When the air echoes with fatal celebratory gunshots

PESHAWAR: The tradition of opening gunshots in the air as a sign of celebration has been going on in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since time immemorial, but those resorting to the expression of joy seem incognizant to the repercussions their trigger leaves.

Muhammad Ismail Khan, a resident of Wajpagah in Peshawar, cannot get over the grief of losing his 25-year-old son to such an incident a few days back. While talking to Geo News, Ismail said his son had gone to his friend’s engagement where gunshots opened in the air claimed his life. His son Muhammad Adnan died while his friend is battling for life at the intensive care unit of the hospital.

“I do not understand what pleasure people get with aerial firing,” said the inconsolable father. “They put at stake precious lives just to express their delight.”

According to SSP Operations Sajjad Khan, aerial firing has a punishment of two years imprisonment or a fine, but the courts prefer the accused pays fine rather than being put behind bars. This is the reason why the activity continues unabashedly. The SSP told Geo News, the police also crack down on the accused but they cannot completely root out the problem until the public realises the consequences and do not pick weapons up in celebration.

However, so as to leave no stone unturned, the Peshawar police have started a special drive before Eid. As per the plan devised for the drive, the station house officers have involved prayer leaders of mosques in their jurisdiction to make announcements stopping people from aerial firing. On the other hand, pamphlets are also being distributed.

Since the issue is spread across the province, a march was also organised in Mardan by the police, during which people walked to different areas of the city, holding banners inscribed with slogans against aerial firing.

The intensity of celebratory fire can be gauged by the recent incident in which 31 people were injured when gunshots were open in the air as soon as Pakistan won the ICC Champions Trophy. But this is the count of only those taken to two big hospitals of the city – Lady Reading and Khyber Teaching hospitals. The police arrested 66 people for the crime, but the issue cannot be eradicated unless the public realises the extent of loss it can cause.