The provincial capital of Punjab has witnessed a disturbing rise in suicide cases, with 29 reported incidents in the first three months of this year, reported 24 News HD TV channel on Tuesday.
According to Edhi Foundation sources, the victims included nine women and 20 men, with reasons ranging from domestic disputes to financial struggles.
The series of tragic incidents began on January 3, when a 35-year-old woman, Ayesha, ended her life by hanging herself in Shahdara.
Just over a week later, on January 11, 50-year-old Shamim Bibi jumped to her death from the upper floor of the residence in Shafiqabad.
January also saw multiple cases of suicides involving firearms and poison ingestion.
In Meraj Park, Shahdara, 30-year-old Bilal shot himself in the head on January 12.
The next day, a man named Sajid killed his friend Shehzad before turning the gun on himself in Kahna.
Hanging also remained a common method, with cases reported in Shad Bagh, Walton Road, and Baghbanpura.
In February, self-inflicted gunshot wounds and poison consumption continued to be prevalent methods of suicide.
On February 9, the lifeless body of a 40-year-old trader, Ahsan Iqbal, was discovered in a private hotel room in Nolakha; he had ingested poisonous pills.
A week later, a security guard from Gulshan-e-Iqbal, identified as Muhammad Hussain, took his own life using a firearm.
One of the most shocking cases occurred on February 24, when 45-year-old Imran deliberately crashed his motorcycle into an iron staircase on an overhead bridge in China Scheme, Gujjarpura.
Similarly, a 17-year-old boy, Usama, was found hanging in Begum Kot, Shahdara, on February 27.
In February, 29-year-old Junaid was found hanging in Gujjarpura, while 19-year-old Saadia from Nishtar Colony consumed poisonous pills to end her life. The distressing trend continued in Shahdara’s Begum Kot, where 17-year-old Usama also died by hanging. Additionally, 32-year-old Sulaiman Afzal, reportedly frustrated by unemployment, took his own life in Gujjarpura.
March saw an even greater number of tragic incidents. On March 10, 18-year-old Areeba hanged herself in Harbanspura, followed by 25-year-old Shahbaz, who ended his life in Sanda’s Dogar Market.
On March 12, 40-year-old police constable Muhammad Husnain, a resident of Toba Tek Singh, fatally shot himself with his service rifle on Sarwar Road.
Another shocking case occurred in Raiwind City, where an unidentified young man threw himself in front of a moving train.
Later in the month, 26-year-old Tanveer died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Kahna.
On March 28, 35-year-old Shamaila Bibi ended her life in Shaukat Town, Factory Area, using her husband’s pistol.
The rising number of suicides has raised serious concerns about mental health issues, economic hardships, and social pressures in Lahore.
Experts have urged immediate intervention, including awareness campaigns, accessible mental health services, and economic support programs to address the root causes of such distressing incidents.