Minor girl killed in celebratory gunfire at Karachi police official's wedding

A minor girl was playing on her flat’s terrace in Karachi when a stray bullet hit her head during aerial firing at a wedding ceremony. She later succumbed to the injury, according to the police.

The incident occurred in Moosa Lane of Karachi’s Lyari, where the groom, a police officer, was arrested along with his associates and booked by the Dock police station.

Police detained 12 people, including the groom, seven associates, and four others, and registered two separate cases against them at the Dock and Baghdadi police stations.

Afterthe police intervened, the groom and his accomplices allegedly opened fire on the police quarters near Dock Police Station, police reported.

Read: Aerial firing at wedding claims lives of two minors in Karachi's Surjani Town

The initial inquiry revealed that the groom, identified as Aftab, was recently posted to the Karachi Police Chief Office (KPO). 

It was revealed in the initial investigation that SMG, 9MM, and 30-bore pistols were used for aerial firing in the wedding ceremony as police recovered the shell casings from the spot. 

Police said that the incident occurred when the deceased was playing on the terrace of a flat on the seventh floor of Ali Arcade in Lyari. A stray bullet suddenly struck her head, and she was rushed to Civil Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.

As per sources, there was a distance of about one kilometre between the location of the aerial firing and the place where the girl was killed. 

The maternal uncle of the two-year-old victim expressed frustration with the police, stating that "they are demanding an autopsy, they want opening of the child's skull, for investigative purposes."

“I hold SHO responsible, as neighbours reported continuous firing since yesterday evening constantly,” he said, adding, “Despite the police station being located at less than 100 kilometres, police took no action to stop the firing.” 

Read: Aerial firing, kite flying, and one-wheeling declared un-Islamic

The deceased's  uncle demanded the arrest of the house station officer (SHO), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and duty officer.