RAWALPINDI: Even though the police used all tactics to ensure the implementation of the ban on kite flying and selling, the sky was almost filled with kites along with the sound of firing into the air as people celebrated Basant ignoring the ban on Friday.

A woman was hit by a stray bullet when she was sitting on the rooftop of her house in Afshan Colony while a man was brought to hospital with a bullet injury to his arm from a stray bullet. Moreover, several children also sustained injuries either from kite catching or falling from buildings.

The police emergency was informed that a woman identified as daughter of Asad, a resident of Afshan Colony, had been injured from a stray bullet.

The bullet hit her in the head and the injured was shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital.

Police fail to check kite sale, flying; over 115 held during crackdown

On the other hand, the police continued a crackdown against kite flyers and sellers and rounded up 117 people and seized several hundred kites and strings in the last 24 hours.

Police used binoculars, ladders and other tactics to prevent people from kite flying, aerial firing and kite selling.

However, the citizens celebrated ‘Basant’, ignoring the government ban on kite flying and aerial firing.

Kite flying and aerial firing continued in some populated areas of the city amid echoes of gunfire. Children carrying sticks could be seen chasing stray kites on busy roads endangering their lives as well as that of others.

People celebrated Basant in Dhoke Khabba, Dhoke Chiraghdin, Jhanda Chichi, Tench Bhatta, People’s Colony, Misrial Road, Dhamial, Arya Mohallah, Chah Sultan, Ratta Amral, Pindora, Naya Mohalla, Railway colony, Pirwadhai, Satellite Town ignoring police crackdown.

A police spokesman said that during the crackdown 117 people had been arrested so far and over 4,000 kites and 113 seized. The crackdown was started on Thursday night and continued on Friday.

He said last night 54 people were arrested and more than 2,000 kites and 63 strings recovered.

The RA Bazar police recovered 300 kites and three strings from 20 people, Nasirabad police recovered 630 kites and eight strings from seven accused while Race Course police recovered 415 kites and 25 strings from 20 persons and Civil Lines police recovered 112 kites and four strings from seven people.

The Airport police recovered 80, Westridge police 78 kites and 05 strings, Pirwadhai police 40 kites, Dhamyal police 290 kites and five strings.

City Police Officer Syed Khalid Hamdani has issued directives to the police regarding checking the menace of kite flying, seeking surety bonds from owners of high-rise buildings and houses that they would not allow anybody to use their premises (rooftops) for kite flying.

All the SHOs were directed to keep with them ladders in the patrolling vans to use when needed to arrest kite flyers from the rooftops. The police were also directed to register FIRs against kite sellers and flyers and ensure their arrests as well.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2024