A father of two in Rawalpindi died by suicide on Tuesday after facing continuous harassment and threats from the officials of mobile loan apps.

Muhammad Masood, 42, who was unemployed for the last six months, had taken loans to pay his children’s school fee and house rent.

The deceased’s wife said that her husband took the initial loan of Rs13,000 from a digital lending app, which surged to Rs100,000 within a few days after the interest mounted.

Masood was being threatened by the representatives of the lending app as he could not pay back the money, she added.

Having no way out, he then took a loan for the second time from another lending app to repay the first loan, which amounted to Rs700,000 after interest was added within a few weeks, she stated.

The wife alleged that the deceased was being threatened by the apps’ representatives of police action in case he did not repay the loan along with the interest.

The Race Course police have registered a case and have opened an investigation into the matter, while the deceased’s brother claimed that the representatives of the lending app continue to threaten the family even after the death of Masood.

What to do if someone exhibits intent of self-harm

Anxiety and depression is the bane of modern life. But help is just around the corner. If you or your loved ones

• Are feeling depressed
• Are feeling stressed because of your challenging work environment
• Are suffering from anxiety due to another physical illness
• Have recently been diagnosed with a mental illness
• Your doctor has suggested you to seek counseling
• Feel that no one understands you

You can get in touch with the following mental health helplines and speak to them.

• Umang 0317 4288665
• Umang 0311-7786264
• Mind Organisation 042 35761999
• Talk2me.pk 0333 4065139
• Baat Karo 0335 5743344
• Taskeen 0332 5267936
• Rooh 0333 3337664
• Rozan 0800-22444
• OpenCounseling 042 35761999

Here’s what you should do if someone you know exhibits signs of suicide or a tendency to isolate or self-harm:

• Try to make sure they are not left alone
• Remove any objects they could use to harm themselves.
• Take or encourage the person to seek help from a medical or mental health professional