Authorities have widened their investigation into the mysterious deaths of a woman and her three children in Lahore's Valencia Town, with forensic teams gathering crucial evidence to determine whether the tragedy was a premeditated murder or a murder-suicide linked to a domestic dispute.
The incident unfolded on Thursday night in Valencia Town, where three children were found dead inside the family home, while their 40-year-old mother died after being shifted to a nearby hospital.
According to police, the deceased include the mother, two sons and one daughter. Initial findings suggest the victims may have died from poisoning, though officials say the exact cause will only be confirmed after forensic analysis.
Investigators are examining whether the woman took the lives of her children before consuming poison herself, or whether another person was involved.
Police said the affected family had recently arrived in Lahore from the United States.
According to investigators, the family originally belongs to Pasrur in Sialkot district. Authorities have also contacted the woman's relatives in the United States and Canada as part of the expanding investigation.
Eyewitnesses recount final moments
Neighbours said they heard the children groaning in pain before the incident came to light.
Eyewitnesses claimed that when they knocked on the family's door, the head of the household initially denied that the children were inside the house.
They also alleged that the woman, who was in critical condition before being shifted to hospital, repeatedly accused her husband while speaking to people nearby.
Police record father's statement
Police have recorded the statement of the children's father, Nasir, as part of the investigation.
According to his statement, his wife had been suffering from a mental illness for the past three years and had stopped taking her medication around six months ago.
Nasir said he had brought the children from the United States to Lahore because he wanted them to study medicine and believed educational expenses were significantly higher in America.
Nasir told investigators that after returning home with groceries, he asked his wife where the children were.
According to his statement, she replied that the children had gone to watch a movie with someone named Fatima. He said he questioned why they had been sent without him, after which his wife allegedly asked him to eat ice cream, saying she had not eaten anything since morning.
Nasir further stated that while they were talking, someone knocked on the door. When he answered, neighbours informed him that the children were lying in the backyard.
He said he rushed outside and found all three children dead. Shortly afterwards, his wife's condition also deteriorated and she was taken to hospital, where she later died.
Forensic teams collect crucial evidence
Police and forensic experts have collected fingerprints, food samples and other evidence from the scene. Investigators are also reviewing CCTV footage to reconstruct the events leading up to the deaths.
Authorities have begun re-examining the bodies and are investigating whether the children were given a poisonous substance, including the possibility that poison may have been mixed into ice cream.
Officials stressed that the forensic report will be critical in establishing the actual sequence of events.
All possibilities under investigation
Police described the case as highly complex and said every possible angle is being examined. Officials said it would be premature to conclude whether the mother, the father or any other factor was responsible for the deaths.
Investigators also confirmed that the bodies of the children were first spotted by a neighbour's maid in the back alley.
Authorities maintained that forensic evidence remains central to the investigation and expressed hope that laboratory findings will reveal the full truth behind the mysterious deaths.
