Casualties on Independence Day

Whether it’s Independence Day, a celebration, or any other joyous occasion, sometimes people’s emotions lead them to be overwhelmed by events like aerial firing, turning happiness into mourning.

For instance, on Pakistan’s 76th Independence Day, in Karachi, as a result of aerial firing, two individuals lost their lives and 85 were injured. SHO Jamshed Quarter reported that a 25-year-old woman, accompanied by her family, was traveling on a motorcycle when she was hit by a stray bullet from an unknown direction in PECHS.

The woman couldn’t survive. Similarly, SHO Baghdadi Ghulam Yasin stated that in Liyari, a person sleeping on the rooftop of his house was killed after being hit by a stray bullet, while over 80 individuals were injured due to aerial firing.

All these statistics are from Karachi alone, while in various other cities across the country, numerous individuals lost their lives and hundreds have been injured due to aerial firing and other incidents, which often go unreported in the media.

Recently, according to a claim made on social media, thousands of incidents occur in Pakistan every Independence Day. In the past year alone, 1,659 accidents were reported, with 17 fatalities and 1,773 injuries in 37 districts of Punjab.

While it’s possible that the claim on social media might not be entirely accurate, the loss of human lives in incidents, aerial firing, and other events on Independence Day in all four provinces of the country is not a trivial matter.

The point to make here is that regardless of whose life it is, the loss of human life is not something insignificant for the nation. This is because the killing of one person is tantamount to killing all of humanity.

It’s necessary that as a nation, we come together to address such incidents and devise practical solutions to reduce and ultimately eliminate such events. First and foremost, we need to change our behavior, so that instead of resorting to aerial firing to express our happiness, we buy something and distribute it, invite guests, friends, and loved ones to our homes, and engage in conversations with them.

During such occasions, when we also have the opportunity for holidays, it’s important to encourage interactions with people who we might not have the chance to talk to on regular days. Instead of spending time in unethical activities like aerial firing and others, let’s guide ourselves towards more meaningful interactions.