KARACHI: Over 50 people, including women and children, were wounded in different parts of the metropolis as a result of firing guns into the air in celebration on the eve of Independence Day, police said on Sunday.

“We received 57 people, aged between eight and 60 years, with bullet injuries at three major government hospitals in the metropolis till early Sunday morning,” said Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed.

Several injured people were stated to be in critical condition.

She said 15 wounded were brought to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, 24 to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and 18 people with bullet injuries were treated at the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi.

Some of them were critical and needed long-term treatment, she added.

Edhi Foundation and Chhipa spokespersons said in separate statements that their ambulances shifted dozens of injured persons from Orangi Town, Liaquatabad, Lyari, Shah Faisal Colony, Defence, Dhoraji Colony, Urdu Bazaar, Karimabad, Gulshan-i-Iqbal and other areas.

City SSP Dr Mohammed Imran Khan said one suspect, Mohammed Afnan, was arrested for aerial firing in connection with Independence Day celebrations at Eidgah.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2022