Kite-flyers face detention despite bail
The deputy commissioner and the city police officer have decided to detain the kite-flying suspects, who were released on bail from the courts, for 15 days after the authorities completely failed to control kite-flying in the city despite the registration of cases and scores of arrests.
Sources said Deputy Commissioner Waqar Cheema and the CPO have issued orders to detain all the children and youths who were released on bail by the courts across the country in cases of kite flying, catching the kites on the roads, brandishing weapons and aerial firing.
Following the decision, personnel belonging to different police stations have started arresting the children and youths by forcefully entering their houses and sending them to Adiala Jail, the sources claimed.
On the other hand, the move has been challenged by the parents of the detained children in the Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court.
Advocate Humair Saleem Cheema has filed a petition under the Human Rights Act on behalf of various petitioners including Razia Bibi, Mumtaz Ahmed, and Muhammad Arif, whose children have been arrested by the police.
The petition argues that multiple punishments cannot be awarded for a single offence.
“Students including Umar Khan, Ayan, Haroon, Shahzeb and others were first arrested by the police for kite flying.
They were released on bail by the local magistrate after their arrest.
Basant is also over.
Now the DC and the police have started arresting and detaining all the children who were released on bail by forcefully entering their houses,” the petition argued.
It claimed that dozens of children have been detained thus far.
“Police forcefully enter homes without notice, arrest children and send them to prison.
This is injustice and a violation of basic human rights,” it maintained.
The petitioners went on to add that the children have been kept with criminals in jail.
“This detention is illegal.
The police should be stopped from raids, arrests and detentions.” The petitioners adopted the stance that the annual examinations of the children were starting on March 10.
“Their academic year will be lost due to police detention,” they said, seeking orders for annulment of the detention directives and for the immediate release of the detained children.
Senior Judge Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan will hear this petition on Tuesday [today] while the children's parents will also appear before the high court.