ISLAMABAD, Oct 24: A jobless youth from Sindh committed self-immolation near Parliament House here on Monday.

According to the police, Raja Khan, 22, a resident of Nauwshahro Feroze, appeared near Parade Ground at around 2:30pm after dousing himself in petrol. He told a traffic policeman present there that he was going to set himself on fire due to continued joblessness and inability to feed his family, including two children. As the man started running towards D-Chowk, the traffic cop sought help from the officials of reserve police deployed at the Parade Ground for security.

However, moments later the man set himself ablaze. Before the policemen could put out the flames, he was burnt completely. Three policemen also sustained minor burn injuries while trying to save him.

The injured was shifted to the burn unit of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) where he died at 7.50pm. Doctors at the hospital said the victim had received 90 per cent burns. The young man was carrying a plastic bag which contained his computerised national identity card, a cellphone, two pairs of shalwar qamiz and a handwritten suicide note.

The police quoted the note as stating: “I am committing self-immolation on my free will and no one is responsible for it.”

It said that continued joblessness and economic hardship had compelled him to take the extreme step. “I am father of two children but unable to feed them.” The note added: “My soul will rest in peace if the government took care of my family, including two children.”

He also requested that he should be buried in Islamabad after he commits self-immolation. The police said they had informed his family in Naushahro Feroze about the incident.

There were also reports that the victim had arrived in the federal capital a few days back and tried to meet the MNA of his area and others to get some honourable source of income but his efforts remained fruitless.