TIMERGARA: Growing incidents of suicides among youth have alarmed parents, teachers and social activists.

Talking to Dawn on Tuesday, activists Amanullah Khan, Ibrash Pasha, schoolteacher Zafeerullah and some parents said in majority of the cases the victims had swallowed poisonous pills used for killing rats which were easily available in the market.

They demanded that the traders dealing in poisonous pills should be allowed to do so only when they had official permission. They said these dangerous substances should not be sold to teenagers.

Zafeerullah said the incidents had worried parents.

According to police record and residents, two close friends identified as Wahid, 17, and Adeel, 16, ended their lives in Darra Ramora and Ghaligay village of Adenzai the other day while a third friend identified as Waqas, 16, was rescued by relatives while attempting to commit suicide.

Another 18-year-old married girl tried to commit suicide by shooting herself with a pistol at Loi Gandao in the limits of Asbanr police station on Tuesday. The girl was taken to hospital in Chakdara wherefrom she was referred to the district headquarters hospital, Batkhela. The condition of the woman is stated to be out of danger.

Similarly, four days ago, a youth named Usman Ali also committed suicide by shooting himself after arguing with his father at Rabat Chinai.

On Aug 16, a 12th grader at a private college, Numanullah of Bagh Dushkhel village, ended his life by shooting himself in the head. The boy had got less marks in the board examination results. Another student, Izhar of Khush Muqam, also consumed poisonous pills after he failed in a paper in the SSC examination results. A year ago, an uncle of the victim had also ended his life by swallowing poisonous pills.

Meanwhile, the Lower Dir administration imposed ban on sale of poisonous pills and other life-taking substances in the market.

Assistant Commissioner, Adenzai, Alamgir Khan held a meeting with the traders dealing with poisonous pills and decided that such tablets and pesticides would be sold only after proper investigation of the buyer while people below the age of 18 would not get these pills.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2018