HARIPUR: A total of 17 people, including nine women, committed suicide in Haripur district during the last six months.

The suicide incidents were reported from Jan 1 to June 27, say police and hospital sources.

These people included five teenage and two adolescent girls, four unmarried men, two married women, two teenage boys, and two married men. Four people, including two women, were rescued as their families shifted them to the nearby hospitals without delay.

Overall, suicide attempt by 13 people, including seven women and six men, turned out to be fatal.

Two women and two men committed suicide by hanging, while four women killed themselves by consuming anti-rodent or other poisonous substances. Three women and four men shot themselves dead.

A woman allegedly killed herself by hanging from a ceiling fan after strangling her nine months old son in a remote village of Beer union council in April this year.

In the same union council, a man in his 30s killed himself after gunning down a girl whom he loved. He was upset at her family’s repeated refusal to marriage proposal.

The sources say one suicide incident was reported in January, two in Feb, one in March, five in April, none in May and eight in June.

Clinical psychologist Sahira Khan said depression was the major reason for the growing incidence of suicide as people in the 15-25 year age bracket were very emotional and thus, being more vulnerable with others.

She said educational, sports and positive social activities prevented the people from committing suicide and that an organised awareness campaign should be launched at school and college levels in that respect.

Ms Sahira said prayer leaders should advise the people against committing suicide in line with Islamic teachings, while the parents should strengthen their relation with children in a way that they could share their problems with them easily.

She called for the establishment of counsellingwards and centres at government hospitals so that the problem could be identified at an early stage and treated through counseling instead of medication.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2019