KARACHI : A woman was killed and at least 70 people sustained injuries in indiscriminate aerial firing across various areas of Karachi late Thursday night, marring Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day celebrations with tragedy, officials confirmed on Friday.
Despite a strict preemptive warning issued by police against celebratory gunfire, aerial firing erupted in multiple neighborhoods shortly after midnight, continuing into the early hours of August 14. Rescue officials reported that the shots came from unknown directions, with women and children among the wounded.
The injured were rushed to Jinnah Hospital, Civil Hospital, and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for emergency medical treatment, according to rescue sources. Hospital authorities have not yet released an update on the condition of the critically wounded.
The 79th Independence Day is being celebrated with national enthusiasm across the country, but the deadly aerial firing in Karachi has cast a grim shadow over the festivities. Police have launched an investigation to trace those responsible, though no arrests have been reported so far.
Authorities have repeatedly warned citizens that aerial firing is a criminal offense and endangers public lives. However, the dangerous practice continues to recur during national celebrations every year, often with fatal consequences.
