PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE: Casualties and injuries due to kite string have been growing despite an over a decade-long ban imposed by the authorities.
In yet another incident, a minor boy was injured when a kite string slit his throat in Wahdat Colony on early Sunday. Abu Bakar, 8, was admitted to a local hospital in a critical condition.
The family of the victim lashed out on the government. The grandfather of the victim said the government had failed miserably in implementing the kite flying ban in the city. Not a week had passed that a case was reported in Mughalpura in which a youth had died after a kite string cut his throat.
Last week, the victim identified as Amir Ali was travelling a motorcycle when near Mughalpura flyover a kite string slit his throat. The victim fell down and suffered fatal injuries.
He was shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. However, the victim could not survive and succumbed to injuries.
Taking notice of the incident, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Ashfaq Ahmad Khan suspended SHO Mughalpura Mudassarullah Khan. In a statement issued a few days back, Lahore police claimed to have arrested 468 people involved in kite flying this month.
Police said they have registered 453 cases against the accused persons. DIG Operations Ashfaq Khan said police had been raising awareness among the public through announcements, social media, newspapers and TV channels. He had also asked the parents to help police stop bloody play and keep their children away from it.
Recently in a high-level meeting attended by CCPO Lahore, BA Nasir, DIG Operations Lahore, Ashfaq Ahmad Khan, DIG Investigation Lahore Dr Inaam Waheed, Inspector General of Punjab Police (IGP) Captain (retd) Arif Nawaz had also expressed displeasure over growing incidents of deaths and injuries due to kite string.
The IGP had asked the officers concerned to chalk out a comprehensive and effective strategy to stop kite flying and ordered a crackdown against the lawbreakers across Punjab.
He added that there should be no delay in taking action against those officers and SHOs who failed in implementing the kite flying ban in their respective areas.
The Punjab government had been observing a zero-tolerance policy against kite flying for over a decade. In most of the instances when such a case has been reported, SHO concerned or DSP an even a few cases SPs have been suspended.
However, despite all these measures, the cases keep on pouring every other day. Last month, a 20-year-old man died due to kite string in Sanda. In July, a 25-year-old man was injured.
In April, 28-year-old Farhan was injured in Youanabad. Two such incidents were reported in the first week of February in Factory Area.
In January this year, a man was killed due to kite-string in Harbancepura. Another victim, identified as Noor Muhammad, 40, was injured.
In March last year, a 40-year-old man was killed after a kite string slit his throat. The deceased was identified as Shoaib Younas. Younas was on his way to work near Muslim Town Mor when the string slit his throat.
Police and rescue teams rushed to the scene and shifted him to the Lahore Services Hospital where he breathed his last.
A week earlier this incident, a three-year-old girl Makrukh’s throat was slit by this killer string as she returned home from school in Shera Kot. Her father and brother were also injured in the incident. Such incidents are not only confined to Lahore; they have also been reported in several districts across Punjab.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 25th, 2019.
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