CHITRAL: Speakers at a seminar on ‘causes of frequent suicide incidents in Chitral’ have emphasised the need for carrying out a scientific study to arrest the trend and find out real causes pushing young people to end their lives.

Arranged by Osama Shaheed Academy, the seminar was attended by Lower Chitral deputy commissioner Naveed Ahmed, Upper Chitral DC Shah Saud, director of the academy Fidaur Rahman, Maulana Fazle Maula, Ali Akbar Qazi and Kalash lady Said Gul.

They said that the suicides in Chitral had become a full-fledged social issue, which had baffled the society as a whole, creating fear in the area.

They underscored the responsibilities of parents and guardians towards the children as the distance between them could give rise to extreme depression.

The speakers said that most of the suicide incidents were found to have roots in the discontentment and displeasure of the victims with their families as frequent bickering within the family pushed them to kill themselves.

The speakers contended that estranged relations in a family caused the loss of self-confidence within a person in childhood which adopted complicated shapes and manifestations of depression, mental disorder and feelings of severe hatred toward others.

In Chitral, they said the people felt pressure after failing to adjust themselves to the rapidly changing world and it was probably because of this that young students were ending their lives.

The speakers said that each segment of the society needed to be sensitised so that this growing social problem could be properly addressed.

Upper Chitral DC said that he had already notified a committee, including opinion leaders and social activists, to tackle the issue.

HOSPITAL SHORT OF ANTI-RABIES VACCINE: The district headquarters hospital, Chitral, has been short of anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) for last two months as the number of dog bites is on the increase in the town.

The people complained that hospital management was in collusion with the medical store owners where a single dose of ARV was sold at Rs1,200, while complete treatment consisted of five doses, which the poor could not afford to buy.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2019