Father of four commits suicide in Karachi due to ‘joblessness, poverty’

Published January 9, 2020
The resident of Ibrahim Hyderi self-immolated on Wednesday night. — File image
The resident of Ibrahim Hyderi self-immolated on Wednesday night. — File image

A middle-aged man committed suicide in Karachi on Wednesday evening, allegedly due to not being able to provide for his family due to financial constraints.

According to police, the deceased, whose age was believed to be around 40 years, was a resident of Ibrahim Hyderi and had four children.

Police officials said that he sprinkled kerosene oil over his body and set himself on fire. Soon after, he was rushed to the Burns Centre at Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi, where he died during treatment on Thursday morning.

He had sustained 65 per cent burns.

Ibrahim Hyderi Station House Officer (SHO) Raza Solangi said that the deceased had recorded a statement before a police officer after he was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday night. Police quoted him as saying that he had decided to end his life due to joblessness and poverty. The deceased worked as a junk dealer and ran a donkey cart.

Speaking to DawnNewsTV at the family home, the man's son said he had asked his father for warm clothes to wear to school a couple of days ago.

A letter was found from the deceased's pocket addressed to Prime Minister Imran Khan, in which he had said that he was very poor and should be given a job and a house.

According to the police officer, the deceased had also told his brothers about a ‘suicide note’ he had left at the mausoleum of a saint in the city and asked them to collect the same. However, SHO Raza said that the police have not been able to find any suicide note.

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