NAROWAL: Due to poverty and inflation, a labourer along with two children reportedly committed suicide by jumping into a canal on Monday.

Rescue 1122 recovered the bodies of the man and one of his sons from the canal. The search is on for the second child.

Abdul Rauf Javed (38), a resident of Rajput Street, Sambrial, committed suicide by jumping into the Sambrial canal with his two minor sons, Dawood (7) and Muhammad Yahya (8).

According to Rauf’s father, Muhammad Javed, his son often used to fight with his wife, Aini. On Monday, Rauf left home for the market with his two sons but did not return. It was later known that he had jumped into the canal with both children.

Ansar Shahzad, a neighbor of Rauf, said the deceased was a hardworking man but there were frequent fights in his house due to poverty and inflation.

Rescuers reached the spot on receiving information and recovered the body of Rauf and seven-year-old Dawood from the canal.

Sialkot District Emergency Officer Naveed Iqbal said the search for the eight-year-old Yahya in the canal had been stopped due to darkness. He said the operation would restart on Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2023