Daily Times

The city police and other concerned departments have completely failed to ensure the implementation of ban on kite flying in the city especially during holidays.

A man was killed and other two were injured when their throats were slit by a kite string in Bhatti Gate and other areas of the city.

According to details, Bilal Safdar, a resident of Begum Kot Shahdara, was on his way on a bike when the incident occurred near Bhatti Gate area on Friday. The motorbike on which he was riding fell to the ground, causing him injuries, police said. Following the incident, passers-by in the area rushed the injured person to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injury.

Police have filed a case against unidentified kite flyers under the acts pertaining to murder and kite flying and handed over the dead body to his family after fulfilling the legal formalities.

Despite the ban, kite flying in Lahore is a routine matter for the last several months in almost all areas of the city. It has also caused several injuries in the last few months but no action has been taken by authorities until this recent incident occurred. It has also been observed previously that authorities and police have taken action against kite flyers only after a death occurrs.

Violation of ban on kite flying continues and the police seem nothing less than silent spectators. Kite flying, a popular recreational activity in Punjab, was banned by Lahore High Court a few years ago and later the district government imposed a ban after a number of deaths were reported in the province as well as across the city.

The worst situation interestingly is seen in the areas of Northern Lahore, Shahdara, as well as its surrounding areas, Green Town, Model Town, Ghaziabad, Sabzazar, Iqbal Town, Ichra, Mozang, Gawalmandi. Raiwind, Kahna, Qilla Gujjar Singh, Nulakha, Ghari Shahu, Bund Road and other parts of the city.

Station House Officers of different police stations, however, claim that they have carried out raids and arrested people involved in kite flying or selling kites in their areas.

They added that within the past few months, more than 1,000 First Information Reports have been lodged and people violating the ban on kite flying have been booked. They added that there was no tolerant policy for the violators and a strict action would be taken where the ban violation was reported.

After the incident, Deputy Inspector General Operations Shahzad Akbar directed all officers to take strict action against kite flying, its selling and manufacturing. All divisional superintendents of police are directed to ensure the ban of kite flying in their respective areas at any cost. Lahore police have arrested 316 accused in 300 cases during the last two months.

“We have also extended cooperation with district and administration for crackdown on kite manufacturing outlets without any discrimination. So many young boys have lost their lives in this dangerous activity. Parents should have to play a vital role to discourage their children kite flying to avoid such precious lives being lost. Parents can also be subjected to any legal punishment for not stopping their children from it. We cannot grant permission to anybody to indulge in it. Divisional SPs are directed to make special monitoring teams to ensure the ban of kite flying,” DIG Operations Shahzad Akbar said, adding that SPs will send daily report to this office regarding crackdown against kite flying.

He warned that if any officer or official displayed laxity in this regard, he would be proceeded against strictly, at departmental level.

Published in Daily Times, September 23^rd 2018.