KARACHI: On New Year’s Eve, Section 144 was imposed across Karachi for two days (December 31 and January 1) banning aerial firing, use of firecrackers and carrying of firearms.
Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi said he imposed the ban on exercising powers under Section 144, delegated by the Sindh Home Department.
“I hereby impose a complete ban on carrying/displaying of arms, aerial firing and use of firecrackers on New Year’s Eve 2025 within the limits of Karachi Division for a period of two days, with effect from December 31, 2024, for January 1, 2025,” Naqvi said.
Unfortunately, every year on New Year’s Eve, dozens of people are injured or killed in celebratory shootings despite authorities taking various measures.
Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) is a legal provision that empowers the district administration to prohibit an activity for a specific period of time. The police enforce this ban and register cases of its violation.
The ban was imposed on the request of the deputy inspector general (DIG) of South Zone police. The DIG said that a large number of youth from various parts of the city will go to Seaview area on motorcycles and cars for the New Year celebrations, leading to traffic jams and inconvenience for the residents of the area.
“It has been further observed that on New Year’s Eve, some people engage in aerial firing which may cause unpleasant incidents or even loss of human lives,” the official said.
Therefore, he requested, a ban on carrying/displaying of arms, aerial firing and use of firecrackers can be imposed to safeguard the precious lives of citizens.
Meanwhile, the Sindh police warned that strict action would be taken against aerial firing in the megalopolis as they had finalized a security plan for the protection of the masses.
