The Big Picture
'I killed my children'

'I killed my children'

A leaked audiotape reveals Saiqa Akhtar strangled her kids after unsuccessfully trying to shove 'wash-room cleaner' down their throats... I can't sleep.

Nadya V July 25, 2010

"Whats going on there?"

"I killed them...I Killed both of them...I killed my kids."

It doesn't get more agonizing than this. A leaked conversation of a Pakistani woman who killed her two young children has left me unable to sleep.

Saiqa Akhtar strangled her son and daughter with a wire, after unsuccessfully trying to shove 'wash-room cleaner' down their throats, while insisting with the 911 operator that they were blue and not moving.

This is my first blog post for The Tribune and apologies that it has to be so dark, but fact of the matter is that we have some really messed up people in this nation of ours. My heart goes out to those children. Their story is going to be in the news for a couple of days more, probably less, and then forgotten as just another sensational item, moreso because it featured a Pakistani. But this truly shocking tale is tied into our country.

It is the darkest, ugliest reflection of what happens when a society gets hung up on ideals of a family unit and the pressure to deliver offspring,with the failure to do so lying squarely with the mother.

I am so bitter, so upset I don't know who to hate - the mother who killed the children, or those who say:

"You didn't bear a son? You're worthless."

"You can conceive? I will marry a second wife."

"You had autistic children? shame on you."

WRITTEN BY:
Nadya V Social critic and part-time gossip monger

The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (31)

Muhammad Ali Jawaid | 13 years ago | Reply I observed that she born at Karachi and belongs to respectable family,I assumed that the bad act done by her in extra ordinary stress full mind. I also observing a lot of people are suffring on the same stress due to domestic problems, society problems, eductation problems and economical problems etc. I listen deeply her call to police officer after incident, I am sured that she was not normal women. I request to state governmetn kindly arrange to facilitate and consult with psychiatrist on humanterian ground and provide full medical treatment.

Saad Durrani | 13 years ago | Reply What an artistically written blog entry! On the contrary, it is very misleading.

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

Umer | 13 years ago | Reply Since my other comment post on another extremely hollow article was not deemed fit for posting i will give this one a shot by being more mellow. Do the editors really read what is published here? This should have been a facebook update of an angst ridden suddenly self righteous teenager instead of a publication on the tribune!

Syed Muhammad Waqas Shabir | 13 years ago | Reply Nadya V just released her mental stress through this blog more than anything else. I don't think the context or the allegations made were of any worth (as shared by many of the commentators here).

Saad | 13 years ago | Reply The article sucks! Out of context!

Taha Kehar | 13 years ago | Reply Although there is no suitable justification for this heinous crime, it is still important to shirk aside our biases and crawl into the anxious mother's shoes. It is possible that by a infinitesimal change in perspective will help orient us with the staggering range of this tragedy without coming forth as bigots. Therefore, it is integral to establish that the perpetrator was in essence perturbed by her fraught situation. It is heartening to see the writer suggest that her dismay was driven not only by a pathological confusion that plagued her mind, but by pressures imposed by society. Unfortunately, it is deplorable to note that she has upheld an immensely judgmental stance on what appears to me as a multifaceted story pertaining to the subtle complexities of motherhood. Perhaps a more astute approach should have be observed in highlighting, with fine detail, the intricacies of this depressing episode. Despite this glaring lack of insight, the writer has managed to ignite a flare of sympathy for both the victim and the perpetrator. And yet, her explanation appears to compromise the true essence of journalistic objectivity which, as a consequence, brews up a piece weighted against the victim, rather than the real culprit: the insularity of our traditional norms and values. A viable instance of this strategy is best viewed in the sheer brevity of this piece. If ideas are not developed to perfection they are likely to be misconstrued.

Ghausia | 13 years ago | Reply @Juzer LOL come on, how can you not like Hello Kitty? She's so cute!

Asadullah | 13 years ago | Reply Although I agree it sounds ambiguous, at the most basic level, it is just a blog post.

anum | 13 years ago | Reply Extremely haphazard article, i understand this isnt a news report but some background about the incident would be helpful, and then jumping to a conclusion that doesnt even fit. Yes indeed the incident was sad, but ever considered the mother was mentally ill? Very poorly written article though, i can even spot some grammatical mistakes.

Juzer Bhai | 13 years ago | Reply I'm sorry but I don't get it. I think we are surrounded by enough negative news to last us a lifetime, but I'm not sure I understand the point of this article. It explains that the series of events that took place were disturbing enough to induce a state of insomnia and that this womans acts were intolerable. Are you writing this because someone disagrees that her actions were barbaric or has the Express Tribune Blog succumbed to publishing truisms about depressing subjects for a lack of higher quality content? If we are going to just start posting items about how we feel on issues that are disturbing and everyone agrees are disturbing, then perhaps I should be posting on how my friend Asad is a grown man with a disturbing affinity for Hello Kitty. Obviously the course of events that led to the demise of these children is shocking, tragic and horrible. How exactly has your article expanded our minds or understanding of the issue though, I fail to understand.

Shahzeem | 13 years ago | Reply i don't understand what people are trying to imply by saying that these events occur throughout the world. is it a means to justify the acts ? or is it to exonerate themselves (Pakistanis) from being blamed for something that is clearly not their fault?

Asad | 13 years ago | Reply she was in need of mental treatment; like many of us around, who actually don't know that they are sick. very sad incident.

winner | 13 years ago | Reply It was just a case of a mentally challenged\retarded person carrying out a heinous act living in a society where such episodes of pure brutality are becoming quite a norm. Examples being killings of 10-15 people every few months in college campuses of USA, on the streets and in clubs etc. Then throwing away illegitimate children in dust bins and so on...these things are happening in West as well...because criminals or people with mental disorder are everywhere...so rather than terming it as a case of "DEPLORABILITY OF PAKISTANI NATION" it should be taken as something that happened in USA and who knows, the mental stress leading to this act was also caused by financial crunch, or infidelity of hubby or job pressures etc etc... Don't play into hands of western media and do not start ridiculing your nation at the very first opportunity....we are already down and out in terms of status amongst world nations...so what we need to do is obviously not to hide the facts within Pakistan...you may pinpoint them...but even if something happens in some other country which is more probably a manifestation of the hard lifestyles of that country then our nation "ALONE" CAN NOT BE held responsible.... so the perpetrator ...is deplorable but we must look at things in perspective and stop short of only blaming our own culture,people and folk...only...

Safire | 13 years ago | Reply This blog post was a little too less. Less Facts. Less details of what happened afterwards - trial? prison? reason for murder? Good Luck Nadya. I am sure your other blogs will be more fulfilling to curious minds. :)

Murtaza Dar | 13 years ago | Reply when did it happen ? why did it happen ? where did it happen ? what has happened after it ? though its brutal but could be could be a case of mental disorder ...!!!! and what does the investigation say ? their mother was the real culprit ? and honestly speaking such kind of incidents happens almost daily not even in Pakistan or by Pakistanis but it does through out the GLOBE .... !

Ghausia | 13 years ago | Reply Its a blog post for a newspaper. Take a look at the other entries on the Tribune blog, I bet there were much better submissions on the same topic, God knows why this got picked. I'm more sickened by the quality of this thing than the story so miserably covered, I refuse to call it a piece of writing because I don't want to debase the art of writing.

S. Ali Raza | 13 years ago | Reply It is unfortunate that she was a Pakistani, but this is something that is present in every society. Many kill to rid of evil.

Shahzeem | 13 years ago | Reply everyone whom i've spoken to so far about this story (as truly disturbing as it is) has vehemently condemned the mother's acts and expecting nothing short of a death sentence. surely what this mother did was unjustifiable but it is also important to understand that no mother would willingly murder her own children. like thousands of women,she probably suffered from a mental health disorders which was never brought to attention. i feel that women like her need to be helped as opposed to waiting for such incidents to happen and then later be condemned. what this woman needs is not the death penalty but treatment for the root cause of her ailment (which no news story has so far covered). let this not be a lesson in punishment but an example by which other women suffering through similar conditions can be helped prior to their resorting to such acts.

Iffe | 13 years ago | Reply She Callled Recuse 911 Its simply it's nOt stOry Ov Pakistan Nadya V "This is my first blog post for The Tribune" So Nadya I suggest dOn't try to make a strip like BREAKING NEWS anyways It is a gOOd effOrt keep it up

Umair | 13 years ago | Reply What is wrongg with u all? this is a BLOGGG not an article people if you want the fatcs just follow the links for full news report but this is not news this is her opinion. Nadya you have jumped so quick for the readers to follow to your point but it is a GOOD point because even if a woman is mentally ill how will she act it out? Maybe if she was in some crazy state but a guy or rich or from other society she would have killed someone else? I'm just saying it is all speculation on your part but interesting debate. Shame on commentors for becuming tormentors.

Shahbaz | 13 years ago | Reply

 Mental disorder,,,

Ahsan | 13 years ago | Reply just a piece of advice...be honest with the news you are covering and state the facts rather than just trying to propagate your view of certain issues and using any news for that cause. Be patient and trust me you will get many opportunities to abuse our patriarchal form of society. This just wasn't one of those :)

usman | 13 years ago | Reply She also killed her children because they couldnt speak properly. What the hell does that have to do with conceiving a baby. Waste of time.

Zahid | 13 years ago | Reply This is the worst article ever produced by the tribune. This so called journalist or columnist should be fired. Please learn how to write an article before you go on aspiring your dream to become a writer. I'm actually more disgusted at the quality of the article than at the quality of the article. This should be last your article I hope.

faisal | 13 years ago | Reply 100% agree with ahsan.

SadafFayyaz | 13 years ago | Reply Slaughterer huh

Ahsan | 13 years ago | Reply Not very well written article...the writer failed to mention that this lady was living in Dallas, Texas n not in Pakistan n when did the woman say that she being victimized by her spouse or other family members. she had children n even one of them was a boy so why unnecessarily play the male chauvinism card?? Na koi is mein gurbat ka taluq hai aur nothing else related to the problem in our country...its simple the woman is mentally sick...!

Habibies | 13 years ago | Reply Amazing Garhbarh :O

shy | 13 years ago | Reply Mother or butcher?

Meher Zaidi | 13 years ago | Reply You really wrote a post that opens up the debate for the way women are discriminated in Pakistani society. The pressures they have to undergo and the difficulties facing life which may make them into a monster that this woman became.

Azka | 13 years ago | Reply OH MY GOODNESS! .. wait. there isnt any goodness left in the world -.-

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ

'I killed my children'

More by this writer

FOLLOW US