A seven-year-old girl died after falling victim to the metal string of a stray kite on Lehtrar Road in the Khanna police limits on Tuesday, witnesses and rescuers said.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi took notice of the incident, kite-flying and illegal sale of metal cords despite a ban. Subsequently, the police conducted raids at 49 locations, resulting in the arrest of 24 individuals. Although the police did not disclose the number of metal cords and kites seized, a police spokesperson issued a statement highlighting the arrests as a demonstration of police performance.
Narrating their heart-wrenching ordeal, Ahsan Malik told The Express Tribune his brother Adeel Ahmed, who came back from Dubai a month ago, was riding a motorcycle along with his family and going to Sodhran. His seven-year-old Muntaha Adeel was sitting in front of her father, while her mother and two younger siblings were also on the motorcycle.
Suddenly, the string of a stray kite entangled around Muntaha's neck and caused a deep cut to her throat, Ahsan Malik further stated and added the parents were forced to hold their bleeding daughter in their arms, pleading for help on the busy road, but no one stopped to assist them.
Due to the severity of her injuries, Muntaha's mother was unable to pick her up and place her back on the motorcycle and with no ambulance available, they struggled to get her to the PIMS hospital. By the time they reached PIMS Hospital, Muntaha's condition drastically deteriorated owing to excessive bleeding, and despite the doctors' best efforts, she succumbed to her injuries.
When contacted on Tuesday morning, a police spokesperson and officials at the Khanna police station expressed ignorance about the incident. However, once the interior minister took notice of the situation, the police suddenly sprang into action.
A district administration official, speaking to The Express Tribune, emphasised that section 144 was already imposed against selling kites and string besides flying in the Islamabad district.
The police had orders to register cases against those who violated the ban under section 88 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and punish those involved in this business.
However, the tragic incident in the Khanna police jurisdiction has exposed not only the police's ineptitude but also the Assistant Commissioner's negligence. If the police had enforced the district administration's orders, the young girl's life could have been saved.
According to reports, despite numerous calls, no ambulance from the emergency services providers, including 1122, CDA, or DMA arrived at the scene to provide timely medical assistance.
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