13-Year Old Pakistani Student Sets Himself on Fire Over School Uniform
- Posted on April 1, 2012 at 6:31pm by
Erica Ritz
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(The Blaze/AP) — A Pakistani boy who set himself on fire because his parents could not afford to buy him a new school uniform has died, his family and officials said Sunday.
The tragic story is a reminder of the woeful lives of Pakistan’s many dirt-poor citizens. It brings out the challenges facing those clinging to the hope that education could be the ticket to climbing up from the bottom rung of society.
Like many in Pakistan, 13-year-old Kamran Khan’s family did not have enough money to send him to school. He was such a promising student that a local private school allowed him to attend for free, said the boy’s older brother, Saleem Khan.
Even then, the family struggled. The boys’ father borrowed money from relatives to buy a work visa to Saudi Arabia four months ago, but he hasn’t yet found a job there, said the elder Khan. Their mother works as a maid.
The younger Khan used to wander the streets in Shabqadar, their town of 60,000 in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, looking for bits of metal scrap and other items to sell to help out the family, said his brother.
He never asked for anything, his brother said, but last month he pleaded with his mother for several days to buy him a new school uniform, a white shalwar kameez, the loose-fitting pants and top worn by both men and women in Pakistan. He was embarrassed that his old one was worn out and patched up.
His mother sympathized with him but repeatedly told him the family didn’t have the money. She finally lost her patience with him on March 24 and slapped him, said his brother.
The young boy responded by saying, “If you can’t buy me a uniform, then I’m going to kill myself,” according to his brother.
He stormed out of their house, doused himself with gasoline and lit himself on fire, said his brother. The youth suffered burns on 65 percent of his body. He was taken to an army-run hospital in Punjab province. But the family could only raise one-tenth of the roughly $5,500 they needed for his treatment.
He died of his injuries on Saturday, said Zahir Shah, a police officer in Shabqadar.
Public school fees in Pakistan average only around $2 per month, but even this is often too much for poor Pakistanis, who tend to have many children.
About 30 percent of Pakistanis have received less than two years of education, according to a report issued last year by the Pakistani government.
The results are poor even for those kids who do attend school. Around 50 percent of school children aged 6-16 can’t read a sentence, said the report.
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Comments (87)
lukerw
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 9:49pmWhy tell anyone about the Money… unless it’s you best feature?
Report Post »NeoKong
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 9:32pmOne less terrorist.
Thought that was harsh….?
Fer crissakes the kid is willing to light himself on fire.
Report Post »What else would he do?
Paul
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 10:06pm“Thought that was harsh….?”
Nope! I wish the Hamper Head in DC would follow suit !
Report Post »Killpanthers
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 8:56pmI know what we can get the kid for Christmas …… Gas can and matches! Or send that Sargent back for the 4th time……..either works
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 11:12pmSick comment.
They should rise up against their corrupt government / power holders.
But, that does not alter the facts of how they live.
Of course, who are we to say how they should live?
Now, I do have to ask, is this what one learns from OWS??
Gimme what I want or I’ll set myself on fire??
How about teaching your children at home? If it were my child, I can’t imagine failing to teach them. Of course, if you teach them to blow themselves up when they are twenty, they don’t really need much of an education beyond some rudimentary chemistry and electrical skills, huh?
May God show them the truth and provide them a way out of their misery.
What a mess.
Report Post »sablegsd
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 8:44pmI could not care any less.
Their “schools” are nothing more than brainwashing and indoctrination.
You can’t help koranimals.
Report Post »Sicboy
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 9:08pmYour heart would be touched, if you had one. What a loser you are. Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of.
Report Post »Marsh626
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 8:37pmIslamic communities without natural resources are always poor. Islam is a failed civilization that’s trying to takeover the world through demographics and terror.
Report Post »Old_Bones
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 8:32pmCool, one less terrorist to deal with. We can only hope others follow suit.
Report Post »kindling
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 8:20pmI know someone that served over in Afghanistan. They wrote home for donated items for the people there. I wanted to send things but the more I thought about it the more it felt bad. Once our people leave who will keep giving them things they can’t get there. If they were making some effort to change I support it. But I was told most of what was sent was forbidden and had to be hidden. So what is the point. If the US would just mind their own business it would be better. No one wants our help….only our money and then it only goes to the leaders, not the people. The more we show them what they don’t have the more they hate us.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 8:37pmEach Nation is Soverign and has the Responsibility for it’s own people, who support their Government. Do not be suckered into helping those… who will not help themselves!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 8:11pmMy empathy ends at the US Boarder!
Report Post »Elena2010
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 9:42pmBorder not boarder
I’m a 13th generation American and have pity on those less fortunate. I have sent school stuff to the Army Chaplains in Iraq and Marines in Afghanistan. We have been so blessed; it’s the Christian thing to do — share. I do NOT support gov’t taking fm me to share w/others though. That’s theft, not compassion.
Report Post »mcgrawactor1
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 7:54pmI agree that this story has an odd ring to it. We would not be hearing about it if there wasn’t some kind of ulterior motive. That being said, when a child is brought up in a culture that de-values life the way many Middle Eastern states do, why is it a surprise that the first thought to come into this boy’s mind is self-immolation? My God, how horrible!! That would never occur to most civilized people, but it is all around them, inculding the youth. These kids are being raised to believe that life on this earth is not valuable, niether theirs nor others. And for that wack-job on this site that says we are “boo-hooing” over this child or those that say he woud otherwise grow up to be American-hating or a jihadist, Have a HEART!!!! You might believe that, but poutting it on this site is just awful. We CAN change hearts and minds, but not with that mindset!!
Report Post »Pigpen
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 8:20pmFunny how “having a heart” here in America is spelled M-O-N-E-Y. No, sorry, but as tragic as the death of a child is, the US needs to get out of Pakistan. And as harsh as it might sound, the American general public needs to GROW UP and stop letting themselves be so grotesquely manipulated by ruthless, and I mean RUTHLESS people who come constantly with one hand out saying “please, please, mercy” whilst holding a KNIFE behind their backs with their other hand. WAKE UP. This is not a game. Some fool has written a white paper saying America needs to keep a military presence in the “-stans” in order to control oil flow in Asia. And apparently, the people who really run this country have bought into it. This military presence is baiting both Russia and China who have NO ILLUSIONS about why the American Johnny Boy is STILL in central Asia. THINK. Take your country BACK. And stop weeping for those who would KILL YOUR KIDS!
Report Post »Killpanthers
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 7:46pmWhy is this story on the Blaze? I’m sure these people burn the American flag right…. So why should we care use my tax dollars here not in some crap hole around the world!
Report Post »Pigpen
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 7:38pmWell, the ONLY reason we are hearing about this story is because of KA-CHING! I bet that this story will be quoted when the military gets up to tell the American people why the US needs to stay in all of these “-stans” even though you would THINK that with the death of Osama bin Laden, we could FINALLY say “Mission Accomplished”. BUT I will just BET that now that little Mohammed has immolated himself because -SOB- he couldnt go to school, I will just BET that IN SPITE of the BILLIONS of dollars we have already sent to Pakistan, the President-Hussein-in-Charge aka Barry Soetoro will have to send a few BILLION dollars more. And you American SUCKERS will fall for it over and over and over again!
Report Post »MikeJoyous11
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 7:27pmFor me, the question is:why did the boy value a uniform over his life? I happen to have an MS in instructional technology. Reading this, I halfway feel like writing to the minister of education in Pakistan, and ask if they would support my creating a serious school for the kids–including uniforms, if that is deemed so necessary? I happen to love the philosophy of Ayn Rand, but what I don’t know about history and geography–well, let‘s just say I don’t know a lot. I’d love to help those people so that anyone can get a decent education.
Report Post »SerikFox
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 10:36pmWell it said it was a private school, and that his uniform was torn up. I’d guess that he was either being bullied, or that he felt as though he didn’t belong. Emotion and reason do not see eye to eye.
Report Post »ChildofJesus
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 7:24pmpoor parents they were trying and i feel for the boy too.
Report Post »The_Almighty_Creestof
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 7:21pmGive it a rest…every other post here is about nuking the middle east, or pakistan, iran or whatever back to the stone age…or “go ahead and pick on israel you muslims, cause God will smite thee and then we “good people” are going home”…Nonsense.
So now you are all teary eyed that one of the young ones decided to become the special on Arby‘s BBQ menu because he didn’t like his clothes. As if they have ANYTHING to do with learning. And what pray tell, was he going to be learning? To grow up hating american‘s and israeli’s and trying to make them dead american‘s and israeli’s after taking whatever he can from them…and why? For the sole reason being…because he was told to by the very school he was about to attend in objectionable clothing.
So, one more future terrorist did us a favor by doing what we all wish the terrorists would do AFTER they kill a bunch of innocent people…”Why couldn’t he have died as a kid, therefore preventing these senseless deaths.”
So boohoo all you want you hypocrites.
Report Post »mrsmileyface
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 8:50pmExactly at what point in time have they ever gotten out of the “stone age”?
Report Post »cdcats8
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 7:19pmI don’t care how poor you are, if peers make fun of you it hurts. Not as bad as burning and dying but what little pride he might have had was dashed and he could not bear it. I am tired of hearing about the poor anywhere because I know there is lots of money going to someone and they do not share their wealth. The only recreation they have is making babies and then not knowing how they will raise them.
Report Post ».
sodacrackers2
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 7:43pmMy wise mother told me to tell the other kids that my clothes were clean and paid for!
Report Post »abbygirl1994
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 7:14pmI am disgusted with the remarks on this sad story. We are American’s.. we are above the mean and hateful things people say about a childs death. Don’t we all come from the same God! Even a small Pakistani boy?? We can be mean for different reasons.. but really people, you are better than this! Lord help us all!
Report Post »HorseCrazy
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 7:21pmI know the jerks like to come out in droves. prayers to his family. these people have a rough go over there like the children in india, we are so blessed here in the states
Report Post »The_Almighty_Creestof
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 7:25pmOh, please. An american kills themself for an idiotic reason and you are all on her calling them a coward and too bad for the family they left behind because the coward couldn’t tough it out. And they are going to a well deserved hell now for taking and destroying the lords gift to them.
Oh, but let a Pakastani kill himself for a senseless reason and it’s all Boohoo.
Report Post »abbygirl1994
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 10:17pmTHE ALMIGHTY NOBODY… I am not one of the people you speak of.. Why the heck don’t you go to the HuffPo.. I am sure they would love you there.. I promise I or a bunch of the rest of us won’t miss you. I feel very sorry for you.. you must have had terrible parents to be so horrible yourself. You know, hate begats hate! God forgive you!!
Report Post »mlfournier
Posted on April 8, 2012 at 12:54amAbbygirl1994: Yes, we do all come from the same God, the one who is the Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. However, the Pakistani people are taught and believe that our God does not exist, and their god is Muhammad, the god of Islam. The goal of Islam is to take over the world and establish One World Religion–Islam. Anyone who does not convert will be murdered. This fact is proven by the FNC report of the Iranian man who converted to Christianity and is a minister. He was told that if he did not recant and return to Islam he would be executed. The last I heard on this was 02/2012, but I don’t know what eventually happened.
We are a peace loving people for the most part who have our individuality. As of right now, we have laws that protect us from murder and assault, so we cannot really fathom what is going on in the far east. Syria, Pakistan, Egypt, Iran and others slaughtering their own people because or protests against the abject poverty, lack of freedom, and cruel treatment by their government is foreign to us. We always seem to give them the benefit of the doubt (even our conservative news media does it), but we must stop that. Their goal is to overthrow our government and put the USA under the same type of Dictatorship. And the current regime in our WH is part of the plan. Obama himself has hinted at abolishing term limits for the POTUS. The UN Agenda 21 plan is how they are implementing it. Please research it and then tell others about it.
Report Post »bry
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 7:08pmyour mind is all warped and ugly. wow.
Report Post »cassandra
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 7:03pmthis is how much the middle east has progressed under islam the poor people live in squalor while the elite live high and mighty, they don’t even care about their own people that poor child had no chance while we give that country millions ( make sense to you )
Report Post »disenlightened
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 7:19pmGive up Islam, adopt capitalism and no more burned up kiddies.
Report Post »mlfournier
Posted on April 8, 2012 at 12:19amCassandra: You bring up a good point, and We The People of the United States had better wake up from our stupor very quickly, because there are plans afoot under the title of Agenda 21 to transform our country to the same standards of Pakistan. It sounds crazy but it isn’t. Agenda 21 is a United Nations plan to become the One World Government. It was presented and signed in 1992 by 179 country leaders (including the USA). It is presented under the auspices of Sustainable Development to “Protect the Earth”. Global Warming is a Hoax, and was propagandized to prepare nations to unwarily buy into the false premises and adopt the provisions of Agenda 21. The eventual end results will be the elimination of private home/property ownership, privately owned vehicles, and the loss of all our Freedoms, leading to a complete Social Justice/Socialist World Collective. In order to implement this in the USA, our 1st and 2nd Amendment rights must be eliminated and Obama and his progressives are doing just that. If he gets into office for another term, there will be no Constitution left and the USA will have its first DICTATOR. He has already hinted at ending limited terms for POTUS. He just recently questioned the authority of the Supreme Court which I am sure he will do away with if he gets 4 more years. Please research Agenda 21 and tell everyone you know about it. We need action now if we want the United States of American to continue being in existence. Thanks, God Bless Ameri
Report Post »Shasta
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 7:00pmGod help us if you represent our country creestof
Report Post »Beckofile
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 6:59pmTake away all the uniforms and mabe we can beat a birth rate.
Report Post »abbygirl1994
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 7:06pmHow very evil you are! Truly I pity a person who has no humanity! You do your parents a injustice as their son, did they raise you that badly?? Were you spoiled all your days that you have no compassion for a child. Ifso I am very sorry for you. I hope God forgives you! For truly a darker force has your heart!
Report Post »Beckofile
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 7:34pmSorry but I understand this Pakistani boy will probably grow up to be programmed to want to kill my boys as the califate is formed and the third world war begins. I am a pork eating crusader and proud to understand preparedness starts with understanding the tuff truth.
Report Post »Killpanthers
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 7:54pmabbygirl1994: really if your our further we are in trouble! Watch more world news these stupid idiots
Report Post »Most of the middle east are crazy loons just good for target practice! They burn our flags kill our troops
Do not defend these waste of a people! If you do maybe you need to pack up and move there……
Just in time
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 6:55pmMy heart goes out to the parents. Being poor sucks. We never really had much. But I did not think killing myself was the answer.
Report Post »Captain Crunch
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 6:51pmYou are absolutely heartless.
Report Post »godhatesacoward
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 6:39pmI’m not sure how to respond to this one.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 6:56pmMe either .. the way I read it he had a “uniform”.. but it was old and worn .. well if the school didn‘t care wasn’t the education the thing .. and not the uniform .. I feel bad for the boy’s family but really he should have tried to understand and better himself by going to school .. no matter what.
Report Post »godhatesacoward
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 7:11pm@catb- Pretty much my thoughts exactly.
Report Post »pray75
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 6:37pmSo they have to “tend to many children,” and because of that, they can’t afford anything. It seems to me that Islam has completely screwed that country and its people.
Report Post »chips1
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 6:53pmObama has a goal. His Teachers Union is determined to help him succeed.
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on April 1, 2012 at 6:37pmThat is sad some kid did that.
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