45 arrested: People defy ban on Basant

Police crackdown on defiance and festivities in the neighbourhood

RAWALPINDI: The residents of Cantonment areas celebrated Basant here on Thursday night and Friday, openly defying the ban on kite flying.

Police on the directive of City PoliceOfficer (CPO) Israr Ahmed Khan Abbasi conducted raids in different areas and rounded up 45 kite flyers and kite sellers.

The CPO and SP Potohar Town Syed Ali also visited different Cantt areas and supervised police crackdowns against the violators.



RA Bazar police team led by SP Potohar Syed Ali conducted a raid in Tench Bhatta and arrested seven violators including owner of the house and recovered sound system, kites and kite flying string rolls.

Talking to APP, SP Potohar informed that strict action in accordance with the law is being taken against the rules violators and FIRs are being registered against them.

According to CPO, kite flying ban violators are being dealt with an iron hand and no one would be allowed to violate the rules and the kite flying ban in the city.



The CPO said directives have been issued to the police officers to take strict action against the violators.

He informed that during this season police seized over 100,000 kites along with 4000 string rolls. More than 150cases were registered against 200 accused during January and February. Earlier, the district administration had urged the citizens not to allow their children to violate kite flying ban imposed by the provincial government else strict action in accordance with the law would be taken and the ban violators would be sent behind the bars.

Meanwhile, kite sellers have also announced Feb22 night and Feb 23 day to celebrate Basant particularly in Rawalpindi city.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 17^th, 2018.