RAWALPINDI: Police have arrested kite ban violators during a crackdown after the provincial government decided not to restore the Basant festival.

Police also seized over 120,000 kites, more than 300 string rolls, kite flying material, sound systems, arms and ammunition from the possession of the arrested people.

Drones and other cameras were used by the police to trace violators of the ban from the rooftops of houses, plazas, hotels and buildings.

The Racecourse police detained 66 people with 3,450 kites, 125 string rolls and two sound systems, Civil Lines police held 28 people with 1,582 kites, 53 string rolls, four pistols, while Naseerabad police rounded up 13 persons and recovered 82 kites, 13 string rolls.

Six persons were held with with 170 kites, five string rolls, two 30-bore pistols with ammunition by R.A. Bazaar police. The Airport police took into custody four people along with 250 kites and five string rolls and Cantt police held two persons and recovered 200 kites and six string rolls from them.

Meanwhile, Ganjmandi police held six violators with 549 kites and nine string rolls, New Town police two lawbreakers and recovered 10 kites and one string roll, Ratta Amral police held three persons and recovered 334 kites and three string rolls, Waris Khan police apprehended two men and recovered 45 kites and two string rolls, Saddar Berooni police picked five people with 135 kites and two string rolls.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2021