One more student in Chitral allegedly took his own life on Thursday after receiving his Intermediate exam results, police told DawnNewsTV.

Police sources said that according to initial information, he had been unable to secure a foreign scholarship and had obtained lower test scores than his two close friends who had been selected for the scholarship.

The boy, who was apparently disheartened after receiving his exam results, shot himself, the sources said.

A friend of his told DawnNewsTV that the deceased was someone who enjoyed life and would often be seen smiling and happy.

"I am still not ready to believe that he has committed suicide," he said.

Exam scores were released by colleges at 4pm on Monday but due to poor internet facilities in the region and excessive load on the website, many students were only able to see their results later.

Earlier this week, three students living in different areas of Chitral attempted to end their lives, reportedly after they received their intermediate exam results and felt disheartened over their performance. One of the three was recovered dead, one has not been found, while the third survived a suicide attempt.

Though it was believed by family members in all three cases that the students were saddened by their results and this was in all likelihood the reason for them to take such drastic measures, police officials said they would investigate the incidents from all possible angles.

Police sources told DawnNewsTV that they would file cases after investigation. So far, no cases have been registered. The police has been directed to fully investigate suicide cases in the area as the suicide rate is higher than average.

According to Chitral-based civil organisation Human Rights Programme's chairman, Niaz Niazi, a large number of suicide cases go unreported in the area due to poor police action.

Niazi said that around 40-45 people commit suicide annually in Chitral. In 2018 till date, some 20 people have taken their own lives.

The Niazi said that in most cases, locals and relatives of the deceased did not inform police of suicides due to the prevailing culture in the area, and that police also did not probe these cases.

Opinion

Editorial

Digital growth
25 Apr, 2024

Digital growth

TECHNOLOGY divides us. According to a new UNDP report on Pakistan, titled Doing Digital for Development — Access,...
Nikah rights
25 Apr, 2024

Nikah rights

THE Supreme Court recently delivered a judgement championing the rights of women within a marriage. The ruling...
Campus crackdowns
25 Apr, 2024

Campus crackdowns

WHILE most Western governments have either been gladly facilitating Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, or meekly...
Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...