Speaker urges govt action against suicide trail

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly has been apprised that at least 200 people have hitherto committed suicide during the current year, Geo News reported Tuesday. The NA speaker Dr Fahmida Mirza directed the government to get off the ground an awareness drive against this trend among the people. The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) presenting Call Attention notice during the proceedings on the Private Members’ Day, said the people buckling under extreme poverty and price hike in the country, are coerced to commit suicides. Reacting to this, Federal Minister for Human Rights Mumtaz Gilani said at least 113 people committed suicide in Punjab during the current year thus far; 56 in Sindh, 15 in Balochistan and 20 people killed themselves in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well. He said government does not have a magic wand that it can change the economic condition overnight. Mirza directed the government to roll out a movement to create awareness among the people against the trend of suicide and the same should be cautioned in mosques that suicide is haram (impermissible).