Police say man who killed woman, her three children in Karachi shot dead in encounter

On Thursday night, police in Karachi shot dead Muhammad Hamayoun Khan, the suspect responsible for the brutal murders of Mehwish Danish and her three minor children — Mirhad, 8, Hasnain, 6, and Ashmeera, 2 — in Sector 7-D of Surjani Town. Hamayoun, a close relative of the victim, had allegedly committed the heinous crime at the family home on September 14.

Following the murders, an FIR was registered, and a special investigation team led by West SSP Tariq Illahi Mastoi arrested Hamayoun. During the initial probe, the suspect confessed to attempting to rape Mehwish Danish while her husband, Mohammed Danish, was away. When she resisted, Hamayoun allegedly killed her with an iron rod.

He subsequently murdered two-year-old Ashmeera before encountering the two older children, Mirhad and Hasnain, returning from their seminary classes. Hamayoun decided to kill them as well, using the same iron rod, before fleeing the scene. The suspect claimed to have thrown the murder rod into a drain.

Later that night, police spokesperson stated that Hamayoun was taken into custody to recover the murder weapon. However, during the recovery operation, Hamayoun allegedly snatched a police officer's pistol and opened fire to escape. ASI Nauman Sheikh was wounded during the retaliatory firing by the police. In the ensuing encounter, Hamayoun was shot dead on the spot. Police recovered the snatched pistol and the murder rod from the scene.