81 people were killed due to celebratory firing in Karachi in 2013
KARACHI: How unthankful we are! In times of happiness when we should share our joy with others, we rather end up spreading sorrows and tears. Jubilation firing is now perhaps a common way to celebrate happiness over a victory. It has rather become a trend across the country. This idea of celebration of an individual or collective happiness often easily becomes the reason behind another persons’ sorrow and loss.
According to a Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s report, 81 people were killed due to celebratory firing in Karachi in 2013. Subsequent years and 2017 started on no different note, killing numerous people on New Year’s Eve due to the blindly fired shots.
We all remember the video that went viral a few months ago, when a gentleman opened fire while standing in between a massive crowd expressing his jubilation on the Pakistani cricket team winning the ICC Champions Trophy against India. This is one among the many sad realities of our culture where we ourselves turn our happiness into our loss and the loss of others around us.
The student who had become a victim of an accidentally targeted bullet at Do Darya in Karachi earlier this month is just another example of the ordeal and the extent to which the gun culture has seeped into our society.
Hence, before expecting the government to take action on the matter, we as citizens should pledge that not a single home or family would have to become a victim of someone’s celebrations.
Hamna Pervez
Published in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2017.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
