Kite-flying ban: Violators to face three-year jail

LAHORE:Provincial Minister for Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman on Friday chaired the eighth meeting of the Cabinet Standing Committee on Legislative Business and Privatisation.

The committee reviewed over 21 recommendations from various departments, with three deferred for discussion in the next session. The meeting was attended by the Provincial Minister for Law and C&W Malik Suhaib Bherth; Secretary Law Asif Bilal Lodhi; Senior Member Board of Revenue Nabeel Javed and secretaries from relevant departments. Provincial Minister for Local Government Zeeshan Rafiq joined the meeting online.

Key approvals included delegating sub-registrar powers to officials responsible for property and land transfers in legally approved housing schemes by the Board of Revenue; amending and formulating the policy for the exchange of state lands within housing schemes; reconstituting the Board of Governors for Quaid-i-Azam Solar Power and approving proposed amendments to the Punjab Arms Ordinance 1965, the Prohibition of Kite Flying Ordinance 2001, the Vagrancy Ordinance 1958 and the Probation of Offenders Ordinance, 1960. Home Secretary Noor-ul-Amin Mengal briefed the committee on the proposed amendments to the Punjab Arms Ordinance 1965, which would impose a ban on the manufacturing of unlicensed firearms and restrict sports shooting. The amendments to the Prohibition of Kite Flying Ordinance would enforce a comprehensive ban on all activities related to kite flying and manufacturing. The production and distribution of metal strings and other hazardous materials for kite flying would be criminalised, with legal action taken against offenders. Violators of the kite flying ban could face a minimum of three-year imprisonment, while those involved in manufacturing and distribution could face a minimum of five-year imprisonment or fines. Parents of minors caught violating the kite flying ban will be fined Rs50,000 for a first offense, with doubled penalties for repeat offenses.

Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman instructed the Home Department to ensure strict implementation of these amendments, emphasising that no leniency would be shown towards those endangering lives under the guise of recreation. He stressed that enforcement of penalties for violations related to kite flying and unlicenced firearms must be upheld, with no tolerance for interference or influence.

While addressing the agenda on the inspection of drug laboratories by government analysts and inspectors at the provincial level, the law minister proposed making appointments at the district level to enhance the effectiveness of the inspection process. He highlighted that negligence in drug laboratory inspections could have fatal consequences, with patients and their families bearing the brunt of such lapses.