Children's growing interest in toy guns raises concerns

The indulgence of children in the purchase of dangerous toy weapons, playing games like 'thief and police' in the streets of Rawalpindi during Eid holidays has raised questions for parents and authorities.

These games involved fake armed encounters and firing toy guns, with children pretending to be injured and falling down.

Throughout the three days of Eid, children spent all their "Eidi" (Eid gifts) on purchasing toy weapons.

In neighbourhoods, children played "thief and police" games using toy guns, firing them during play. Shopkeepers also raised the prices of toy weapons.

For three consecutive days, children in the city's inner areas were engrossed in playing with dangerous toy weapons.

A large number of children purchased toy weapons from street vendors and shops, spending all their Eidi money on them.

Children enjoyed playing with toy weapons, some even setting off firecrackers. Toy guns available ranged from common pistols to more dangerous ones like Kalashnikovs and Triple-2 rifles.

The sale of toy weapon ammunition is also at an all-time high, with toy guns priced between Rs150 and Rs350, and packs of bullets available for Rs50.

Various types of toy guns, including Sten guns, Brain guns, Kalashnikovs, and rifles, were available, and their prices had also been increased.

Temporary stalls were set up across the city selling these dangerous toy weapons, showcasing their wide availability. The growing interest of children in weapons is a concern for both parents and authorities.

Two children, Faizan and Shafique, expressed joy in firing pistols, with both spending most of their Eidi on a Triple-2 pistol.