Labourer sets himself on fire

A labourer set himself on fire after he had allegedly been threatened by a moneylender of serious consequences if he (the labourer) did not repay the loan with interest.

The labourer, Muhammad Iqbal Darkhan, was moved from Mianwali to a hospital in Rawalpindi in a critical condition.

Darkhan lives in a rented house near the Bhachran Paka Ghanjira graveyard.

He had borrowed Rs30,000 from Muhammad Khan Buri Khel, a resident of Paka Ghanjira, on the death of his son five months ago.

Now the moneylender allegedly demanded Rs500,000 with interest from Darkhan and threatened him with severe consequences if he did not pay the money.

This scenario depressed Muhammad Iqbal Darkhan so much so that he decided to end his life and set himself on fire.

Bhachran police arrested the moneylender on the complaint lodged by the victim's wife, Surriya Bibi, and registered a case under the Lending Act 2007.

Talking to The Express Tribune, the DPO of Mianwali Ismailur Rehman Kharak said, "This is a test case. Nasrullah Khan, a lawyer, said that interest-bearing and installment-based businesses played a significant role in increasing poverty.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2022.