Islamabad Police arrested 54 individuals and seized over 21,000 kites and chemical strings in January as part of a crackdown against hazardous kite-flying material. Kite-flying is often associated with severe accidents, particularly fatal ones. The kite-flying festival—Basant—was banned in 2007 in Punjab due to an increasing number of deaths and serious injuries caused by sharp strings, mainly to motorcyclists and pillion riders, as well as by celebratory gunfire.
Quoting Islamabad police spokesperson, APP reported that during raids carried out across the capital, police teams arrested 54 people for kite-flying and trading. Over 11,000 kites and more than 10,000 chemical strings were recovered from suspects. “Charkis” and other related material were also seized.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Qazi Ali Raza told APP that kite-flying is a deadly activity that has claimed innocent lives and caused serious injuries, particularly to motorcyclists, pedestrians, and children. He noted that the chemical strings used in kites pose a grave threat to human life, potentially resulting in permanent disability or death.
Raza urged parents to educate their children about the dangers and legal consequences of kite-flying and play a role as responsible citizens. Awareness efforts regarding the matter were underway. He stressed Islamabad police’s “zero tolerance policy against kite flying, kite stelling, and the use of chemical string.”
The development comes as a three-day Basant festival is set to kick off in Lahore from February 6, following Punjab government’s decision to lift a ban on the historic event after 18 years with strict regulations. On Saturday, Rawalpindi police seized a mini-truck carrying 20,000 kites and 100 rolls of strings, along with arresting the supplier. The kites were intended for delivery in the garrison city where a kite sale and flying ban is imposed by the government.
Citizens are being urged to report people violating these policies through emergency helplines Pucar-15 or local police stations.