Skardu police have arrested the man believed to be behind the brutal killing of a couple and their two young children, ending a week-long manhunt that left the mountain town on edge.
The suspect, identified by police as a close relative of the victims, was picked up during a targeted raid late Wednesday night. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Skardu confirmed the arrest, noting that the suspect is currently being interrogated at an undisclosed location.
The murders occurred last week in the Gamba area, where the bodies of the husband, wife, and two minor children were discovered inside their home. The sheer violence of the crime—a rarity in the usually peaceful Gilgit-Baltistan region—triggered immediate public outcry and several days of local protests demanding justice.
Investigators didn’t have much to go on initially. They relied on forensic evidence gathered from the scene and mobile data tracking to narrow down the suspect’s movements. Police say the suspect had been evading capture by moving between different hideouts in the surrounding valleys.
While a formal motive hasn’t been released, early interrogation points toward a domestic dispute involving property. The suspect reportedly confessed to the killings during initial questioning, though police are waiting for a formal statement before a magistrate to solidify the case.
This case has shaken Skardu’s reputation as one of the safest districts in the country. Local elders and civil society members had warned of further strikes if the killer wasn’t caught, putting immense pressure on the regional government to deliver results.
The suspect is expected to be produced before a local court on Friday. For a community still reeling from the tragedy, the arrest is a relief, but the demand for a fast-track trial remains the primary focus of the victims’ grieving neighbors.
