Seminar held on increasing suicides in Chitral and its preventive measures

CHITRAL: To prevent suicide among the women of Chitral, a seminar on the ‘Increasing trend of suicide in Chitral and its preventive measurement’ was held at upper Chitral Booni some 75km from here.

The seminar was organised by Shandoor Welfare Organization in collaboration with district government of Chitral Mastuj. Project Director and Vice Chancellor University of Chitral Professor Doctor Badshah Munir Bukhari was the chief guest on the occasion while the ceremony was presided over by Tehsil Nazim Mastuj, Maulana Muhammad Yousaf

Addressing the occasion, former district health officer Dr Sher Qayum said that suicide trend among the women of Chitral is higher as compared to other districts. He said six people committed suicide in 2009, eight in 2010, two in 2011, twelve in 2013, thirteen in 2014 and 2015 each, fifteen in 2016 and this year more than 15 people have ended their lives by suicide.

Most of them are women and teenagers who jumped in the Chitral River and ended their lives. Between the year 2002-2008 every year more than 32 girls committed suicide.

Religious scholars have termed it a sin and said that suicide is banned in Islam and those who commit suicide are deprived of paradise. They said that there are different causes for increasing rate of suicide among women such as lack of Islamic education, ignorance of parents, depriving them of their rights and ignoring them, and poverty or early marriages.

Social activists Aminar Nigar, Nazia Kanwal and Inayatullah Aseer told this scribe that there is neither a shelter house for women or any psychiatrist in Chitral. They demanded to create job opportunities for women and giving them a chance to engage in positive activities, livelihood program or any other employment. This can reduce suicide among the women.

Those who spoke on the occasion were Maulana Dinar Shah, Maulana Amir Nawaz, Alwaiz Sultan Nigah, Dr Sher Qayum, Qari Imtiazur Rehman, prominent social worker Inayatullah Aseer, Nasir Ali Shah, Sub Divisional Police Officer  Muhammad  Zaman, Member Tehsil Council Sardar Hakeem, senior journalist Muhkamuddin, Prof Dr. Badshah Munir Bukhari and Tehsil Nazim Mastuj Maulana Muhammad Yousaf.

The Shandoor Welfare Organization presented awards to some journalists and social workers who are working on this issue. Residents of the area hailed efforts of Muhammad Ali Mujahid, Chief Editor of Shandoor Times, and his team for conducting this seminar for the first time in Chitral.