Pakistani man sets family on fire, then himself

Islamabad: A Pakistani man, who allegedly murdered his step-mother and his first wife, committed self-immolation after burning to death his second wife and four children, according to a media report today.

Police suspected the incident that occurred in Garaywala village of the Punjab province to be a case of honour killing, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Shaukat Ali sprinkled petrol on his pregnant wife Parveen Bibi, children Fatima (9), Misbah (6), Munir (3), and Naeema (18 months) when they were asleep late on Sunday night and set them ablaze. The man later killed himself.

Police said Ali had clubbed to death his step-mother Kaneez in the name of honour about 15 years ago but his father had pardoned him. Seven years later, he poisoned his first wife Uzma but the matter was hushed up by the family, police said.

The charred bodies of the man, his wife and four children were sent to a hospital for autopsy but relatives refused to take any legal action.

SP (Investigation) Hashmat Kamal said a probe was under way and it would be difficult to establish the motive behind the killings though the possibility of honour killing could not be ruled out.