A government employee allegedly shot dead his wife and four young children at their home in Quetta’s Wahdat Colony before turning the gun on himself, police said on Monday.

The suspect, identified as Muhammad Asif Baloch, was rushed to a private hospital in critical condition after shooting himself in the head. His wife and four children, aged between four and nine, were killed at the scene.

Police cordoned off the area, collected evidence and moved the bodies to hospital for post-mortem examination. Authorities said the incident appeared to stem from a domestic dispute, though investigations were ongoing.

The case took a significant turn when a video recorded by Asif days before the incident came to light. In it, he named several senior government officials, saying they had been harassing and threatening him and had made his life unbearable.

He appealed directly to the prime minister and chief minister to watch the video and ensure justice.

Acting on the video and on the directions of the Balochistan chief minister, police detained multiple officials for questioning. Those taken into custody include Under Secretary Aftab Jabal, Director Industries Iqbal Sarbarah and Saeed Mengal.

Investigators are examining why the named officials were allegedly pressuring Asif and what role, if any, their conduct played in the events leading up to the killings.

The incident has left residents of Wahdat Colony in shock.