KARACHI: A poverty-stricken man on Thursday committed suicide after being unable to provide warm clothing to his children during the harsh weather.
A resident of the city's Ibrahim Hyderi area, the man earned his livelihood by driving a donkey cart. He was taken to the Civil Hospital after he set himself on fire but was unable to survive the wounds and passed away.
It came to light after his death that the man was heartbroken after his children asked for warm clothes to protect themselves from the harsh cold but he was unable to do so as he was already going through a financial crisis.
The winter season has broken various records in Pakistan as mercury in Peshawar dropped to a freezing -1°C after 36 years. Karachi, on the other hand, recorded its lowest at 9.2°C, while Skardu reached a freezing -21°C.