March 7, 2003	Friday	Muharram 3, 1424

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PESHAWAR, March 6: The menace of firing in the air on festive occasions by the people, continues unabated, which  has become a nuisance and a source of trouble for the people in the urban as well as rural parts of the province.

A case in point is the tragic death of Dr Shawana on Jan 13,   who received a stray bullet in Cantonment area. Following her death, a campaign has been launched in the city by the public as well as the officials of the city government against the aerial firing.

On Sunday last, while leading a walk against aerial firing, the district Nazim, announced a ban on aerial firing and warned that the SHOs concerned would be responsible for the occurrence  of such incidents in the jurisdiction of their police stations.

Such bans have been imposed by the government periodically, but without any success, owing to the inability of the police to lay hands on the influential people, who resort to aerial firing on the occasions of marriages and other festivities.

Besides injuring the pedestrians, housewives and farmers, working in the fields, the practice can also harm innocent school children, killing or hurting them for no fault of theirs.

Being a doctor by profession, Dr Shawana’s case invited the attention  of the press, which led to a walk by the Nazim and a subsequent ban on aerial firing. But, there are scores of cases of stray bullet injuries, which remain unreported.

A few months back, a child got killed by a head injury caused by a stray bullet in Malakand Agency, leaving his mother speechless for the next five days and the doctors administered her sedatives to provide relief to her from the shock.

Likewise, a farmer, Amshed, received a bullet injury while ploughing in the fields. He died instantly, leaving his wife and  two children with an uncertain future.

The list of these painful stories is too long.

The police, which is responsible for checking such hazardous practices, appears to be unmoved, as no action is forthcoming to stop the menace.

The affluent people too often indulge in the practice to demonstrate their wealth and power.

The easy availability of guns and ammunition, thanks to the Afghan War, has enabled the people to acquire all sorts of weapons in abundance.

Not only that the police are invited to such ceremonies, but meals are also sent to the police stations. In some cases, the police do arrest some people, who are freed after taking bribe from them.