People of K-P have a tradition of celebrating the departure of Ramazan and the announcement of Eidul Fitr with crackle of gunfire.

However, many people are injured and some even die after being hit by stray bullets during aerial firing. To discourage this hazardous way of celebration, K-P administration bans aerial firing on Chand Raat.

Section 144 imposed in Charsadda

In this regard, Charsadda Deputy Commissioner Tahir Zafar Abbasi imposed section 144 in the district to control aerial firing on occasion of Eidul Fitr. The DC has also banned sale of toys guns. In Tank district, the deputy commissioner while imposing ban on aerial firing also banned use of fire crackers on the eve of Eid.

Following the Pakistan cricket team’s success against India in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy, many citizens in Peshawar fired gunshots in the air on June 18 night to celebrate the victory, injuring more than 30 people.

The victims were hit by stray bullets and over 20 were shifted to the Lady Reading Hospital. The others were taken to the Hayatabad Medical Complex and the Khyber Teaching Hospital.

A child, Noeen Shah, who was injured in the celebratory fire on Sunday, also passed away on June 21. The six-year-old was injured in the celebratory fire and as in coma.

In Sindh also, Citizens Against Weapons, a group that actively campaigns against arms in society, has written a letter to Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, demanding action against home department officials for failing to ban aerial firing.

The letter was sent on June 21, after a 15-year-old boy, Syed Hussain Raza Zaidi, was killed and several others were injured after widespread aerial firing in celebration of Pakistan’s defeat of India in the ICC Champions Trophy, 2017 final.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 23rd, 2017.