The Punjab government has banned public concerts, firework displays, aerial firing, and other celebratory events on the eve of New Year in Lahore.
According to media reports, Lahore’s district administration issued a directive in this regard on Tuesday. It said that several requests for fireworks displays were turned down by the administration in view of the worsening smog situation in the provincial capital.
Further, public concerts and other celebratory events were banned due to the security concerns and rising cases of Omicron variant in the metropolis.
Note that aerial firing is strictly banned in Pakistan. Nonetheless, a score of people get injured and even killed every year after being hit by stray bullets during aerial firing.
Last year, at least 20 had been injured during various incidents of aerial firing on New Year’s Eve in Lahore.
According to police data, at least one person had lost his life while several others were hurt in aerial firing on New Year’s Eve 2017 in Karachi. Similarly, 19 persons, including women, suffered bullet wounds in 2018. Another 19 people, including women and children, received bullet injuries in 2019 while 14 persons suffered wounds in 2020.
