PESHAWAR: The district administration on Monday imposed ban on firing in the air after 21 people sustained injuries in celebratory firing in the aftermath of Pakistan’s victory in ICC Champions Trophy on Sunday night.

Peshawar witnessed intense celebratory firing soon after the match ended. The firing continued for several minutes that left 21 people injured. Six people were injured in Mardan while Bajaur Agency also reported six injuries putting the total number of injuries at 33.

In Lower Dir, a 6th grader was killed while two men were injured in the festive firing in Samar Bagh. Local residents said that people started firing in the air when Pakistan won the match on Sunday night. They said that Feroz, a resident of Ghowara Banda, was killed by a stray bullet while Sultan was injured.

Another man identified as Gul Dad Khan was also injured in the festive firing in Ashari Gat area.

6th grader killed, scores injured in festive firing in different parts of KP, Fata

An order issued by Peshawar deputy commissioner said that complete ban was imposed on firing in the air for 30 days to maintain peace and to avoid any sabotage act or mishap during Eidul Fitr.

Through another order, the deputy commissioner also imposed ban on sale of toy guns for the same period.

A police spokesperson confirmed 21 injuries from festive firing across the city. He said that 16 of the injured were discharged from hospital on Monday morning after their medical treatment.

Police said in a statement that 140 FIRs were registered in different districts of the province in connection with festive firing. The statement said that police launched crackdown against people involved in festive firing and arrested 124 persons.

It said that 55 cases were registered in Peshawar and 60 persons were arrested. In Mardan, 28 persons were arrested while four people were held in Nowshera and two persons were arrested in Charsadda.

The statement said that four persons were arrested in Swabi, 11 in Kohat and one each in Shangla, Hangu, Lakki Marwat and Dera Ismail Khan. Six people were arrested in Tank, two in Abbottabad and three in Manshera district over festive firing.

The statement directed police officers to take strict actions against people involved in firing in the air and lodge cases against owners of those houses from where shots were fired.

Javed Khan, a resident of Pishtakhara, described the Sunday night scenes as chaotic and frightening. He said that he came out of his house and saw that people armed with AK-47 rifles were roaming all over the place.

Police have already a campaign to curb festive firing on the occasion of Eid.

In Bajaur, at least five people sustained injures in firing in the air when Pakistan won the final of the ICC Champions Trophy.

Local people and officials told Dawn that the victims belonged to different localities of the region. They said that the injured were shifted to the agency headquarters hospital in Khar for treatment.

Doctors at the hospital said that four people including two children were brought there for treatment. They said that the wounded were being treated at the hospital, however, they were out of danger.

Meanwhile, the political administration has pledged to take strict action against the people involved in firing in the air.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2017