Despite all efforts: Aerial firing injures at least 18 on New Year’s Eve

Section 144 was imposed in the city to prevent such incidents

KARACHI: Revelry and the spirit of festivity got the better of the police's tall claims of tight security - around one-and-a-half dozen people were injured on Thursday due to heavy aerial firing.

Even though Section 144 was imposed in a city on the eve of New Year, the spirit of festivity got out of control as the clock ticked 12. In a display of jubilation, enthusiastic people fired shots in the air - something that the police and Rangers failed to control.

Firing incidents were reported from almost all parts of the city, including Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Federal B Area, Nazimabad, North Nazimabad, Lyari, Orangi, Korangi, Landhi, Defence, Saddar, North Karachi, New Karachi, Malir, Saudabad, Shah Faisal Colony, Sohrab Goth and Gulshan-e-Maymar.



Nearly one-and-a-half dozen people were wounded by stray bullets in different localities of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Lines Area, PIB Colony, Defence and Old City areas. Two women shot and injured by stray bullets in Lines Area were also among the injured persons. The injured were shifted to different hospitals including Civil Hospital, Karachi, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, from where most of them were released after treatment.

However, the police failed to arrest any persons violating Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code as besides aerial firing, hundreds of revellers rode motorcycles without silencers, engaged in one-wheeling and displayed fireworks.



Though the security apparatus managed to keep revellers off Sea View, they could not stop the hundreds of revellers from gathering at Five Star Chowrangi in North Nazimabad to celebrate the New Year like every year.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2^nd, 2016.