ISLAMABAD: The shooting of a nursing student at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) took a new turn on Saturday as the police claimed that new evidence suggested the student had tried to commit suicide.

However, the victim’s mother claimed that her daughter had told her a bearded man had shot her. But the Pims administration could not confirm whether the student was shot at or tried to commit suicide.

She is currently on a ventilator and semiconscious, and the police will register an FIR after recording her statement, a police source said.

The 22-year-old senior nursing student was shot at near her hostel on Friday night.

When the hostel’s guards reached the spot after hearing gunshots, they shifted the injured student to the hospital where Professor Surgeon Tanveer Khaliq operated on her. The student is now recovering at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

A colleague of the injured student, on condition of anonymity, said that she (the injured student) had been under stress after failing her exams last year and had a bitter falling out with her fiancé.

“About 15 days ago, we had heard that her engagement had been broken off, and she was tense because of that. In the meantime, she also fractured her arm and she was on 15 days leave when the shooting took place,” she said.

“On Friday, she came to the hospital for a follow-up checkup of her arm and on her way back to the hostel she was shot at. It appears that she could also have tried to commit suicide,” her colleague said.

On the other hand, police also believe that the girl tried to commit suicide.

A police official said a revolver used in the incident was found from the nearby greenbelt and still had three live bullets. He said there were traces of gunpowder on her dress, indicating that the bullet was fired from very close range.

“A live bullet was also recovered from the coat of the nursing student. Moreover, an SMS sent to a former classmate showed that she wanted to commit suicide,” he said.

“Her classmate has confirmed to the police that she wanted to commit suicide because of her breakup with her fiancé but that the classmate had advised her against any such step,” the police official said.

He, however, said it was not yet clear whether she wanted to take her own life, because she could have easily overdosed on sleeping pills instead of using a revolver.

When contacted the student’s mother denied that her daughter tried to commit suicide.

“I have been a widow for the last 11 years but I gave all my attention to my children’s education. Two of my daughters have done masters in fine arts, one of my sons is studying in an engineering college while one is doing his BBA. Other children are also studying,” she said.

“Educated people cannot commit suicide,” she added.

Replying to a question, the woman said her daughter could not talk as she was not fully conscious because of the medicines she was being given. However, she did respond with gestures.

“She told her that the person who shot her was sporting a beard and wearing a chador. She also told me that she wants to study,” the victim’s mother added.

While replying to another question, she said her daughter had fractured her arm after slipping in a bathroom a week ago.

She also denied that her daughter had strained relations with her fiance. “In fact he belonged to my native area and is an MBA graduate,” she said.

Pims spokesperson Dr Ayesha Esani said she also visited her in the ICU and tried to talk to her.

“She was not able to talk to me because of Endotracheal tube (ETT), which has been put into her stomach to suck blood accumulated there due to internal bleeding.

However, she answered some of my questions with gestures which showed that she wanted to continue her studies, she said.

While replying to a question Ms Esani confirmed that a live bullet was recovered from her coat. She also confirmed the the bullet was fired from close range.

Margalla police SHO Ghulam Mohammad Baqir said an FIR of the incident would be registered after the student’s statement is recorded.

“Police went to the hospital on Saturday but doctors told us in writing that the injured student was not in a position to record her statement,” SHO Baqir said.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2015

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