Aerial firing, ruckus mar I-Day celebrations

Residents complain of sleepless night as bikers remove silencers, youths set off crackers

RAWALPINDI:

As the clock struck midnight between Aug 13 and 14, revellers began creating a ruckus across Rawalpindi city and cantonment to celebrate Independence Day.

Despite a police ban, intense aerial firing started across the city. Revellers also began setting off large and small firecrackers.

The loud bursts of aerial firing woke sleeping children and elderly and sick people, while residents expressed anger over the situation. Aerial firing continued in streets and neighbourhoods across the city.

Residents said police remained confined to police stations instead of enforcing the ban on aerial firing, while complaints were recorded through Rescue 15 calls.

Aerial firing continued with different types of light and modern weapons, while other revellers started setting off firecrackers. Young men used heavy firecrackers, while children celebrated with Chinese matchstick crackers.

The entire city echoed with the sounds of aerial firing, firecrackers and small Chinese crackers from midnight until around 12:30am.

Due to the presence of traffic police at major intersections, young motorcyclists removed their silencers and rode around on Rawal Road, Dhoke Khabba Road, Dhoke Elahi Bakhsh Road, Saidpur Road, Tipu Road, New Katarian and Sadiqabad Road, creating deafening noises.

Whenever traffic wardens appeared, the motorcyclists fled into nearby streets. Several motorcyclists were also issued challans.

Meanwhile, groups of young people equipped with heavy horns created a disturbance from Thursday evening, Aug 13, throughout the night and until Friday evening, Independence Day, by repeatedly honking loudly.

The revellers would stop outside the homes of sleeping residents, sound their heavy horns loudly and then disappear.

During the night between Thursday and Friday, revellers also set off fireworks and sparklers at Shahbaz Sharif Park, Chandni Chowk on Murree Road, Committee Chowk and Dhoke Khabba Road. They also raised slogans and played national songs.

The youths continued celebrating on the roads and setting off firecrackers until 1am.

Residents strongly condemned the aerial firing, questioning what kind of freedom was being celebrated through gunfire.

They said children and elderly people could not sleep because of the firing and warned that stray bullets could cause loss of life.

Professor Ilyas Qureshi, a resident, said Independence Day was a day of happiness and people could celebrate with fireworks, but aerial firing and the deafening honking of heavy horns amounted to cruelty and devilry.

Headmaster Association patron Dr Chaudhry Sagheer Alam said aerial firing, the use of heavy horns and removing motorcycle silencers to create a disturbance should be declared criminal offences and FIRs should be registered against those involved.

Muhammad Azim and Asghar Qureshi said those who turned Independence Day celebrations into a nuisance did not deserve any concession. They said aerial firing could injure people.