206 suicides attempted in Lahore so far

Domestic disputes, poverty among leading reasons

LAHORE: Around 206 people in the provincial capital attempted suicide during the first six months of 2019.

Citizens attempted suicide over reasons such as poverty, domestic disputes and rejected marriage proposals by shooting themselves, consuming poison and hanging themselves. In the past few days, at least five suicide incidents were reported. However, despite their prevalence no action has been taken at any level to curb these incidents.

Syed Farhad Ali, an expert in law, said that according to Section 325 of the Pakistan Penal Code, those attempting suicide can either be imprisoned for one year or fined or both. It usually depends on the judge and the type of punishment and penalty he chooses to impose on the perpetrator, he added.

“The purpose of this particular section in the Pakistan Penal Code is to deter individuals from attempting suicide by introducing a consequence. However, this is typically ineffective as most do not bother to dig deep and unearth the motives behind such an extreme decision,” he maintained.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Psychologist Dr Anum Fatima stated that individuals can be driven to commit suicide for a whole host of reasons such as unrequited love, family pressure, deteriorating mental health, fear, loss and abuse.

“All of these reasons and many more can cloud one’s ability to think straight, leading them to believe that suicide is the only option,” she explained.

Some people even go so far as to attempt suicide as a way to persuade their family members to listen to them or consider their point of view. Such individuals often attempt suicide by consuming poisonous pills or sleeping pills while someone is close by, as they believe that they will emerge unscathed and their wish will be fulfilled, she added. In other words, these incidents are often a cry for attention.

However, those who actually wish to go through with the act commit suicide in isolation, she said.

Lahore Police SSP Investogation Zeeshan Asghar said that after being informed about a suicide, officials first take the deceased’s body into to custody and send it for a post mortem report. After the medical report is completed, the body is handed over to the deceased’s family, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2^nd, 2019.