Pakistan: Dozens injured in celebratory gunfire as people welcome new year

Islamabad: The New Year was welcomed across Pakistan in raucous fashion as people fired guns in the air in several big cities including Karachi, in which at least 22 people were injured.

Children and women are also among the injured. As soon as 12 o’clock sounded on Saturday night, the sound of firing echoed in Karachi as several people fired guns in the air to welcome the new year.

According to Pakistani television network Geo TV, several people including children and women were injured in the aerial firing in different parts of Karachi. However, there is a ban on the display of weapons in the city.

Sources in the hospitals said that eight injured people were admitted to Civil Hospital, while four injured were taken to Jinnah Hospital and 10 people, including women and children, to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

Thirteen people have been arrested so far in connection with the firing in Korangi, out of which three have been charged with attempt to murder. According to the media reports, thousands of people gathered on the streets of Karachi to celebrate the new year. Sindh Governor Kamran Tesori also reached the Numaish Chowringhee area along with the people to watch the fireworks.

Apart from Karachi, similar celebrations have also been reported from other parts of Pakistan including Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Casualties due to celebratory gunfire have also been reported from Lahore. The celebration of New Year in Pakistan has been controversial. Religious leaders say that celebrating the new year and imitating western culture is a ‘sin’.

However, over the years there has been a significant increase in the number of people thronging the streets to celebrate this annual event. President Dr. Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif congratulated the country and the international community on the new year and prayed for the development, progress and prosperity of Pakistan as well as peace in the world.

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In his message, the Prime Minister hoped that 2023 would prove to be the year of ending hunger, war, terrorism, crime, communalism and class division from the whole world including Pakistan.