Police devise plan to net kite flying ban violators; 1500 personnel deployed

Rawalpindi district police have devised a plan to foil possible plans to celebrate the banned festival of Basant in Rawalpindi city areas on Feb 22 and 23, Thursday night and Friday and control aerial firing. According to a police spokesman, more than 1500 police personnel would be deployed on large rooftops in densely populated areas to check kite flying on Thursday night and Friday. They would be equipped with binoculars as well as other resources to apprehend those violating the law by flying kites. Drone cameras would also be used to track potential aerial firing and incorporation of chemical string in kites, he added. The spokesman informed that police on the directives of City Police Officer, Syed Khalid Hamdani had finalized a plan to put a stop to expected activities that may take place despite the clear-cut ban on Basant. “Keeping in mind the need to protect the citizens from any untoward incidents, more than 1500 police officials have been deployed to thwart any plans for Basant and drone operators will be monitoring potential kite-flying,” he said. Police officials have reiterated time and again that flying kites is a potentially dangerous sport that can lead to the loss of life, and those found disregarding its cost to human lives will be prosecuted according to law. The parents, teachers, scholars and civil society were also taken into confidence to play their role in preventing the celebration of Basant. The Rawalpindi police had also launched an awareness campaign about the hazards of the risky sport with the help of religious scholars, who were asked to make announcements on their respective mosques’ sound systems about the demerits of kite-flying. The police have finalized arrangements for live monitoring of all densely populated areas, while all Station House Officers (SHOs) have been directed to ensure strict surveillance of kite sellers in their areas. The police teams are trying to trace and arrest culprits involved in buying and selling killer strings and kites through social media. Monitoring of courier services and passenger vehicles coming from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was also being tightened, so that any kites and chemical strings being brought to the city for Basant could be seized. It is pertinent to mention here that just like last year, the Rawalpindi Kite Flying Association had announced two separate illegal Basant celebrations in the city and cantonment areas. On last Thursday night and Friday, Basant was celebrated in Cantonment areas. Despite a government ban on Basant celebrations, the Kite Flying Association Rawalpindi had defiantly declared plans to celebrate the festival.The association had also initiated preparations for the event. The association had also urged the kite lovers not to use metallic strings in kite flying, highlighting the inherent risks it poses to human lives. Special Basant nights are also celebrated and the organizers plan to enhance the festivities by flying white-colored kites on these occasions. Rawalpindi District Police on the directives of City Police Officer, Rawalpindi conducted raids in different areas and rounded up 27 kite flyers and sellers and recovered 1600 kites and 31 kite flying string rolls, said a police spokesman here on Thursday. He said Waris Khan police held Abdul Rehman for possessing 600 kites and two string rolls while Sadiqabad police netted 12 accused namely Wajid, Zeeshan, Hamza, Wali, Numan, Safeer, Bilal and recovered 600 kites and six-string rolls from their possession. Rattaamral, Bani, New Town, Pirwadhai, Naseerabad and Taxila police arrested Hamza, Muddasir, Arshad, Suleman, Abdullah, Shahid and others and recovered over 416 kites and 22 string rolls. Divisional Superintendents of Police directed the police teams to accelerate operations against kite sellers and flyers. Senior Superintendent of Police, Operations Rawalpindi said that strict action in accordance with the law would be taken against the rules violators and they would be sent behind bars.