PAN, August 30, 2012

Girl found hanging dead in Jawzjan

By Mohammad Jan Tamkin

A young girl was found hanging dead from the ceiling of her room in Shiberghan city, the capital of northern Jawzjan province, on Thursday, officials said.

The 11th grade schoolgirl was found dead in her house in the first police district, police chief Brig. Gen. Abdul Aziz Ghairat told Pajhwok Afghan New.

She had been engaged to her cousin 11 years ago and the marriage was fixed to take place in near future, he said.

Police had launched an investigation into the incident, though yet to ascertain the motive, with her family insisting she had committed suicide.

Crime branch police chief Col. Abdul Latif said initial investigations showed the girl had committed suicide because she was not happy with her engagement.

Provincial civil hospital director Dr. Mirwais Amini confirmed receiving the girl's body, saying signs of strangulation were visible on her neck.

Religious scholar Maulvi Shibani said committing suicide was illegitimate in Islam.

Maghfirat Samimi, human rights director for Jawzjan, Sar-i-Pul and Faryab, said suicide tendency among girls had increased. He said 20 cases of suicides and murder of women took place in the region this year, compared to last year’s 15 cases.

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