Groom shoots wedding guest opposing aerial firing

Victim’s brothers accuse suspect of violating ban

DIJKOT:

A wedding celebration turned violent in Dijkot on Monday as a groom shot and injured a member of the marriage party after being forbidden from engaging in aerial firing during the Mehndi ceremony.

In a series of other incidents, including shootings and attacks, four individuals, including a woman, sustained injuries.

Police said Habib Rehman of New Asim Town, D-Type Colony, informed the police that his brother Hafeez Rehman had attended Hasan's Mehndi ceremony along with Hasan. There, the groom, identified as Asif, and his companions were observed indulging in aerial firing, prompting Hafeez to intervene and forbid the practice.

Enraged, the groom and his associate shot and wounded Hafeez, who was rushed to a hospital for treatment.

In separate incidents, Faisal Mehmood and Kashif were shot and injured by Liaquat and his two accomplices in Bajwa Chowk, D-Type Colony. Another altercation occurred in Marzipora, where Hasan and three others shot and injured Toqeer Nasir. Meanwhile, in 84 GB, Sughran, the mother of Shoaib Akhtar, fell victim to an attack by 18 assailants, including Akmal.

Read: Aerial firing lands bridegroom in jail

All injured received initial medical aid and were subsequently admitted to the hospital. Police swiftly responded to the incidents and launched investigations into the matters.

Additionally, in a crackdown on kite flying violations ahead of Basant festivities, law enforcement authorities raided a factory manufacturing kite flying equipment in Siyalvi Colony. The raid, led by SHO Ghulam Mohammadabad Ali Ikram Guraya, resulted in the seizure of 120 kites, two machines, and five sacks of chemical string. One suspect, Ata Zafar, was apprehended during the operation.

The seized items were believed to be intended for use during the upcoming Basant festival scheduled for February 29.

Moreover, several individuals were arrested in separate police actions across the city for engaging in kite flying activities. Cases have been registered against the offenders as the police intensify efforts to enforce the ban on kite flying.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th 2024.