DASKA: A 50-year-old widow ended her life by consuming poisonous pill after receiving hefty energy bills in Daska, a city in Punjab, ARY News reported.
According to details, the woman named Razia received 25,000 rupees utility bills (16,000 for gas and 9,000 for electricity) that exacerbated the family’s financial struggles.
Razia was falling more into poverty as her three sons were unable to find job. Razia lost it and ended her own life when the utility company came to disconnect power since she hadn’t paid the high energy bill. Razia ran a small grain-roasting business to support her family.
Earlier in a similar incident in Faisalabad, a man burdened by hefty electricity and gas bills reportedly took his own life by jumping in front of a train. The utility bills of the deceased, identified as Fida Hussain, amounted to Rs28,300.
Fida Hussain, who lived in the Roda Tali area, had received an electricity bill of Rs. 24,800 and was charged Rs. 3,500 for gas.
Read More: Woman takes own life over inflated electricity bill in Punjab
Rising electricity bills have left citizens in despair, with many finding it increasingly difficult to cope. These inflated bills are becoming a death sentence for the poor.
The heartbreaking incident occurred in Faisalabad, where Fida Hussain, a resident of Millat Town, ended his life near the dry port.
Neighbours revealed that Fida Hussain had been unemployed for several months and was struggling to pay his utility bills. The bills were found in his pocket after the incident.