Unchecked sale of fireworks

Published October 12, 2003

FAISALABAD, Oct 11: The district and tehsil administration as well as local police seemed helpless in stopping fireworks display in the city on Saturday.

Youth thronged the Jhang, Bhawana and Karkhana bazaars and adjoining markets and purchased fireworks from makeshift shops.

A hide and seek was seen between vendors and police. By the evening, the police managed to detain 29 people, mostly vendors, for violating the ban on fireworks.

Shahbaz Ahmed, a vendor in Jhang Bazaar, claimed that the Tehsil Municipal Administration (city) had issued a number of licences to people for the manufacture and sale of fireworks.

Another shopkeeper claimed that the entire business of fireworks had the patronage of local administration.

Meanwhile, four people, Shakeel Ahmed of D-Type Colony, Naveed Gujjar of Ghulam Muhammadabad, Zeeshan of People’s Colony and Muhammad Zubair of Gulistan Colony sustained minor injuries when fireworks exploded in their hands or caught fire accidentally.

GUJRANWALA: As many 150 shopkeepers were arrested by police during a crackdown on the sale of fireworks on Saturday.

The district government which had already placed a ban on the manufacture and sale of fireworks, directed police to arrest the violators.

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