PESHAWAR, July 23: A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court on Wednesday observed that aerial firing is a menace and people should be made aware of its repercussions.

The bench, comprising Justice Shahjehan Khan and Justice Ijazul Hassan, was hearing a criminal appeal of an old man, Abdul Hanan, who was convicted by a trial court for possessing some weapons.

He was arrested by officials of Takhtbhai police station after aerial firing occurred in the marriage ceremony of his son Raees Khan.

The bench acquitted the appellant, observing that the kalashnakov in question was not produced before the trial court, and that was also not recovered from his possession.

The court observed that aerial firing should be avoided as it was responsible for taking away precious human lives. The bench added that elders in the rural areas should come forward to apprise their people of the drawbacks of this bad custom.

The appellant, who is 63, was convicted by an additional district and sessions judge, and was sentenced to seven years imprisonment with a fine of Rs30,000 on June 10, 2003.

Advocate Asadullah Chamkani appeared for the appellant and argued that in the night of Oct 1, 2000, aerial firing was heard by the police following which they raided the hujra of the appellant.

He added that the police recovered three kalashnakovs, a repeater rifle, a gun and a pistol from the hujra. He added that all the weapons were having proper licences except one kalashnakov.

Mr Chamkani held that the appellant was tried for possessing those weapons, and not for aerial firing. He argued that neither the case property was produced before the court nor any weapon recovered from the appellant, but as he was the father of the bridegroom, he was charged in the case.

The appellant’s counsel contended that aerial firing was a bad custom, but the appellant was not responsible for that in the marriage of his son.