Suicide by poor vendor in Swabi throws light on interest-based business

SWABI: When a poor vendor burdened by debts committed suicide in Topi town recently, attention was diverted to the widespread interest-based business and ‘underplay’ in the district.

A source told The News that leading businessmen are involved in these illegal and inhuman activities. On February 14, a man selling “cholay” on a pushcart in Topi bazaar committed suicide. The police reported that he shot himself in the head.

His loans kept increasing due to interest that had to be paid and he ended up under a debt of Rs4.5 million.

The deceased identified as Jehanzeb Khan hailed from Swatyano Mohallah in Topi. It has been learnt that Jehanzeb’s father, Jan Khan was owner of several passenger coaches and was counted among one of the leading public transporters of Swabi. Due to his mistakes, he lost all his vehicles and later started selling cooked rice in Topi bazaar. He was known among the transporters as “Khan”.

Jehanzeb had started underplay, a practice when a person purchased cars from the heavyweights in the business at high price and sold the vehicles in cash at low price. The practice worked for sometimes, but then it collapsed.

As he failed to pay back to the creditors, people started knocking at his door to demand payment in accordance to the written documents that they possessed. He was not in a position to pay and the circumstances forced him to remain in hiding, refusing to meet with the people.

His family said that it was great shame for them that the people had knocked often at their door. Some threatened him of dire consequences and even used abusive language.

They said that on the day of occurrence he sneaked into his home in the cover of the night, went straight to his room, opened fire with a pistol and shot himself in the head.

People here demanded the and end to the widespread interest-based business and underplay as in case of government failure many more people would become its victim.