March 15, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 6, 1429

GUJRANWALA, March 14: At least 50 youth, mostly boys, were injured after falling from roofs of their houses during Basant festival while around 100 were arrested by the police here on Friday in a crackdown against violators of the ban on kite-flying.

The Basant was celebrated in Gujranwala, Ghakkhar and Kamoki and suburbs despite a ban imposed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Punjab government.

The festivities started on Thursday night continued all the day on Friday. Reverberation of aerial firing continued frightening the locals. Booming noise created by loud speakers and stereo decks being played by the enthusiasts on their rooftops added to the miseries of citizens, especially the old and the sick.

Though the police netted around 100 people for violating the ban, most of them were later released allegedly after minting some money.

A girl, Lubna, of Amir Park was riding on motorbike along with her father Bilal when a stray kite-string cut her throat, leaving her seriously injured. She was taken to DHQ Hospital. Other injured, prominently boys of tender age, were also hospitalised.

GCCI: The Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has expressed concerns over increase in incidents of land grabbing and kidnapping for ransom and demanded a stern action against the culprits.

Participants of a meeting, presided over by GCCI president Riaz Mehmood Bajwa here on Friday, said that land grabbing mafia was occupying the lands of widows, orphans and the poor besides state land allegedly with the backing of police who instead of providing justice to the oppressed people were making some money.

They also expressed concerns over an increase of the incidents of kidnapping for ransom and demanded that corrupt and inefficient officials should be taken to task for not providing justice to the oppressed.