LAHORE: A young Dolphin Squad official died after string of a stray kite slit open his throat in Nishtar area here on Saturday.

Identified as Safdar Ali, the constable was going back to his home in Barki area on a motorbike after completing his duty when the string of the kite entangled around his neck.

An official said as the motorbike was moving fast, the string left a deep cut on the neck and he died on the spot.

Some passersby alerted the police when they found Safdar in a pool of blood near Ring Road, he said, adding that a Rescue 1122 ambulance rushed him to hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.

The police later lodged a case against unidentified person(s) for violating kite flying law on the complaint of Safdar’s brother Mohammad Isriail.

Funeral prayers for the deceased at the Dolphin Squad headquarters were offered by senior police officers of Lahore besides his relatives and family members.

He was later buried in the local graveyard near his residence.According to a handout, Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has expressed a deep sense of sorrow and grief over the demise of the Dolphin official.

The chief minister extended heartfelt sympathies and condoled with the bereaved family members and sought a report from the CCPO Lahore.

Buzdar has directed to initiate legal action against the responsible.

The chief minister while expressing displeasure on the incidents of kite flying directed that ban on kite flying should strictly be implemented. He said despite clear instructions happening of such incidents is a serious negligence in implementing the ban on kite flying.

He said every possible step should be taken to prevent such incidents in future.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2020