March 2, 2006	Thursday	Safar 1, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, March 1: The father of a minor girl who died of a kite string injury moved the Supreme Court on Wednesday making the Punjab government and Lahore nazim respondents in the case.

Filing under the original jurisdiction of the apex court on fundamental rights, Advocate Mohammad Ikram Chaudhry on behalf of Liaquat Ali, the father of the three-year-old Mahnoor, has sought complete ban on the kite flying.

Narrating his ordeal, the petitioner said he was riding a motorbike and Mahnoor was sitting in front of him when a kite string passed through and cut her jugular vein. The girl died within a few minutes, he stated.

Subsequently, he lodged an FIR against the state and also sent an application to the Chief Justice of Pakistan challenging a 15-day relaxation for kite flying.

He also annexed different press clippings showing the number of deaths due to kite flying.

A Supreme Court bench in Lahore had banned making and flying of kite, specially in the Punjab.

However the provincial government promulgated a law allowing manufacturing of strings and flying of kite for 15 days.

At this, the court directed the Punjab and other provincial governments to permit kite flying for 15 days but asked them to ensure precautionary measures to save the lives of the people.

The court had warned that in case of any death it would withdraw the 15-day relaxation starting from late February to early March.

Ban relaxed in capital: District magistrate Islamabad Chaudhry Mohammad Ali has relaxed the ban on kite flying till March 10 in accordance with the directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, said an official order on Wednesday, reports APP.

However, kite flying activity that may endanger human life such as use of nylon cord, metallic wire and thread coated with sharp ‘Manjha’ shall remain prohibited during the period.

The date regarding celebration of “Jashan-i-Baharan” will be fixed in consultation with provinces.