‘Kite flying poses serious threat to human lives’

Islamabad: The Anti-Kite Flying Volunteers Association (AKFV) has raised the alarm on the dangers posed by kite flying and called for self-regulation among citizens to abstain from indulging in this activity.

Talking to this agency here on Sunday, AKFV representative Yasir Farooq Usman said that kite flying posed serious risks, particularly to human lives and birds. "The strings used for kite flying are made of strong and sharp materials that can cut the throats of unsuspecting people and birds", he said. The kite flying season usually started in February, and law enforcement agencies were making efforts to apprehend the kite sellers, as the police could not prevent people from engaging in the sport, he added. Yasir highlighted that kites flown in close proximity to one another could collide and result in serious injuries to the people operating them.

Kites could become entangled in power lines, leading to electrical outages and the risk of electrocution for the person operating the kite, he added. He pointed out that anti-kite flying laws were not in place in the KP province, and people brought kites and string rolls from Punjab to the KP province.

The AKFV wrote a letter to KP authorities, calling for the implementation of anti-kite flying legislation, and the group intended to send a reminder this year, he maintained.