Police investigating the deaths of a woman and her three children in Lahore’s Valencia area have recorded the statement of the woman’s husband, who alleged that his wife mixed poison into ice cream before serving it to the children.

According to police, the husband, identified as Nasir, told investigators that he had left home to buy groceries on the day of the incident.

In his statement, Nasir said that after returning home, his wife offered him water and placed ice cream in front of him. When he asked about the children, she told him they had gone to a friend’s house.

A short while later, a neighbour informed him that the bodies of the children were lying in shopping bags in the courtyard, he told police.

Nasir said he found the bodies of his children inside the bags, while the bathroom door was locked from the inside. After breaking open the door, he found his wife unconscious. She was taken to the hospital, where she later died.

Police have taken the ice cream, shopping bags and other evidence into custody for forensic examination. Food samples collected from the kitchen have also been sent for laboratory analysis.

Separately, police have registered a case under Section 302 (murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Police said preliminary evidence points to the suspected murder of the children, but stressed that no final conclusion can be drawn until forensic and post-mortem reports are received.

Investigators also said the children’s mother had been undergoing treatment for a mental health condition. However, they cautioned that it would be premature to attribute the incident to any specific cause before the investigation is completed.

The victims were identified as 40-year-old Aleena, 16-year-old Rehan, 11-year-old Arshia and nine-year-old Arsal.

The four were found dead at their home in Lahore’s Valencia area on Friday.

Police initially said they suspected the family had consumed poisoned food, with investigators examining the possibility that the woman served the poisoned food to her children before consuming it herself.

Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing and that the exact cause of death and motive will be established after forensic and post-mortem findings are received.