No more: ‘Celebratory gunfire will not be tolerated’

CM expresses grief over deaths of Waseem and Shamshad .

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Friday that the practice of firing shots in the air on festive occasions would not be tolerated in the province any longer.

He was speaking to police officials and relatives of Waseem and Shamshad, who had died after being hit by celebratory shots fired at a wedding in Ghatti Kalenjer, a village near Ganda Singh Wala. The chief minister said strict action would be taken against those found guilty of indulging in celebratory gunfire in the future. He termed the practice a menace that had to be curbed by police. Sharif said action would be taken against police officials if they failed to arrest the trend.



Sharif expressed sorrow over the deaths of the two children and offered prayers for the souls of the deceased. The chief minister said taking immediate action regarding instances of celebratory gunfire was a responsibility of the police. He said it was the duty of the force to take action against those found guilty of indulging in this practice in their areas. Sharif said the police had failed on this account with regard to the Ganda Singh Wala incident. He said the suspects should have been nabbed quickly.

The chief minister ordered the immediate suspension of the Ganda Singh Wala DSP and SHO for poor performance. Sharif said no laxity would be tolerated in this regard. He said police officials should realise their responsibilities.

Sharif said some incidents of celebratory gunfire had taken place in the wake of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s electoral victories. He said he had taken immediate action on this account and legal proceedings were initiated against those suspected of being involved in the episodes. He said they had been arrested.

The chief minister announced Rs500,000 compensation each for the relatives of Waseem and Shamshad. Sharif handed over compensation cheques to the relatives of the deceased on the occasion.  The IGP, the commissioner, the Sheikhupura RPO and the Kasur DPO were also present on the occasion. The chief minister also visited National Assembly Member (MNA) Malik Rasheed Ahmed in Fatehpur and expressed sorrow over the demise of his brother.

Chinese consul general calls on CM

Chinese Consul General Yu Boren on Friday called on the chief minister.

Matters of mutual interest including bilateral ties and the promotion of cooperation in various sectors were discussed in the meeting. He said Pakistan-China ties had withstood the test of time. Sharif said Pakistanis had been waiting to accord a befitting reception to Chinese President Xi Jinping. He said agreements involving billions of dollars would be inked during his visit. The chief minister said exemplary Chinese cooperation in the energy, infrastructure and transport sectors was commendable.

Boren said China attached great importance to its ties with the nation and would continue to strive for greater cooperation among the allies in various sectors.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2015.