Youth injured in kite string-related incident

Despite all tall claims of a crackdown against kite flying, incidents of injury by strings continue unabated as on Friday, a youth was left injured due to kite string near Shimla Pahari.

The victim was travelling on a motorcycle when he got entangled with a kite string near Shaheen Complex. He tried to protect himself and applied brakes. Resultantly, the two-wheelers slipped and he received injuries. Nearby people called rescue teams that reached the spot on information and shifted him to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The kite string cut through the victim’s collar. The incidents of injury by kite strings are being reported every other day. A few days back, a motorist was injured due to kite string in Islampura. A few days back, a PhD scholar and lecturer of chemistry died due to a kite string injury near the Muslim Town area. Aftab Ahmad, a PhD in chemistry and a lecturer at Government Dayal Singh College died after a kite string slit his throat on Wahdat Road near Muslim Town flyover on Friday morning.

The victim died on the spot. The victim, a resident of Kanganpur, Kasur had been living in a rented place near Chungi Amar Sidhu. On the day of the incident, he was on his way to teach his class at the college. A kite string ran over his neck. Aftab had completed his doctorate in chemistry from the United States of America about a year ago.

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The news was received with much uproar and grief by students and teachers community. They lashed out at the authorities over their failure to ensure a comprehensive ban on kite flying despite the passage of at least two decades. Adnan Mohsin, the deceased academics colleague, regretted the “great loss”. On March 2, three people were injured in two incidents of kite flying reported in Ichra near Muslim Town flyover and Missri Shah.

On March 1, a 45-year-old man was injured due to a kite string in Qila Gujjar Singh On February 28, a teenage boy was injured in Shahdara due to kite string. Three people including two minors were injured in two incidents on Ferozepur road and Azadi Chowk Bridge on January 24 and on January 22, a youth was injured in Mustafa Town. The current law awards maximum punishment of six-month imprisonment and Rs1,000 worth of fine.

There was a need for amendment in the current legislation on kite flying. Since the contemporary kite flying activities in Lahore repeatedly resulted in risking lives, it should be treated as a life-threatening offence.