A man after failing to meet his constituency’s elected representative set himself ablaze on Monday in front of the Parliament House, requesting the government to take care of his children instead of expressing sympathy for his family in case he died. The jobless father of two set himself on fire and was rushed to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) where the doctors stated that his condition was very critical. “The man is in critical condition as his body is 90 percent burnt,” said PIMS Deputy Director Dr Farukh. At around 8 pm, it was announced that the victim had expired. According to police, the injured, later identified as 25-year-old resident of Naushero Feroz Sindh, Raja Khan, sprinkled himself with fuel before setting himself on fire on the Parade Ground near Parliament House. Police sources said the man was trying to meet either his elected Member of National Assembly or are any other politician but was not allowed due to security reasons. After being refused this meeting, Raja Khan staged a sit-in outside the parliament lodges on Saturday and Sunday, finally setting himself ablaze out of utter desperation the next day. Talking to Pakistan Today Secretariat Station House Officer (SHO) Inspector Hakim Khan said the police official on duty took the injured to hospital. The SHO quoted the police officials present on the spot as having heard from the injured that he was committing suicide because he had no job and no money to feed his children and was fed up with the situation. Inspector Hakim said a partially burnt letter was also recovered from the pocket of the victim. The letter was written in Sindhi and stated: “After my death, if the government realises it then it would be better for the government to express sympathies with my family by taking care of my two children.”
According to the SHO, in his letter Raja Khan also said, “I am going to commit suicide, if I succeed I should be buried in Islamabad.”