World

Financial strain, desperate measures

The apparent rise in murder-suicide cases among young, middle-class families in Karachi cannot be attributed solely to social transition or inadequate mental healthcare. Amid sluggish growth, persistent inflation and unemployment, the government cannot escape scrutiny over its mounting tax burden on middle-class households and the economic distress that may push vulnerable towards desperate extremes. Experts urge the government to abandon ad hoc economic policies and inequitable taxation that fo