HYDERABAD: A surge in illegal fireworks and aerial firing across the city has turned deadly, claiming the life of a young boy and injuries to two others including teenage son of a Special Branch official in separate incidents of celebratory firing.

Last week, a nine-year-old boy became the victim of the dangerous trend, with an eight-year-old girl fighting for her life in critical care at Karachi’s Trauma Centre after the boy’s death.

Victims’ families go through mental trauma besides bearing economic cost for the treatment in cities like Karachi for lack of health facilities in Sindh’s second largest teaching hospital in Hyderabad.

According to the medico-legal section of Liaquat University Hospital (LUH), Arsalan, son of Shahid Qureshi, was caught in the crossfire during a wedding celebration on April 20. The incident occurred within the jurisdiction of the Phulelli police station, an area noted for frequent administrative violations regarding fireworks and the use of firearms at social events.

Official ban also fails to stop illegal fireworks at ceremonies

Arsalan sustained bullet injuries during the festivities and was subsequently taken to the LUH for medical treatment.

Nine-year-old Abdul Moiz bin Adil was playing at his house’s rooftop when he fell there on April 3. His father Mohammad Adil, a rice trader, took him to Sindh Government Hospital Paretabad. Hospital staff advised him to shift the boy to Liaquat University Hospital (LUH).

Moiz lived in Noorani Basti near Kaka Saeen hotel in Paretabad area, a densely-populated area where people, especially those considered well-off, are known for using firearms in weddings. Moiz remained on a ventilator for around 24 hours and breathed his last finally.

Moiz’s father thought he was hit by some stone. He didn’t realise that he was in fact hit by a stray bullet, said Hafiz Arman Chohan, Moiz’s paternal uncle and JUI-S Sindh secretary information.

“We were advised to get the boy’s CT scan done but this facility was not available in the LUH, therefore we had to shift him to a private hospital for the test. After the CT scan we brought him back to the LUH where he was admitted,” said Chohan.

“It was CT scan’s result that confirmed that Moiz was in fact hit in the head by a bullet that stuck in his forehead,” Chohan claimed. At last, Moiz breathed his last. “It’s been traumatic for the entire family ever since his loss. But this dangerous trend of aerial firing and fireworks in weddings is yet to come to end,” he deplored.

“Our family unnecessarily borne financial expenses on Moiz’s treatment yet he didn’t survive. The loss is irreparable”, rues Moiz’s uncle.

After Moiz, parents of a nine-year-old girl were going through identical trauma. On April 10, Kahkashan Qureshi, daughter of Irshad Qureshi, was sitting with his paternal uncle Afzaal Qureshi and mother on Afzaal’s motorbike. “I was shifting my sister and Kahkashan to their home in Kali Mori area at around 10pm after their visit to our home in Chishtiya Colony near Noorani Basti,” Afzaal said.

Suddenly, he said, he felt as if some blunt object had hit Kahkashan. “I tried to figure out what had happened. Her mother held her as she was about to fall from the bike,” he recalled. He immediately took her to the Paretabad government hospital where he was also advised to shift her to the LUH.

“We got an X-ray done in the LUH that confirmed the presence of a bullet around her neck. The bullet struck near her jaw. Her CT scan was required and since this machine is not working in the LUH, we had to get it done privately. LUH doctors, however, advised us to take her to Karachi as intensive care unit (ICU) beds were occupied and the girl will require intensive care after surgery,” Afzaal added.

Her father took her to Aga Khan Hospital where they were told her surgery would require around Rs4.5m, but even then her survival couldn’t be promised. “So, we brought her to Trauma Centre Karachi where she is still in coma,” Afzaal said.

The district administration banned fireworks following the tragedy of 15 Nov 15, 2025, when an explosion at a manufacturing unit in the Latifabad riverine area claimed six lives, including the owner’s. Despite this, fireworks displays remain a persistent nuisance, causing significant disruption to residents and commuters. These displays are frequently seen outside wedding halls, often in the presence of police.

Deputy Commissioner Zainul Abedin Memon noted that while his office issues 100 licences per month, these are strictly for self-defence or hunting. “Firearms should never be used for leisure or celebration,” he stated. He added that while fireworks cases have been lodged, illegal aerial firing at weddings remains a challenge, as many of the weapons used are unregistered.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2026