Ban on kite flying fails to dampen spirit of Basant

Rawalpindi
At least eleven boys were injured in different Basant related incidents in different parts of the city. Seven on them were injured on road while trying to catch stray kites and four fell from rooftops while celebrating the festival. A man also sustained bullet injury in his leg as many basant lovers resorted to aerial firing during the celebrations.
As the city district government had imposed ban on kite flying like other parts of Punjab, the youth totally defying the ban celebrated the festival with their friends and family members in Raja Bazaar, Trunk Bazaar, Gangmandi, Fawara Chowk, Namak Mandi, Jamia Masjid Road, Bagh Sardaran, Sarafa Bazaar, Committee Chowk, Banni, Kashmiri Bazaar, City Saddar Road and Mohan Pura.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Rawal Town Sardar Babar Mumtaz told ‘The News’ that they registered 31 FIRs and arrested many violators for celebrating ‘Basant’ on Friday. He said: “We even climbed on rooftops of buildings and houses to arrest the kite flyers and those using weapons for aerial firing. Our operation will continue till late night.”
According to sources, a boy Shahzad son of Muhammad Ramzan was injured while catching a kite at Fawara Chowk. Passersby shifted him to nearby District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) where doctors provided him medical treatment. District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) and Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) confirmed that emergency department received some injured in kite-flying related incidents.
The power supply remained suspended in many areas owing to fluctuation during ‘Basant’.
Talking to ‘The News’ residents of different areas said that despite a ban on kite-flying, Basant Festival was celebrated in Rawalpindi. They were worried at use of chemical string, which had taken many lives in the past.
Shabbir Ahmed Niazi a resident of Narnkari Bazaar said that thousands of kites were seen on the sky while repeated gun shots echoed in the city but the district administration and the police did nothing. “After ‘Juma’ prayer police appeared and took some action against violators,” he claimed.
Several people demanded of the CM to take notice of massive violation of ban besides taking stern action against the local administration and police of concerned areas for their negligence and slackness in performing their duties.