Daily Times

LAHORE: Police will start a campaign in educational institutions to make youth aware about the hazards of kite flying.

City police have also decided to start a crackdown on kite fliers and sellers in the provincial metropolis.

In this connection, Acting DIG (Operations) Zahid Mehmood Gondal had directed all divisional superintendents of police (SPs) to start a crackdown on kite and string sellers. He said police would not allow anyone to play with the lives of innocent citizens, especially children, who had lost their lives in the past.

The DIG said that police education teams had been constituted in all divisions of the city to start awareness lectures in educational institutions soon. “The aim of the campaign is to make our youth aware about hazards of kite flying,” he said.

The DIG said that police had arrested dozens of violators of ban on kite flying and seized kites and bundles of chemical strings from them during a special campaign against kite flying. The raids were part of the ongoing police campaign against kite fliers.

The DIG said that violators could be send behind bars for a year or might be imposed a fine of up to Rs 100,000. “Those who will provide their rooftops to kite fliers will also face same penalty.”

Meanwhile, kite flying associations have suggested the government to hold the event in an open area to avoid any untoward incident. However, the government in its reply said that if anyone will be killed from the twine of a kite they (associations’ office-bearers) will be booked in murder case under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

In the wake of ban on almost 200-year-old festival of the city, the government instead of taking action against those manufacturing, selling or using prohibited twines, has given police a free hand to enter any premises, register cases even against children and elderly to mint money.

The authorities had banned the festival after a number of deaths (mostly of children) shook the society in addition to financial losses. According to official figures, at least 18 people were killed and 24 others injured in incidents related to kite flying during 2006-09, while the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) had faced a loss of Rs 5 billion during the same period.

Meanwhile, police continued raids on kite fliers and sellers in the city and took into custody thousands of kites and metallic strings.

It may be mentioned that Punjab Chief Minister Shahzbaz Sharif had directed authorities concerned to take strict action against those involved in the business of kites, strings and those violating ban on kite flying.