August 29, 2007	Wednesday	Sha’aban 15, 1428

TAXILA, Aug 28: Various residential areas in the city are reverberating with the sounds of firecrackers, reaching its peak on the eve of Shab-i-Baraat, being observed on Tuesday night.

The sale of firecrackers has been going on unabated in most bazaars of Taxila despite the government’s ban, under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). Firecrackers are being sold openly in many parts of the city, especially in downtown areas, but neither the police nor the local administration have taken any step to prevent this.

Each year, district government formally bans buying or selling firecrackers but this has not been done this year. It has been learnt that the police have not been ordered to raid shops or warehouses to seize firecrackers or take any action against person involved in buying or selling these items.

Several complaints by concerned citizens have gone unheeded. It is also alleged that the police let off some of those who were involved in the business.

Children are the most vulnerable segment of society as they are attracted to this bad practice that has nothing to do with Islam. According to a lawyer, Raja Shabbir Ahmed, “Shab-i-Baraat is a night to seek the blessings of Allah, seek forgiveness for our sins and pray for the wellbeing of the Ummah.” A resident of the HMC Colony said the ear-splitting sound of explosions not only disturbed the peace but distressed senior citizens and the sick.

A firecracker dealer, on condition of anonymity, disclosed that they store these imported items in huge godowns in the Ganj Mandi area of Rawalpindi. From there, the entire district is supplied, he disclosed.

Many firecracker dealers have developed “contacts” with officials of law enforcement agencies, which is why they ran their illegal businesses so successfully.

Iesco consumers see no respite: Power consumers served through the Islamabad Electric Supply Company’s (Iesco’s) Museum feeder in Taxila are battling against persistent power outages that had intensified in the sultry season.

Unscheduled breakdowns and frequent fluctuations have greatly affected the routine life of domestic consumers and business activity alike, besides causing financial losses in terms of faults caused to electrical equipment.1