Police select 280 rooftops to monitor kite flying

Rawalpindi: The local administration has selected 280 rooftops in the city to monitor activities of kite lovers celebrating ‘Basant’ festival today (Friday).

Deputy Commissioner (DC), Rawalpindi Captain (r) Anwar-ul-Haq and City Police Officer (CPO) Ahsen Younas have directed the deployment of police officers with video cameras and drones at 280 rooftops of city areas to monitor kite flyers. Total 2,500 police officers including 135 police teams, 30 Dolphin Squads, 35 Muhafiz Squads and 10 Elite Force Squads have started performing duties in all areas of the city.

Rawalpindi Kite Flying Welfare Association (RKFWA) is going to celebrate ‘Basant’ on Friday (today). They started celebrating ‘Basant’ on Thursday.

Last Friday when kite lovers celebrated ‘Basant’ festival here in cantonment board areas, as many as 315 kite flyers and sellers had been sent to Adiala Jail on the violation of 'The Punjab Prohibition of Kite Flying Ordinance, 2001 (Ordinance LIX of 2001).

City Police Officer (CPO) Spokesman Muhammad Sajjad told ‘The News’ that the administration will monitor all city areas particularly inner-city localities where out 280 rooftops have been selected. “We have deployed police officials on all 280 rooftops with video cameras and drones to monitoring kite flyers,” he claimed. We will not only register FIRs against violators but also the owners of rooftops as well, he warned.

The Punjab government has issued a notification slapping a ban on celebrating ‘Basant’ in the province. Police through loudspeakers warned the public to avoid kite flying. Police vans were making announcements in all areas warning the public but kite flying lovers are still active.

In 2020, police registered 1,074 FIRs and recovered over 200,000 kites, over 2,673 chemical strings rolls, and arrested 1,353 violators. In 2007, the Supreme Court imposed a ban on ‘Basant’ celebrations after the deaths of scores of people due to glass-coated strings used in flying kites.