HARIPUR: The district administration on Thursday banned the selling and flying of kites here for the next two months. The “sale and purchase of kites, chemical and ordinary thread used for kite flying, and the flying of kites” has been banned under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in the limits of Haripur district for the next 60 days, according to a notification issued by the office of deputy commissioner Khan Mohammad.

The development comes after the frequent incidents of kite flyers, especially children, falling from roofs and suffering injuries in different parts of the district.

COMPLAINTS DISPOSED OF: The district consumer and commercial disputes court in Haripur has disposed of 3,274 complaints since its establishment eight years ago, its registrar said here on Thursday.

The registrar told reporters that the district consumer court was set up on Oct 12, 2015, to provide relief to consumers.

“Until Feb 15, 2024, our consumer court received 3,451 complaints, which were mostly against the Peshawar Electric Supply Company, government and private entities, and consumer outlets, and in the public interest. It disposed of 3,274 complaints and imposed a total fine of Rs1.5 million on the violators of consumer rights,” he said.

The registrar also said that the court received 867 complaints last year and decided 891 of them, including pending ones.

He said that in Jan 2024, 59 consumers approached the court, while 236 complaints were from the backlog.

“The consumer court disposed of 79 complaints in January,” he said.

The registrar urged the people to file complaints about consumer rights and commercial disputes with the consumer court for quick disposal.

He said that the purpose of the court’s establishment eight years ago was to protect consumer rights in the district.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2024