Islamabad administration bans kite-flying for two months

ISLAMABAD (INP): Islamabad administration on Monday banned kite-flying in the capital for two months. A notification has also been issued in this regard. Strict action will be taken against the shopkeepers and people who will violate the rule.
The ban has been imposed by district magistrate Islamabad under section-144.
No one in the capital will be allowed to prepare, sell and buy the kite string, the notification elaborated. Earlier, a ban was also imposed in Rawalpindi. In Punjab, police apprehended as many as 114 kite flyers and confiscated huge cache of kites during raid in different areas.
According to details, 93 cases have been lodged against 107 people whereas 800 kites and 130 strings were also recovered from their possession. 95 percent of the detainees were children or underage youngsters.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz has reiterated that the ban will stay and no one will be allowed to play with the lives of people.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court banned Basant nationwide in 2005 in response to an outcry over injuries and deaths caused every year by the glass-coated string.
Dozens of deaths and injuries caused by the kite-flying duels are reported every year, mainly of children and motorcyclists whose throats are sometimes cut by the string.
The annual kite-flying festival that marks the start of spring in eastern Punjab, involves aerial duels in which participants try to bring down each other’s kites using string coated in a sticky paste of ground-up glass or metal.
Women dress in their most brilliant colours for what’s become a major festival drawing thousands of celebrants to Lahore as well as multinational companies that rent rooftops for clients and guests.