Infant dies in Karachi as ‘financially distressed’ family attempts suicide

An infant died in Karachi on Friday after a man along with three other family members attempted suicide by consuming a poisonous substance allegedly due to inflation, according to the police.

District West SSP Faisal Bashir Memon told Dawn.com that a 40-year-old resident of Surjani Town administered a poisonous substance to himself, his 35-year-old wife, and two infant daughters aged four and two, respectively, in their home due to “frustration over inflation”.

The two-year-old passed away.

The family was subsequently taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital by rescue teams.

The officer stated that the man was the sole earner of the family, living in a rented house, and was struggling with inflation and unemployment.

In a similar heart-wrenching incident last month in Punjab’s Narowal, a labourer along with two children committed suicide by jumping into a canal due to poverty and inflation.

The victim’s neighbour had told police that the deceased was a hardworking man but there were frequent fights in his house due to financial issues.

In another incident earlier this month, a man upset by inflation and poverty committed suicide along with his four-year-old daughter by jumping into the Abbasia canal at Head Panjnad in Muzaffargarh.

With weekly inflation surging above 40 per cent, millions of Pakistanis have found their purchasing power further eroded, with many struggling to cover even the most basic necessities.

The Consumer Price Index for February jumped to 31.50pc —the worst since June 1975. It was followed by a sharp decline in rupee value, with the government raising energy prices and taxes to meet the International Monetary Fund’s loan conditions.

All these factors have contributed immensely to the record-high inflation that Pakistan is currently battling.