Ban on festive firing: Peshawar, Mardan police ordered to go tough on violators

Bureau report

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief on Friday ordered the Capital City Police and Mardan Police to go after those involved in festive firing at weddings and other festive occasions as the practice endangers lives.

Thousands of rounds are fired into the air every evening, especially on weekends, while celebrating weddings and other functions in Peshawar, Mardan, southern districts and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). A number of people have lost lives due to the practice that has increased over the last few years.

On Friday, the IGP Salahuddin Khan Mahsud ordered the officials of the capital city police and Mardan range to go after those involved in festive firing in videos that went viral on the social media.

The IGP directed the police to stop the practice since it has claimed the lives of a number of people and maimed hundreds for life.

An official said that the police arrested three people, including son of an SP, for festive firing after a video surfaced on the social media. All the three accused were put behind bars and a case registered by the Charsadda Police.

Thousands of people campaigned last year to bring an end to the practice of firing on festive occasions after a child succumbed to his injuries caused by a stray bullet.

Six-year-old Noeen Shah, hailing from Risalpur, breathed his last at a hospital where he was brought after sustaining bullet injuries when thousands of rounds were fired into the air to celebrate the win of Pakistan cricket team against India in June.

Salahuddin Khan Mahsud visited Qissa Khwani bazaar and other localities in the provincial capital last year to seek support of the public and local elders to check festive firing and other crimes. Hundreds of people lost lives or became paralysed after being hit by stray bullets in recent years.