LAHORE: The government of Punjab has banned the use of Kala Pathar because it is being consumed to commit suicide.
Most of these suicides took place in southern Punjab where Kala Pathar i.e. paraphenylenediamine can be purchased at Rs 10 only.
Every day, at least three people are drinking this poison to take their lives. The provincial government taking notice of a media report imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code 1898 against the sale and use of Kala Pathar for two months.
“In view of the gravity of the situation, we requested the Punjab government and Home Department for a ban on its sale. That is why Section-144 has been imposed,” said Muhammad Ibrahim Junaid, DG Khan’s deputy commissioner while talking to a private news channel.
Kala Pathar is locally used for hair dye. But it became the cause of death of 60 people, mostly women, within a period of 15 months.
“Patients of Kala Pathar are coming to us in large number. In 2017, we received 156 patients. Of them, 52 have already died,” said Dr Abrar Khosa, Ghazi Khan Medical College ICU in-charge.
“At least 27 patients were brought to the hospital in the first three months this year so far; of them, six have already died,” he added.
“People do not take their patients to hospitals in order to evade legal proceedings,” informed the doctors.