Pakistan Arrests 3700 People for Flying Kites
In the year 2005, nearly 19 people were killed and many injured during the kite festival, which led the Supreme Court of Pakistan to ban kite flying in the province.
The law in Pakistan is very strict as it is evident from the arrest of more than 3700 people, who are recently arrested by Police in Pakistan’s Punjab province as they were involved in kite flying, which has been banned in the country due to the deaths caused by the sharp thread used in the activity.
The Punjab police have launched the action on the kite flyers but the masterminds of terrorist activities across the world are in the safe shelter of the government and the Pakistani army. They are arresting kite flyers because now the government has decided not to celebrate the Basant festival, traditionally associated with kite flying.
The government has cited the deaths caused by the string of stray kites as the main reason for not observing the Basant festival. Nabila Ghazanfar, spokesperson Punjab Police said in a statement, “Police in their action against the people involved in kite flying have arrested more than 3,700 during the last one week from different cities including Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, and Sheikhupura”.
She also said that on the order of Punjab Chief Minister, Usman Buzdar, the police have intensified the action against the kite flyers and the crackdown will continue throughout the spring.
The government in an earlier announcement had declared that it is going to lift the 12-year-old ban on the kite flying during the Basant Festival, which marks the beginning of spring season, but the decision was later challenged in the Lahore High Court. As the petitioner had claimed that it was unconstitutional to allow a leisure activity, which has resulted in the loss of human lives. Accordingly, the Punjab government has instructed the Police to take the necessary action.
In the year 2005, nearly 19 people were killed and many injured during the kite festival, which led the Supreme Court of Pakistan to ban kite flying in the province. The Punjab government later introduced a law prohibiting the kite vendors from selling kites and manufacturing kite related items.
According to the law, those who are found guilty can be imprisoned for three years or fined Rs 40, 000 or both. Local authorities also announced cash rewards for those who would provide information on vendors selling and manufacturing kites and kite flying material. The ban also left hundreds of people associated with the trade, unemployed.
In spite of all these efforts by the government, enthusiastic kite flyers somehow manage to get themselves involved in the banned strings. As a result, kite related tragedies have continued to occur in Pakistan. Now the time has come, Pakistan must take some serious action against all those who are involved in more serious international terrorist activities.
