Data showed that 17 such cases were reported in Lahore, 23 in Okara, 22 in Rawalpindi, 18 in Layyah, 20 in Rahim Yar Khan, 15 in DG Khan, 10 in Muzzafargarh, 11 in Faisalabad, 15 in Gujranwala, 10 in Multan, eight in Lodhran, seven in Vehari, six in Attock, and five in Sheikhupura.
The police have secured the bodies and initiated an investigation, while the entire community grapples with shock and terror.
The incident occurred in Chak 271, RB, within the jurisdiction of the Dijkot police station.
Mohammad Tahir, 55, succumbed to the burdens of poverty.
In a horrifying turn of events, he administered a drug-laced meal to his 45-year-old wife Naheed Akhtar and three daughters Zehra Fatima, 12, Hiba Tahir, 17 and Raisa Tahir, 19, rendering them unconscious.
Taking a hammer to their heads, Tahir brutally ended their lives. In a final act of despair, he ingested pills hidden within a batch of wheat. The tragedy unfolded in darkness and by dawn, Tahir changed into fresh clothes and sought solace in the company of worshipers at the local mosque.
There, he narrated the gruesome incident before being transported to Dijkot and subsequently to Civil Hospital Faisalabad, where he eventually succumbed.
Upon receiving information from the village Numberdar, the Dijkot police, led by SP Iqbal Town Usman Saifi, DSP Factory Area Rana Ataur Rehman, and SHO Dijkot Moazzam Gujjar, reached the scene at 8am.
The Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) teams also arrived, transferring all five bodies to the hospital for post-mortem examinations and collecting crucial evidence.
Tahir, who worked in the field of medicines, left behind a heart-wrenching will obtained by The Express Tribune.
In the document, he cited his incapacitation to provide for his family due to financial struggles and debts.
Tahir’s distress pushed him to make the agonising decision to end the lives of his wife and daughters before taking his own.
The Express Tribune learnt that Tahir took this extreme step independently, emphasising that no one else was involved in the tragic decision. In the will, he acknowledged the significant burden he was leaving for his brothers and sisters.
In his letter, he urged the sale of his house and specified individual amounts for his brothers —Shahid Khan, Rana Mahmood and Shoaib Asghar — to contribute towards settling the debts.
Tahir, in a poignant request, urged his brothers to ensure the well-being of his two daughters and prevent them from leaving the house.
DSP Factory Area, Rana Ataur Rehman, revealed that Tahir had previously lost his nine-year-old son in a tragic accident three months ago. Since the fatal incident, Tahir had been battling depression, worsened by the family’s financial struggles, as noted in his will. City Police Officer Captain (retd) Mohammad Ali Zia has taken cognizance of the matter, demanding a detailed report from SP Iqbal Town.
CPO Zia reached the home of the person who committed suicide after killing his wife and children in Dijkot. He expressed condolences and deep sorrow to the affected family members.
“When I learned of this tragic incident, I left my office duties and went to the unfortunate family’s home to offer condolences and share the grief,” the CPO said.
On this occasion, Additional SP Investigation, Captain (retd) Muhammad Ajmal, SP Iqbal Town Division, Usman Munir Saifi and other officers were also present, expressing condolences and deep sorrow to the grieving family members.
Financial stress and depression is one of the major causes of suicides in Punjab. In January, a woman who, along with her children, had been afflicted by extreme poverty and starvation set herself and two of her children on fire.
A distressing surge in suicides linked to poverty and hunger has gripped Punjab, as the provincial police helpline 15 has been inundated with calls from 242 desperate families in just 16 days, all teetering on the brink of starvation and despair.
Khalid, a resident of Panju village on the outskirts of Lahore, had made a call at the helpline, saying that he was starving to death and planned to claim his life by self-immolation.
The situation unfolded as Muhammad Azeem, the in-charge of Industrial Area Police Station, responded swiftly to Khalid's distress call. Azeem visited Khalid's home, providing him with ration and food. A similar plea for help had emerged in Begum Kot/Shahdara, Lahore, just a few days prior.
The alarming trend of such calls to the police has seen an unprecedented spike, with Punjab Police stepping in to provide assistance to an average of 15 families daily who have threatened to end their lives due to hunger.
The first such cry for help reached the police on August 21 in Vehari. Since then, Punjab Police have extended a lifeline to 242 families facing the dire threat of suicide due to poverty and hunger, with these compassionate acts gaining widespread attention on social media.
Additionally, four cases each were reported in Jhang, Khanewal, Mandi Bahauddin, and Bahawalpur, while three cases each emerged in Sargodha, Kasur, Jhelum, and Bahawalnagar.
Inspector General (IG) of Punjab Police, Usman Anwar, affirmed that the police have been providing ration to struggling families using their own resources, reflecting a commitment to community policing. Anwar assured that this crucial public service will continue.
Just days ago, Anwar had announced the expansion of Police Helpline 15's scope, shifting its focus from responding solely to crime-related emergencies to also aiding those in desperate need of food.
Waqas Nazir, the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Punjab Operations, disclosed that the transformation towards community-friendly policing began after a chilling call was made to Helpline 15 in Vehari.
A man told police that he along with his children was going to commit suicide because he did not have food, ration to feed his children. Responding to his call, the district police reached at his residence with ration.
Nazir emphasised that the police are willing to act as intermediaries between those in need and those willing to donate, forging a compassionate bridge within the community.