An unbearable life

Syed Ahsan Raza Rizvi did not want to live. In a suicide note left on his laptop, he urged people to let him go even if he survived the suicide attempt. On January 22, Ahsan died by suicide after murdering his wife and three children (ages 6, 4 and 2). According to preliminary reports, Ahsan had suffered losses in his garment business and was jobless. His suicide note suggests that he had to pay back loans taken from friends. But was it his inability to pay back Rs10,000 to his friends that forced him to take an extreme step? What Ahsan did was a replay of what another Karachi resident Fawwad did in November 2022 when he murdered his wife and three children before attempting to take his life, only to miraculously survive. These incidents are a stark reminder of the failure of our policymakers who have forgotten about the travails of hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis who are unable to afford a decent life in the country.

The takeover of the private sector in all fields has made it increasingly difficult for families to afford their children’s education and health. The government’s insistence on staying away from investments in welfare and social programmes adds more to the problem. Economic experts who are trained in capitalist economic models hardly acknowledge the financial hardships a family faces in meeting their monthly expenses and blame it on their inability to make use of the economic opportunities that the free market brings. The rupee depreciation that was triggered after the Ukraine-Russia war has had negative effects on many small businesses. Unfortunately, these business owners, who have families to feed and solely rely on their income from business to run their households, are left with no government support.

In Pakistan, most people are on their own. It is their sheer luck if they manage to find a job that covers their monthly bills or allows them to eat meals with dignity and respect. Unemployment in 2022 touched 6.42 per cent. Politicians responsible for the affairs of the state should be more focused on the economic collapse in the country. Karachi, the country’s only metropolis, is but one example of the dwindling economic opportunities that have made living impossible for a vast majority. It is also important for all political parties to sign a charter of economy and pledge to reach a consensus on long-term economic plans. The death of one Ahsan should be enough to force authorities to act. Unfortunately, we have yet to see our governments or parties care about the Ahsans of Pakistan.