RAWALPINDI: Police has chalked out a comprehensive plan to monitor kite flying and firing in the air with deployment of 2,500 police personnel in different parts of the city on Friday as people prepare to celebrate Basant.

Besides deployment of extra police personnel, the police will be using drones along with high-powered cameras to monitor activities in the city.

A police spokesman said about 2,500 police personnel will be deployed in the city on Friday to implement the government ban on kite selling and flying. Around 135 police teams, 30 dolphin squads, 35 Muhafiz squads, 10 Elite sections along with 280 police personnel will be present on rooftops of buildings.

He said strict legal action will be initiated against those found violating the government ban on kite flying, adding, owners of buildings from where kites are seen being flown will be arrested.

Once an FIR is registered against any individual, he will have to face difficulty in the future, he added.

City Police Officer (CPO) Mohammad Ahsan Younis said kite flying is a deadly sport and citizens should avoid it for their safety.

Police crackdown against kite flyers and sellers continues across the district and several arrests have been made on Thursday, he added.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2021