In twin cities, wedding ceremonies rarely lack fireworks and live ammunition despite a ban on the same.
Nankari Bazaar has become the hub of vendors selling firework, crackers, bullets and many banned articles without anyone stopping them. A vendor while selling the firework has claimed that every single shop in Nankari Bazaar, Raja Bazaar is paying more than 20-45,000 per month to the local police station Ganj Mandi and law enforcement agencies.
Growing concerns have prompted authorities to crack down on the practice, but their apparent failure raises questions about the nature of law enforcement in today’s fragile climate.
Every second year, the vendors have to face strictness when any bloody incident takes place in the city. “The police rarely book us, but if they ever do so, we are implicated in a minor case. We also get bail the very next day or sometime after some weeks. We’ve been selling this prohibited material for more than 25 years as this is our inherent business,” a vendor told Pakistan Today on condition of anonymity.
It was observed that there are around 30-35 shops selling banned firework, cracker material openly in the market. The shops are made to look like they have wedding decorative material, but they have a secret storeroom, and all the material is packed in cotton boxes of different brands and stored there.
Muhammad Junaid, another resident, told Pakistan Today that on a purchase of fireworks worth 16,000 rupees, the shopkeepers advised him not to take them along. “They said that the fireworks will be delivered to our doorstep in Khyaban-e-Sir Syed as they have ‘arrangements’ with the policemen in charge”, he said.
“Two low cadre officials visited every month and collect the monthly bribe from their regular customers (vendors). The vendors are paying a bribe to various groups of police officials. To the sum, almost 12,00,000 are given every month,” said a retired official of special branch.
Wedding celebrations are held every week in neighbourhoods throughout the twin cities Islamabad and Rawalpindi, particularly on Thursdays and Fridays. In spite of being illegal, many locals consider firework displays and celebratory gunfire an inherent part of the wedding ceremony.
“The Ministry of Interior cannot wipe out the menace without the support of citizens. There should be cooperation between the government, local leading figures and local councils to tackle this issue,” said a citizen named Hashim Khan.
“Manufacturing or trading in fireworks is also prohibited without a valid permit, and their use is illegal. All the fireworks, pertaining to weapons possession stipulate that no one has the right to import trade or carry weapons and munitions unless they have a government-issued permit. This offence is bailable and falls under section 285 and 286 of Pakistan Penal Court (PPC),” said a station house officer (SHO) of Rawalpindi Police, while requesting anonymity.
When contacted, Ganj Mandi police Sub-Inspector Chaudhry Illyas admitted that banned fireworks are being sold and said, “We’ve shortage of manpower and we are pre-occupied with work related to booking kite-flyers these days, particularly in Rawalpindi. If anyone finds the shops that are selling these things, let us know and we will act promptly and seal the shop as well as book the violators.”