Two minors, 40-year-old commit suicide in Lahore

Mental health practitioners blame poverty, isolation behind such desperate steps

LAHORE:

At least three people including two minors committed suicide in Lahore on Friday.

The first case was reported in Kahna area where a 12-year-old boy hanged himself to death with a belt at his residence.

Police said the victim identified as Saqlain had asked his parents to buy a new trouser and when his parents refused he locked himself inside a room and took his life.

In the second incident, Ramzan, a teenager, was admonished by his parents for engaging in bad habits and avoiding studies. On a fateful day, his parents scolded him and asked him to focus on his studies. Instead of complying, the teen hanged himself to death at his residence in Valentia Town.

Meanwhile, a 40-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the Walton Flyover. The deceased was identified as Muhammad Shafiq. As per initial investigation, the victim took his life over the compounding pressure of joblessness.

He had allegedly been suffering from mental illnesses due to his poor economic situation. Police teams have shifted all three bodies to the morgue for post mortem examination. They said they are conducting a detailed probe into all three incidents to ascertain the cause of deaths.

Read More: Financial issues major reason of suicide

 Over the last few weeks, suicide cases are being reported frequently in the provincial capital.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Psychologist Syeda Fatima Tu Zahra said, “Teenagers are more at risk of committing suicide as their prefrontal cortex has not fully developed yet.”

She added that the pandemic has taken a toll on mental health as people can no more find solace in company of others.

“In such circumstances, we should focus on developing a suicide prevention hotline to save lives.” A week ago, on January 30, a 20-year-old woman had taken her life owing to escalated domestic issues in Liaqatabad area.

Psychiatrist Dr Riaz Bharti said, “Social isolation and economic woes are leading to depression and suicide in people.

The situation worsened after the pandemic hit, overwhelmingly increasing the number of suicide cases.” Dr Bharti encouraged people to adopt healthy socialisation to maintain their mental health and take care of those around them