A 17-year-old girl was taken into custody Sunday in Pakistan‘s Sindh province following the deaths of 13 family members in a mass poisoning incident, according to local police authorities.
Teen girl in Pakistan poisons 13 family members
The deaths occurred on August 19 in Haibat Khan Brohi village near Khairpur, when family members consumed poisoned food at their residence.
Senior police officer Inayat Shah confirmed that the suspect allegedly conspired with her boyfriend to poison the family’s wheat supply used for making rotis (traditional flatbread) after they refused to approve her choice of marriage partner.
Here’s what the police said:
“All of the 13 members fell ill after having their food and were rushed to a hospital where all of them died. When the post-mortem was done it emerged that these people had died from poisonous food,” Shah stated in his official report.
The victims included the suspect’s parents and other immediate family members. Following a thorough police investigation, the girl was arrested and reportedly confessed to the crime.
Case filed against the girl in Pakistan
“She was angry because, despite her efforts, her family was not ready to let her marry the boy of her choice,” Shah explained. “The girl confessed to mixing poison in the wheat with the help of her boyfriend.”
The case highlights ongoing tensions in Pakistan between traditional arranged marriages and younger generations’ desires for autonomy in choosing life partners.
