It's Jehlum which they find suitable to end lives in

Srinagar, Aug 12 (UNI) An air of panic fell on busy Amira Kadal, near here, when a woman all of a sudden jumped into the Jehlum river from the bridge, which connects historic Lal Chowk, the nervecentre of the summercapital, to business hub Hari Singh High Street.

Traffic came to a halt and those walking on the bridge let out screams to lend the woman a helping hand.

However, a number of locals immediately jumped into the river and saved the woman.

It was not immediately clear why the woman took the extreme step.

But police identified her as Gulshan, the wife of Bashir Ahmad Atli, a resident of Rayar Khan Sahib in the central Kashmir district of Badgam.

Jehlum, which originates from south Kashmir and finally enters Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) after passing through almost all the districts of the valley covering hundreds of kilometres, has now become an ideal place for the people to end their lives.

A majority of people, mostly women and youths, who commit suicide in the valley, despite a fatwa by the Grand Mufti of Kashmir, Mufti Bashiruddin and other ulemas against the practice, jumped into the river and ended their lives.

On average, of two people, mostly women, consume poison or jump into Jehlum every day.

According to official figures, 62 people committed suicide in 2006 while the figure has shot up dramatically this year and stood at 75 for the first six months of the current year despite a fatwa by the Mufti Azam, Mufti Bashir Udddin against committing suicide.

He said committing suicide was an unislamic act. However, it had no impact as about half a dozen people committed suicide since he issued a fatwa last month.

UNI