DC Cheema warns of cases to be registered against offenders with up to six months imprisonment and Rs0.5 million.
RAWALPINDI:
Despite strict restrictions imposed by the district administration, the Kite Association has announced that Basant will be celebrated in Rawalpindi on February 12 and 13.
Association representatives stated that if Basant can be celebrated conditionally in Lahore, it can also be held in Rawalpindi, adding that the city is not a no-go area for Basant lovers.
Kite Association Chairman Haji Iqbal and Secretary Muhammad Tayyab said February 12 will be observed as Basant Night, starting after Maghrib prayers and continuing till midnight.
During this time only white kites would be flown, ‘Bo Kata’ slogans would be raised, rooftop barbeques would be held and fireworks and aerial shooting would also take place. They argued that chemical and metallic strings would be banned.
They further said that February 13 would be marked as a full ‘Basant Day’, starting after Friday prayers and continuing till sunset. Kite flying would take place from rooftops, shops, squares and in open fields. Kite flyers have already started placing orders for kites and strings from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, while production has resumed in inner city warehouses. Merchants have also started accepting bookings through social media and offering home delivery.
Stocks of dragons from adjoining areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including Haripur, Abbottabad and Khanpur, have increased in Rawalpindi. There are also reports that several police officers are involved in the supply of kites and strings.
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Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Hasan Waqar Cheema said that Basant, kite selling and kite flying are strictly prohibited and no one will be allowed to celebrate Basant.
He warned that cases will be registered against violators with penalties of up to six months in jail and fines of up to Rs 0.5 million. The parents will also be contacted. Orders have been issued to stop Basant celebrations.
The city police officer said that SHOs of all 34 police stations in the district have been issued strict instructions to carry out daily crackdowns against the sale of kite and strings. Anti-dragon teams have been formed at every police station and strict control of entry points from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has been imposed. Confiscated dragons will be immediately destroyed.
On Basant days, special teams will be deployed to arrest kite flyers by accessing rooftops using ladders from outside.
After the Basant announcement, the prices of kites and strings have increased sharply. A small ordinary kite sells for Rs 150, a medium one for Rs 300 and a large high quality kite for Rs 500. String prices range from Rs 2,700 to Rs 4,000, while 70 percent of the strings available in the open market are reportedly metallic and manufactured using chemicals.
A police spokesman said a drive against kite flying is underway across the city. Over the past week, 8,643 kites and 3,985 strings have been seized and 29 suspects have been arrested and sent to Adiala prison.
