‘Festive’ firing: Three weddings and funerals

Bridegrooms, their fathers, taken into custody from a mehndi ceremony in Faisalabad and a wedding ceremony.

FAISALABAD/RAHIM YAR KHAN:

Three people including two children died and one was injured in three incidents of celebratory firing at wedding ceremonies, two in Faisalabad and one in Rahim Yar Khan, on Saturday night.

In Faisalabad, the bridegroom and his father were arrested by Ghulam Muhammadabad police on Saturday night following a protest demonstration over the death of an eight-year-old girl from stray bullets fired at a mehndi ceremony.

The complaint was filed by Muhammad Siddique, father of the child Asma Siddique. Besides bridegroom Irfan Taj and his father Taj Muhammad, groom’s brothers Muhammad Imran and Muhammad Mansha, a relative Muhammad Siddique and two police constables have also been nominated in the FIR.

SHO Waheed Shahid told The Express Tribune that a team had been formed to arrest the remaining suspects. The two constables Zeeshan and Waqas are accused of permitting firing at the mehdi ceremony held near Muhammadi Chowk. “The constables had been sent to the scene to ensure that no one resorted to firing,” he said. He said they had been suspended for negligence in performance of duties.

The SHO said during interrogation the groom and his father had denied their family’s involvement in firing. “They said some guests had resorted to firing without informing them,” he said.

Earlier, the injured girl was taken to Allied Hospital by some of the guests where she passed away.

Residents of the area had later held a protest demonstration over police’s failure in the incident. Muhammad Afzal, one of the protesters, said he had been a guest at the ceremony. He said he was a neighbour of the groom’s family and enjoyed good relations with them. But, he said, they should be prosecuted for the incident. “Their failure to prevent people from firing cost the child her life,” he added.

Muhammad Boota, another protester, said the guests at the ceremony shared the same neighbourhoood and enjoyed good relations. “The child’s and the groom’s families live in the same street. This incident will surely affect their relationship,” he added.

Some neighbours said they would try to perusade the child’s family not to prosecute the groom’s family. “We have requested the elders of both families to settle the matter. The groom’s family has already been embarrassed in front of the bride’s family. The wedding has also been postponed,” they said.

In another incident in Rahim Yar Khan, bridegroom Malik Ghulam Mustafa and his father were arrested after a 13-year-old child died and another was injured from bullets fired in the air by men from groom’s family.

The injured child was taken to a nearby hospital where doctors described his condition as critical.

Man dies from bullet ‘he himself shot’

In Sahianwala area of Faisalabad, 30-year-old Muhammad Tariq also died from a stray bullet fired at a wedding ceremony in Ghartal. Police quoted the witnesses as saying that the deceased had himself shot the bullet. Witnesses told the police that the deceased was struck in his head.

The police have sent the body for a post mortem examination. Police said they had not yet registered an FIR considering no complaint was received in that regard.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 27^th, 2012.