Growing menace: Traffic warden injured by kite string in Rawalpindi

Habib Munawar was travelling down Tipu Road on his motorbike when he was entangled by the string

RAWALPINDI: A young traffic warden was injured after his throat was slightly cut by a stray kite string on in Rawalpindi on Wednesday.

According to officials of Rescue 1122, 30-year-old Habib Munawar travelling down Tipu Road near Fauji Towers on his motorbike when he was entangled by the string. He was offered medical treatment on the spot and was declared safe since the cut was minor in nature.

However, Waris Khan police registered a criminal case against unidentified kite flyers. Since February 1 this year, at least three people have been killed and two have been wounded after their throats were slashed by stray kite strings.

Despite the fact that the district government has imposed a ban on flying kites in the area, police have been unable to control the traditional sport.

Last week, four-year-old Umm-e-Habiba’s throat was slit by a kite string on Chakri Road. She later died at the hospital.

As news of the incident spread, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif suspended the area’s SHO for failing to control kite flying. Earlier, a man had died on the Sixth Road Flyover on Murree Road within the limits of Sadiqabad police. Another man died after his throat was slashed by kite string on Tipu Road. All victims were travelling on motorbikes.

Meanwhile, police routinely claim to have been cracking down against kite manufacturers, sellers, and flyers. Police have also claimed to have confiscated thousands of kites and rolls of string while dozens of kite flyers and sellers had been apprehended over the past two months.

However, law enforcers have failed to control kite flying, especially in thickly populated areas.

Meanwhile, Regional Police Officer Wisal Fakhar Raja expressed his dissatisfaction over the lack of police action against kite flyers so far.

In a meeting with superintendents and deputy superintendents of police on Wednesday, the RPO stated that departmental action would be taken against concerned SP and DSPs if any life was lost due to kite string in their areas.

The RPO directed the SPs and the DSPs to personally patrol their areas every afternoon.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th, 2017.