A man has allegedly shot and killed his four minor children before taking his own life early Thursday following dispute with his wife after all efforts at reconciliation were said to have failed.

His efforts to reconcile with his estranged wife failed as she continued to stay at parents’ home, investigation reveals. The incident occurred at Yar Hussain community in Pakistan.

Yar Hussain Station House Officer (SHO) Abdul Wali told Dawn.com that neighbours alerted the police after discovering the bodies.

“The father had a gunshot wound to the head, while the Rescue 1122 team found the children’s bodies in his home and shifted them to the tehsil headquarters hospital,” he said.

Initial investigations suggest the tragedy stemmed from a domestic dispute. The man’s wife had left for her parents’ home, and his attempts to reconcile had failed.

According to jirga member Awwal Sher Khan, the man named Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, had sent his two-year-old daughter to his wife two days earlier, but when she returned the child, his frustration escalated into the horrific act.

Police have registered an FIR and launched an investigation.

This incident follows a string of similar tragedies in Pakistan, according to Dawn.com. In December, a man in Bahawalnagar killed his wife and daughter before taking his own life over an alleged “honour” dispute.

In May 2024, another man in Faisalabad murdered his two wives and four children before ending his own life.

Authorities are under pressure to address the rising cases of domestic violence and family tragedies across the country.

Adapted from Gulfnews