Financial issues major reason of suicide

Experts say poor self respect leads to frustration

LAHORE:

At least 15 people, including two women, committed suicide in the provincial capital during the ongoing year.

The crime is unique as anyone failing in an attempt to commit suicide becomes an accused and may be punished with imprisonment for two to three years.

Edhi Foundation spokesman Syed Naqash Naqvi told The Express Tribune that the victims were facing various problems and conditions.

He said 45-year-old Zahid, a resident of Guwaha, committed suicide out of frustration over domestic issues. In Satokatla, a 25-year-old man hanged himself after an altercation with his wife. Local people said the couple had shifted to the neighborhood a week before the incident. The husband and wife had an argument in the morning and the woman left the home before the man ended his life.

In Nishtar Colony, 30-year-old Ilyas ended his life after failing in a competitive exam, while 25-year-old Behrooz in Iqbal Town hanged himself over failure in a love affair.

A 25-year-old woman, Qaisar Sultana Bibi, resident of Chah Miran, hanged herself over domestic disputes. Naqvi added that Adnan, a 25-year-old resident of Harbanspura, ended his life by consuming poison after failing to get married of his own choice.

An unidentified 22-year-old man jumped from Minar-e-Pakistan and ended his life.

A 35-year-old resident of Punjab Society, named Kashif, stabbed himself after an argument with his wife.

Meanwhile, 22-year-old Afzal, a resident of Green Town, consumed poison over a love affair. Shamoon, a 45-year-old resident of Peco Road consumed poison after being fed up of unemployment.

Adnan, a 48-year-old resident of Samnabad, was frustrated over his domestic situation and consumed poison.

In another incident, 24-year-old Najma Bibi, a resident of Factory Area, committed suicide after she could not get married according to her wish. An unidentified couple set themselves on fire near a bridge for unknown reasons and lost their lives.

SSP Operations Malik Jamil Zafar said that on a report of suicide, the police reached the spot and examined it. The body is then shifted to the morgue for autopsy. "This is a crime over which an FIR is registered against the deceased under section 325 and it is made part of the record.

If someone survives after a suicide attempt, section 511 is added, under which the accused can be imprisoned for two to three years."

The officer said that in some cases, the heirs do not want the postmortem done. In such a situation, action is taken under section 174.

The area magistrate is requested by the heirs, who give a statement that they do not want to take legal action and the postmortem should not be done. The body is handed over to the heirs for burial on the order of the court.

Malik Jamil said that if the legal proceedings are not completed, a relative of the deceased might file a petition claiming that the victim had been killed. In such a case, the police have to carry out exhumation on the orders of the court.

A psychiatrist, Dr Anum Fatima, said suicides are more likely to occur during periods of socioeconomic, family and individual crises.

Most victims tend to suffer from some disorder, she added.

She also highlighted that the causes of suicide include mental illness, personality, poor coping skills and influence of social and environmental pressure. “Social influences such as economic cycles with high unemployment rates, influence of religion, acceptance, and peer pressure all play a factor in suicidal attempts.”

She was of the view that people who were not affiliated with religions had greater chances of attempting suicide than those who endorsed a religious affiliation.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th, 2020.