PESHAWAR
The funeral prayer of one six-year-old boy Mashood Khan who was killed in aerial firing was offered here at Hayatabad Phase-6 on Sunday.
Mashood was the only brother of three sisters who was born 28 years later of his three sisters, his uncle Haji Zubair told media men.
It is worth mentioning here that due to aerial firing on moon night in Peshawar six-year-old Mashood Khan of Hayatabad was playing in the yard of his house when he was hit by stray bullet in his head, he was taken to Hayatabad Medical Complex Hospital but after remaining 30 long hours on ventilator doctors declared Mashood as died. His Uncle Haji Zubair said that the mother of Mashood is so upset with other family members.
Earlier, Mashood funeral prayer was largely attended by people from different walks of life including his relatives and later on the people largely condemned all those doing aerial firing and killing innocent people.
Police also made announcements regarding dealing with those involved in such aerial firing but it happens every year, killing innocent people.
Police had earlier said that security and other arrangements, including measures against aerial firing, were being made in provincial capital Peshawar and even other districts across the province but despite this many people were killed every year due to aerial firing.
Police have held awareness campaigns through displaying banners for information for the general public wherein appealing to citizens to remain vigilant. They also asked them to record and share videos of people firing into the air on New Year’s Eve.
Urging citizens to abstain from violating the law, an official when contacted said that awareness in this regard would be raised by making announcements from mosques and launching special initiatives at main public spots and roads in the city.
The police in the provincial capital and other districts of the province have failed to bring an end to the menace of celebratory firing in weddings and other festive occasions as the practice continues to claim lives.
A campaign was carried out in Peshawar and other cities of the province recently to bring an end to aerial firing in weddings and other festive occasions. Banners and hoardings were displayed as part of the campaign.
However, thousands of shots are fired on the weekends, and even weekdays, in weddings and other celebrations. Innumerable rounds were fired despite all steps taken by the Police. Haji Zubair told media men that banned should be imposed on sale of cartages and others arms so that to address the aerial firing besides immediate trials of the same person through Anti-Terrorists courts.
He said even after the death of Mashood, aerial firing in almost all parts of the provincial capital continued throughout Saturday night on Chand raat.
“Even in urban Gulberg, which is located close to the Cantonment, we hear thousands of rounds being fired every night, especially on weekends. I have asked my kids to remain indoors as three bullets landed in our courtyard on different occasions in recent months,” said a Gulberg resident Nisar Khan.
He added sometimes the firing was so intense that it seemed an encounter was taking place. Dozens of people are injured while some are killed in festive firing on Chand Raat every year when tens of thousands of rounds are fired to celebrate the sighting of the Shawwal moon.
