haji Pir, a locality in Rukanpur village.

According to police, the man, who worked as a tractor trolley driver, had been unemployed for several days and was reportedly distressed over his financial situation.

In a state of despair, he gave poisonous pills to his two disabled sons and a daughter before ingesting the same substance himself. The man and his two sons died, while the daughter survived and was admitted to Sheikh Zayed Hospital.

In a statement, hospital authorities confirmed her condition is now out of danger.

This is not the first such tragedy in recent months. In February, a man in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Swabi district allegedly killed his four children before dying by suicide.

Police identified the suspect as 42-year-old Saiful Islam, a tailor by profession. He had reportedly been facing domestic issues, including a recent separation from his wife, who had moved to her parents’ home following a dispute, leaving their children in his care.

Struggling to manage alone, Islam is said to have made multiple efforts to reconcile with his wife, which were allegedly rebuffed. After she refused to take back even their youngest child, a two-year-old daughter, he reportedly fell into deep distress.

Police said he allegedly slaughtered all four children before taking his own life.