As many as 15 persons lost their lives and over 400 sustained injuries, dozens of them critically, while performing one-wheeling on roads in Lahore and the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi during the Independence Day celebrations.
In City, the police wielded batons on the joy-riders, booked over hundreds of motorcyclists for defying ban on one-wheeling, committing eve-teasing incidents at roads and riding motorbikes without silencers across the provincial capital.
The clashes took place between the police and revellers at different roads when the jubilant youths attempted to ride their motorcycles on the restricted roads, leaving several youngsters including policemen injured, eyewitnesses said.
The police sources said that the joy-riders managed to enter the restricted roads and created lawlessness like situation by teasing the families and throwing fire crackers at cars.
The police had banned the entry of motorcyclists on the main boulevard Gulberg, Jail Road, Mall Road and in some other areas but they played hide and seek with the on guard cops and defied the ban publicly. “We shifted at least 103 injured to different public hospitals. Dozens of them received multiple wounds including leg and arm fractures and head injuries,” Rescue (1122) officials said.
Waseem, 25, was riding his motorcycle on the back wheel when it rammed into a footpath in Green Town area, resulting in his instant death, the police said.
Resident of Yuhannabad, Priam Masih, 23, was performing stunts at Ferozepur Road when his motorcycle smashed into a car. The youth received head injuries and was immediately rushed to the Lahore General Hospital where doctors declared him dead.
Another youngster Afzal was riding his two-wheeler at Shalimar Road when it smashed into a tractor trolley, Mughalpura police said. He was rushed to the Shalimar Hospital but expired on the way due to excessive bleeding, police said.
Javed was riding his motorcycle on the back wheel in Badami Bagh area when he smashed into a roadside electric pole. The youth sustained severe head injuries and died on the spot.
Nadeem, 19, was performing stunts at Ferozepur Road when his motorbike smashed into a tractor trolley outside a local newspaper ‘s office. The youth was rushed to the Services Hospital where he died later.
Arshad, 20, was doing one-wheeling at Canal Road when he lost the control and his two-wheeler rammed into the footpath in Barki area, police said adding, he died on his way to Ghurki Hospital.
An unidentified youngster wounded critically when his motorcycle smashed into a truck when he was riding it on the back wheel at Ferozepur Road, near Muslim Town More. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors pronounced him dead, Rescue officials added.
A 60-year-old man was crossing the road in Johar Town area when a one-wheeler hit him in the chest. The old man died on the spot while the motorcyclist managed to escape from the scene, police sources added.
They further revealed that most of the road mishaps took place at Ferozepur Road and out of total 103 accidents 49 occurred when they lost the control of their motorbikes while doing wheeling and 52 others resulted out of over-speeding or reckless driving.
It is worth mentioning that at least 40 people were killed during one-wheeling related accidents here in the Punjab Capital during the last three years on Independence Day celebrations. Those died were mostly under-age drivers from 14 to 17. Three women also lost their lives owing to the recklessness driving of joy-riders.
The youths left their homes to celebrate I-Day with their friends and did not return alive after showing jugglery tricks on their bikes. When the dead bodies were sent back to their homes, many to condole, but few understood the circumstances that led to their deaths.
The growing trend of hooliganism in form of one-wheeling among Lahorites especially on Independence Days leaves depressing memories for affected families. These deaths show the growth of negative adventurism in new generation regarding celebration of Independence Day.
According to the police sources, one-wheeling had started some 15 years ago from the premises of Qaddafi Stadium. Later, the Upper Mall became a track for this deadly sport. Gulberg Main Boulevard became the centre of this activity after it was broadened a couple of years ago.
Assad Hameed from Islamabad adds: In Rawalpindi and Islamabad three motorcyclists Nasir, Abid and Khalid were killed in Secretariat and Shahzad Town police limits of Islamabad after being overturned, the police said.
Another two motorcyclists identified as Faisal and Fahad met the same fate in an accident near the under-pass in Rawalpindi, Waris Khan police said.
Yet another two motorcyclists, Shams and Imran, were killed after being ran over by a speedy pick-up in Murree.
Three more youngsters drowned while enjoying swimming in water channels in Shahzad Town and Sihala police areas, the police said.
The police also spotted the body of a young woman with a bullet in head in the Sabzi Mandi police limits. The victim, who appeared to be in her twenties, is yet to be identified, the police added. Her body has been moved to PIMS hospital. Investigators say she might have been killed a day or two before.
Similarly, Mohammed Liaquat was shot dead allegedly by his son-in-law in Chontra police limits, Rawalpindi, following a family dispute.
Hospitals sources said over a hundred injured, mostly youngsters, were received in Rawalpindi General Hospital, Holy Family Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital, PIMS and Federal Government Services Hospital of the twin cities during the Independence Day celebrations.
Paramedics said that majority of the injured who sustained injuries in road accidents were motorcyclists during their one-wheeling.
Exciting scenes of wheeling on motorcycles were witnessed on the busy roads of the twin cities on Sunday and Monday when the nation went out to celebrate the 59th Independence Day.
Though police claimed that it had impounded over five hundred motorcycles during these two days for rush driving, wheeling and serious violations of traffic rules but it actually remained helpless in the whole affair.
The young motorcycles made mockery of the traffic police as well as rules in the name of celebrating independence.
Meanwhile, three individuals were drowned in water channels in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, the authorities said.
Two more persons including unidentified women also fell prey to separate incidents of violence in different places, police added.
Extending details of these mishaps, police said SSP Traffic, Sultan Azam Temuri, SP Helena Saeed and ASP Aftab Masood were injured when a speedy minibus ran over their cavalcade during a traffic inspection near Faizabad Flyover.
SP Helena Saeed was seriously injured as a result of the accident, which left six vehicles badly damaged. She was reportedly well after receiving medical treatment.
