Happiness at a cost |
IN Pakistan, celebrations are moments of spectacle and emotion.
Weddings fill streets with music, laughter and colour, turning ordinary neighbourhoods into lively festivals of life. Religious and national holidays ignite cities with rituals, fireworks, and communal gatherings, reflecting both cultural pride and shared joy. These occasions are meant to bring people together, to honour milestones, and to create lasting memories. Yet amid the grandeur, some traditions have crossed the line from festivity to hazard. Practices such as aerial firing and excessive displays of wealth, once intended as expressions of joy, now often put innocent lives at risk, reminding us that not all celebrations are harmless.
The law is unambiguous across the country, aerial firing is illegal, and accountability extends beyond those who pull the trigger to the hosts of the celebration including grooms and event organizers, for the actions of their guests. This is not a restriction on joy, it is a firm statement that personal festivity can never outweigh the right to safety. From Karachi to Lahore and Peshawar, authorities have invoked strict legal measures, including Section 144 and criminal provisions, to enforce a zero-tolerance approach. Yet enforcement is often met with defiance. Police officers upholding the law have faced aggression, and some communities argue that regulation infringes upon tradition. These confrontations expose a deep ethical question that when a cultural........