Pakistani man arrested after killing HIV-positive wife following epidemic

Pakistani police have arrested a man who killed his wife in southern Sindh province after she contracted HIV. Hundreds of people have been infected in the area recently.

MENA

1 min read

The New Arab & agencies

30 May, 2019

A woman in Larkana cries after finding out her child is infected with HIV [Getty]

Pakistan's police say they have arrested a man who killed his HIV-positive wife and hung her body from a tree in southern Sindh province, where hundreds of people have tested positive for the virus.

Wednesday's incident took place in the town of Sikarpur, 75 kilometres north-east of Larkana district, which has been struck by an HIV epidemic.

The outbreak was detected in March when increasing numbers of people began coming to a hospital.

Local police chief Sajid Siddozai said the woman tested positive for HIV recently and her husband suspected she had sex with another person.

Police recently arrested a doctor to determine whether he intentionally spread the disease in Larkana, where 681 people, including 537 children were recently found to be carrying the virus.

HIV infection in Pakistan is growing at an alarming rate, with more than 23,000 new cases registered in 2017 alone.