Petition filed in LHC over fatal kite-string incident in Lahore

A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court seeking action against concerned police officials in response to a tragic incident in Lahore Cantt, where a citizen sustained fatal injuries after a kite string slashed his neck on Friday.

The petition was filed by Head of the Judicial Activism Panel Azhar Siddique, naming the Punjab government, the Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO), and other officials as respondents.

The Lahore district administration approved the celebration of Basant from February 6 to 8 this year, allowing kite flying under an extensive set of safety regulations, marking a significant shift in policy after two decades.

In the petition, the petitioner contended that allowing the revival of Basant—described as a “bloody festival”—amounts to a violation of fundamental human rights.

Read: All set for regulated Basant revival from February 6 to 8

It was argued that since the announcement of Basant’s revival, incidents of citizens being injured by kite strings have resurfaced. The plea highlighted that another tragic incident occurred in Lahore Cantt just a day earlier, where a citizen’s neck was slashed by a kite string, calling it an alarming example of public safety failures.

The petition further maintained that reviving Basant after 25 years is an action against public safety and endangers human lives. It urged the court to impose a complete ban on chemical-coated strings (manjha) and manjha-coated kite lines.

The petitioner also requested the court to order strict action against manufacturers and sellers of manjha-coated strings, and to direct severe legal proceedings against negligent police officers.

Additionally, the petition sought the formulation of an effective compensation policy for individuals injured or killed due to chemical-coated kite strings.

In October last year, a 21-year-old Yousaf Munir was killed when a metal-coated kite string slit his throat while he was riding his motorcycle in Nawan Kot area. The victim was returning home from Iqbal Town when the metallic string of a stray kite wrapped around his neck, and despite being rushed to the hospital, he was pronounced dead on arrival.