Family pressure, examination stress and in some cases financial problems all lead to unbearable stress resulting in depression and in some cases loss of life.

A couple of days ago, Aizaz Ali, an unemployed engineer, shot himself. Aizaz, aged 25, was a mechanical engineering graduate from the EME campus of the National University of Science and Technology. A similar tragic case happened, where one of my own class fellows, Ahmed Javed aged, 22, in the very same EME, over some rift with parents, jumped off the roof and died in 2012. Suicides have also been reported from institutes like IBA, medical colleges, PIEAS in the recent years.

In my opinion, expectations from students, compared to that with the 1970s are high, whereas the supporting system is very weak. Even after spending huge university fees, the graduates who cannot secure jobs plunge into depression Although hiring psychologists by top universities is a good initiative, we need to revamp university services, educate parents and students about how to deal with such situations and, above all, start putting physical and mental health of our students on priority.

Ahsan Jameel Khan

Islamabad

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2017