Flyers flout ban as kites take over Pindi skies

Enthusiasts ignore warnings of 10-year jail term

RAWALPINDI:

Kite enthusiasts in Rawalpindi ignored the strict ban and openly celebrated the Basant Festival on Friday.

Despite warnings of 10-year imprisonment and fines of up to Rs5 million, the residents transformed the skies into a kaleidoscope of colours, engaging in intense aerial firing and firecracker celebrations for four hours.

The police and Dolphin Force struggled to maintain control as kite flyers mocked the authorities, ignoring police patrols and announcements from mosques warning of arrests.

Rooftops were filled with kite flyers, and the sound of "Bo-Kata" resonated throughout the city. Young motorcyclists rode with wires attached to their bikes to avoid metal strings while the police chased kite flyers across rooftops. The police briefly maintained control from 10am to 2pm on Friday, but kite flyers took to the rooftops after Friday prayers, dominating the skies until sunset.

At 2pm after Friday prayers, the kite fliers came out on the roofs of houses and plazas and continued to fly for four and a half hours from 2pm to 6:30pm, rendering the police's efforts to curb the celebrations over the past 20 days futile.

Despite the crackdown, Basant celebrations in Rawalpindi remained vibrant and defiant, with the residents determined to keep the festival's spirit alive.

Police continue crackdown

According to a police spokesman, the police teams remained busy in arresting kite flyers. Cases will be registered against the owners of the houses who used their rooftops for kite flying, he said, adding that they were identifying kite flyers through videos. Kite flying is a crime and action will be taken against those involved in this crime, said the spokesman.

The police teams claimed to have arrested 115 kite flyers. Areas like Waris Khan, Bani, Ratta Amral, City, New Town, Saddar, and Ganj mandi became hubs of Basant celebrations. Women were also seen flying kites. The children of the police officers also kept fighting in the police quarters of Jhanda Chichi.

Kalashnikov, Triple Two, Moser, and 30-bore pistols were fired heavily. Heavy firing from Kalashnikovs, TT pistols, and other weapons echoed across densely populated areas, including Bhabhra Bazaar, Shah Chirag, Mohalla Shah Nazar, Amirpura, Teli Mohalla, Commodity Market, Chah Sultan, Aria Mohalla, Saddar, Muslim Town, Dhok Khabba, Dhok Ilahi Bakhsh, Nadeem Colony, Javed Colony, Moti Bazaar, Purana Qila, Bani Mohalla, Kartarpura, Dhok Farman Ali, Glass Factory Road and Waris Kahn.

JI distribute safety rods

Under the auspices of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Youth, safety rods were distributed among motorcyclists to protect them from kite strings.

JI District Deputy Chief Raza Ahmed Shah said that kite flying has become a deadly sport, causing hundreds of accidents. He urged citizens to boycott the game and parents need to play their roles in ending this bloody sport.

JI Youth Rawalpindi District President Bilal Zahoor said that kite flying causes both life and financial losses. He stressed that kite flying complete eradication is the need of the hour. JI would continue to provide voluntary services to eliminate this life-threatening activity, he said.

SP Rawal Muhammad Haseeb Raja, DSP Malik Rafaqat and others informed the public about the harms of kite flying.