Kite string victim laid to rest

DIJKOT:

Asif Ashfaq, a young man killed by a kite string on Dijkot Road, was laid to rest as hundreds gathered at the Samanabad graveyard on Saturday.

Emotions ran high during the funeral prayers for the 21-year-old victim. Police have initiated investigations, leveraging CCTV footage, to apprehend the unidentified assailant responsible for the fatal incident.

As per the police reports, ASI Javed Iqbal detailed the sequence of events, highlighting that Asif Ashfaq was commuting on his motorcycle when the kite string fatally slashed his throat near T-Chowk Dijkot Road.

The incident, deemed an outcome of negligence, prompted authorities to register a case under the Kite Flying Act against the unidentified perpetrator.

The video of the tragic event circulated on social media platforms, prompting widespread outcry. In response, CPO Faisalabad, Captain (retd) Muhammad Ali Zia, directed traffic police to intensify safety measures and enforce regulations rigorously. The Safety Wire campaign, previously halted, resumed with renewed vigour, focusing on raising awareness and penalising offenders.

Concurrently, the Additional IG Traffic expressed dissatisfaction with the line-lane campaign's progress, urging traffic personnel to enforce regulations more effectively.

Instead of launching awareness initiatives, traffic authorities concentrated on issuing citations to violators in Court Number Eight, signalling a shift towards stricter enforcement measures.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24^th, 2024.