Police are investigating a suspected murder-suicide attempt after three young children were found dead and their parents critically injured inside their home in Kaghan Colony, with a video message recorded by the father emerging as a key piece of evidence, officials said on Saturday.

The children — aged one, four and seven — were discovered dead in the house, while their parents, Kashif, 33, and his wife Shiza, were found unconscious.

Police said the children were allegedly fed a poisonous substance.

Shiza sustained injuries to her neck and head. Both parents were shifted in critical condition to Ayub Medical Complex, where they remain under treatment.

According to initial findings, Kashif was involved in online trading and was under severe financial pressure, owing money to several individuals.

Investigators said a video message recorded by Kashif has surfaced in which he addresses a person he refers to as “Qari Sahib” and discusses a large outstanding debt.

In the recording, Kashif pleads for additional time to arrange repayment, saying the refusal to grant him more days led to the collapse of everything.

He then issues detailed instructions regarding his property and finances, directing that his house be taken as settlement against an alleged debt exceeding Rs110 million.

He asks that Rs1 million be given to his sister and that remaining funds be distributed among his mother and niece.

He also instructs that household belongings from both the upper and lower floors of the house be transported to his ancestral village.

Police said Kashif had also posted final status messages on his mobile phone shortly before the incident, including one stating, “It is my fault; my children are not at fault,” and another urging viewers to watch “important” videos stored on his device.

A cousin told police that Kashif called him around noon on the day of the incident and said he wanted to hear his voice, raising alarm. The relative said he went to the house, broke open the lock and found the family in a critical state.

Relatives told investigators that domestic disputes between the couple were frequent, though police stressed that no conclusion had been reached.

“We are examining the case from multiple angles, including financial distress, family dynamics and the possibility of third-party involvement,” a senior police official said.

Investigators are analysing digital evidence, including mobile phones and video recordings, and recording statements from family members and others named in the messages.

Forensic findings and the parents’ medical condition will also be assessed to establish the sequence of events.

The deaths of the children have shocked residents of the area, as police continue efforts to determine the motive and circumstances behind what authorities described as one of the most disturbing incidents reported in Abbottabad in recent years.