RAWALPINDI: Residents of the garrison city persist with kite flying despite the ban while the police come up with new tactics to keep a check on the practice.

The police are using ladders to climb onto rooftops and have tied blades to long cane sticks to bring down kites in the downtown areas.

Extra personnel were also called in from rural stations to assist in the enforcing the provincial ban on the selling and flying of kites.

Police officials deployed at check posts in all three government hospitals have been told to arrest those who are brought in with injuries sustained due to kite flying and plainclothes police personnel have been patrolling the downtown areas.

The police are also using search lights to spot kites in the dark.

Talking to Dawn, a senior police official said it would seem as if the police have nothing to do other than implement the ban on kite selling and flying.

A spokesperson for the police said more than 12 arrests have been made and that the police have seized several hundred kites during the ongoing operation in various parts of the city.

People continued to fly kites at night in Purana Qila, Arya Mohallah, Mohanpura, Amarpura, Asghar Mall, Naseerabad, Westridge, Misryal Road, Tench Bhatta and Mughalabad.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2018