Punjab IGP for more strict law on kite flying

LAHORE: Inspector General of Police Punjab Shoaib Dastgir has written a letter to the additional chief secretary, Home, recommending amendments to the Punjab Probation of Kite Flying Ordinance 2001 (as amended in 2009) for enhanced punishments commensurate with the nature of the offence with minimum and maximum frontiers.

In the letter, the IG suggested tightening the laws by increasing punishments and fines for saving the precious human lives from kite flying. The letter said the kite and string manufacturers should be awarded imprisonment for one year to five years with fine from Rs 0.5 million to Rs 2 million or both punishments.

Likewise, for selling kites and strings, there should be imprisonment of one year to five years, while fine should be from Rs0.2million to 0.5million or both punishments together. Upon violation of law by kite flyers, imprisonment should be from three months to one year and fine from 50,000 to 100,000 or both punishments. It has been suggested in the letter that FIA Cybercrime Wing should be directed for taking action against the people involved in online business relating to kite flying through Facebook and other websites whereas services of Federal Board of Revenue and Ministry of Commerce should be sought for banning import of the raw material required for manufacturing metallic string.

The Easy bail procedure given in the existing laws on kite flying along with low conviction rate, absence of legal action for online selling and buying of kites and metallic strings have caused increase in kite flying incidents, therefore, the casualties from kite flying are occurring despite strict actions by police, the IG said.