The Independence Day celebrations in Karachi and Hyderabad were overshadowed by tragic incidents of aerial firing that resulted in multiple casualties, injuries, and arrests.
In Karachi, the joyous occasion turned grim as indiscriminate aerial firing in various areas of the city left 70 people injured, including women, children, and a police officer. The most incidents were reported in District East and District Central, while District South and Malir saw fewer occurrences.
Among the injured were five women, three children, and a police officer. In a particularly harrowing incident in North Karachi, 12 accidental shots were fired into a house, resulting in the death of a one-year-old child, Bilal. The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals for medical treatment.
Police responded to the chaos by arresting 15 individuals in connection with the aerial firing. In Chakiwara, law enforcement apprehended a police officer, SI Dania, who was stationed in the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), on charges of firing into the air. Additionally, Kemari police and two City police officers detained 10 citizens.
Authorities recovered a cache of weapons from the suspect, including one 222 rifle with rounds and eight pistols with rounds. The police have registered cases of murder and other related charges against the suspects, who were arrested from areas including Eidgah, Kharadar, Kalri, Kalakot, Chakiwara, Baghdadi, and Napier.
Meanwhile, in Hyderabad, two people lost their lives, and more than 10 others were injured in similar incidents of celebratory firing on the night of Independence Day. The fatalities occurred in separate incidents at Hudood Halanaka and Liberty Chowk.
In one incident, a 30-year-old man named Waleed Qureshi was killed in Hudood Halanaka, in what police suspect to be a targeted killing. Another victim, 27-year-old Atif Sheikh, was shot in the head at Liberty Chowk, with the bullet passing through his skull. A young man was also shot in the throat at the same location, leading to his death.
The injured were immediately transported to Civil Hospital for emergency treatment, where the Resident Medical Officer (RMO) confirmed that over ten gunshot victims had been brought in.
The incidents have sparked outrage among the public and calls for stricter enforcement of laws against aerial firing, especially during national celebrations. The police have vowed to intensify their crackdown on illegal weapon possession and those engaging in reckless firing.
The tragic turn of events on what should have been a day of national pride and celebration serves as a somber reminder of the dangers of unchecked celebratory gunfire, prompting renewed calls for vigilance and responsibility in future festivities.
