January 26, 2007	Friday	Muharram 06, 1428

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LAHORE, Jan 25: Pressing ahead with its plan to celebrate Basant in the city on Feb 24 and 25, the Punjab government has asked the City District Government Lahore to start forming an association of kite dealers to ensure regulated business.

“We will celebrate Basant as per our decision made on Jan 2, 2007, and strictly in accordance with the recent Supreme Court orders and the Punjab Prohibition of Kite Flying (Amendment) Ordinance, 2007,” officials said on Thursday.

The direction to the city district government was given during a meeting, which was reportedly presided over by the chairman of a related committee formed by the chief minister and Planning and Development Chairman Suleman Ghani earlier in the day.

The decision to specify time limit for kite business and kite flying would also be taken by the district government. It would convey the decision to the provincial government, which would in turn notify the dates.

The officials said kite business would probably be allowed for a maximum of 15 days and kite flying for two days of Basant.

They said the meeting was held after receiving an official copy of the last hearing of the Supreme Court through the Punjab advocate-general, confirming that the apex court had not disallowed the event.

They said the Supreme Court had disposed of an application of the provincial government, seeking permission to hold Basant.

According to the order, the court observed: “That once the government had decided to celebrate Basant, it is its duty to deal with the matter independently and no permission, under these circumstances, is called for.”

It also observed: “If the government of Punjab had already directed to allow the activities of kite flying by issuing ordinance, as to why permission is being sought from this court to celebrate Basant, perhaps for the reason that we have issued notice on January 4, 2004, in respect of a press conference which was addressed by the P&D chairman conveying the decision to media.”

“We are now proceeding under the law and are pressing ahead with its plan to organise Basant on the dates announced earlier by the P&D chairman. We are now in the implementation phase,” a senior official said.

The officials said the city district government had been asked to form an association of kite dealers in accordance with the ordinance promulgated on Jan 20, 2007.

The ordinance enhanced punishments for violating ban on kite flying and its allied trade throughout the year and introduced a mechanism to make the sport and the business harmless to people during the permitted days in spring (on Basant).

The officials said the district government would implement the ordinance under which kite flying and its allied business was strictly regulated. Besides forming a single registered association, they said it would also devise ways under which nazims would permit kite flying in their union councils.

They said rules of the ordinance would also be notified in a week to specify the size of kites and strength of twine and type of its coating.

“This arrangement is being made initially for Lahore and a decision on the celebration of Basant in the other districts will be taken upon requests by their respective governments,” the officials said.