Kite flyers vow to defy ban in Rawalpindi
Defying the ban on the traditional yet controversial sport of kite flying, the Rawalpindi Kite Flying Association has formally announced to celebrate Basant on Friday with fanfare.
This recent decision comes despite a complete ban by the district administration and the police.
The association has announced to hold Basant on February 17 in Cantt and on February 24 in Rawalpindi city.
The decision, nonetheless unsurprising, has raised serious concerns about the safety of the public, especially motorcyclists and those traveling at night.
Seeing the inevitable coming, the district police have completed all preparations to stop the activity at all costs.
The motorcycle-borne personnel of the Dolphin Force are gearing for patrolling the city streets to net the violators.
According to sources, the police will register cases against kite flyers and their parents if involved in the banned activity.
They also said the police are using loudspeakers mounted on mosques to educate and warn the public against the potential hazards of kite flying.
Sources also said a large number of police officials will be deployed to prevent Basant night, however, patrolling against kite flying is under way.
Despite the arrests, registration of cases and lengthy awareness drives, the police seem completely helpless in stopping the kite-flying enthusiasts.
Every day after eleven o'clock, the skies of the garrison city get covered with kites of all sizes and shapes.
On the other hand, the sale of kites and strings is also touching new heights despite police raids and seizure of large quatities of banned kite-flying items.
Kite flying enthusiasts from Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Gujarat and Jhelum will also start arriving in Rawalpindi on Thursday, sources said and added that the Basant night celebration will continue till midnight.
Meanwhile, the sale of kites and strings on social media platforms has gained momentum due to the fear of police crackdowns.
The kite sellers have also increased the prices of kites and strings by 50 to 70 per cent this year due to inflation.
A standard bundle of kite string is being sold at Rs2,200 to Rs4,000, while a smaller one at Rs1,000 to Rs1,800. Similarly, a normal-sized kite is priced at Rs100 to Rs150, a medium kite at Rs250, and a good quality kite is priced at Rs400 to Rs500.
Kites and strings are traded covertly only with acquaintances and on the recommendation of known ones.
Sources said the kites are brought to Rawalpindi from Peshawar, Abbottabad, Gujarat and Gujranwala. According to them, kite-flying materials are brought early in the morning in trucks full of vegetables and fruits. Kites and strings from Murree, Islamabad and Haripur are also delivered to Rawalpindi city and Cantt early in the morning, they claimed.
Meanwhile, on Monday, Rawalpindi District Police claimed to have netted 74 kite flyers and sellers and arrested 11,680 kites and over 200 kite flying string rolls. According to a police spokesperson, divisional superintendents of the police had also directed the police teams to accelerate operations against kite sellers and flyers. Special teams have been formed to conduct raids to deal with kite flyers across the city, he said adding that 138 kite flyers and sellers were sent behind the bars during the last 15 days while over 15,000 kites and 456 kite flying string rolls were also recovered. The teams were also carrying out operations in Mohanpura, Dhoke Ratta, Dhoke Hasu, Pirwadhai, Railway Colony, Gangmandi, Bhabra Bazaar, Naya Mohalla, Chah Sultan, Tipu Road, Arya Mohalla, Kartarpura, and other parts of the city.
With additional input from APP
Published in The Express Tribune, February 14th, 2023.