Sajjad Khokhar, a labourer by profession, attacked his wife Kausar, 42, and seven children — four daughters and three sons, aged between eight months and 10 years — with an axe killing them on the spot in Alipur, Muzaffargarh district.
In a shocking and gruesome incident, a poverty-stricken man allegedly axed his wife and seven minor children to death in the Punjab province as he was unable to 'feed them anymore', according to police officials. Sajjad Khokhar, the accused, is a worker by trade and admitted to the crime because he was unable to support his family.
Khokhar attacked his wife Kausar, 42, and seven children - four daughters and three sons, aged between eight months and 10 years - with an axe and killed them in Alipur, Muzaffargarh district, 350 km from Lahore. He then murdered them. According to the police, the accused frequently argued with his wife and was emotionally disturbed by money problems.
According to officials, the man has been arrested and a case registered against him. According to the police, the suspect admitted to his crime and claimed that he had taken this drastic measure because he was running out of food for his kids.
Meanwhile, Punjab provincial chief minister Maryam Nawaz expressed her grief over the incident and sought a report from the police.
Pakistan is experiencing a severe financial crisis due to unmanageable debt, excessive inflation, and sluggish economic development. The cash-strapped government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have come to a tentative or staff-level agreement about the last $1.1 billion payout under the $3 billion standby arrangement.
The usage of "red carpets" at official functions was unexpectedly outlawed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last month as part of austerity efforts to reduce needless spending in the nation. The government hopes to save money and encourage a more cautious and responsible handling of public finances by doing away with the usage of red carpets. The PM, President and several Pakistani ministers agreed to forego their salaries as part of austerity measures to improve Pakistan's dire financial situation.