LAHORE: Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh of Lahore High Court on Tuesday issued notice to Punjab government challenging the imposition of ban on Basant. The judge has sought a reply from the government by October 29. The petition was moved on behalf of the District Kite Flying Association, challenging the imposition of the ban. The petitioner’s counsel said that the government had imposed ban on Basant in 2007 due to increase in deaths caused by kite flying. He said that the government imposed the ban in 2007 but Punjab Assembly passed the Punjab Prohibition of Kite Flying (Amendment) Act 2009. He pointed out that after the impugned ban, Basant was celebrated in 2008 and 2009. He submitted that the Supreme Court of Pakistan, in its suo muto notice, had observed that the matter was now being regulated by law passed by the Punjab Assembly and further directed the inspector general of Punjab police to ensure effective enforcement in law relating to kite flying, so as to prevent any untoward incident. He said that this ban had ruined the businesses across the province and had also deprived people from earning at this festival. He said that the petitioner had already moved a number of applications to the respondents including chief secretary, district coordination officer, lord mayor, culture and heritage secretary, IG and capital city police officer but to no avail. He said that the section 5 and subsection 2 of Punjab Prohibition of Kite Flying (Amendment) Act 2009 clearly says a time of 15 days would be given for kite flying business but it was not done so far. He submitted that the respondents were obliged to allow the petitioner to start their business within the framework of law, but even after the order of apex court and by regulating law, neither of the respondents were doing their legal duties as has been defined in the law under discussion nor allowing the petitioner to start their business even in accordance with law. He said the respondents were not announcing the date of kite flying as in provided in the law. He requested that a notification of February 27, 2007 imposing ban on kite flying should be declared as illegal. He also requested that the respondents should be directed to announce 15 day time of kite flying business as laid down by the law. He further requested to direct IG and Capital City Police Officer to restrain from raiding the business places or trespassing the houses and harassing petitioner as well as other members of association. Published in Daily Times, October 10th 2018.