Children flouting kite flying law will be fined heavily

Published January 28, 2026
Undated image shows citizens fly kites in Rawalpindi’s Chittian Hattian area. — Photo by Mohammad Asim/File
Undated image shows citizens fly kites in Rawalpindi’s Chittian Hattian area. — Photo by Mohammad Asim/File

LAHORE: The children who will be found involved in flouting the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Ordinance-2025 will be tried under the provisions of the Juvenile Justice System Act-2018.

The children, if found guilty of flouting the ordinance, would be punished with a fine of Rs50,000 for the first offence and Rs100,000 on account of repeating the same offence, the ordinance says.

On the other hand, the government will award cash prizes to whistle-blowers who will provide information about those flouting the regulations, Dawn has learnt.

According to the ordinance, if a child (below the age of 18), contravenes the provision of sub-section-1 (commits or abets an act of kite flying) shall be tried in accordance with the provisions of the Juvenile Justice System Act-2018.

The fine will be recovered from parents as land revenue arrears

“If a child is punished and [is] unable to pay the fine, it shall be recoverable from his parents or guardians, as the case may be, it shall be recoverable as arrears of land revenue,” reads the ordinance.

According to Section-12 (1) titled “Reward to Whistle-blower,” the commissioner, on the recommendation of the deputy commissioner, may sanction reward (not exceeding Rs5,000) to the whistle-blower (person who, in the public interest, discloses commission of any offence under the ordinance) providing credible information to the DC concerned about the commission of any offence under the ordinance.

However, under sub-section 2, the whistle-blower shall not be entitled to reward under sub-section (1), if the information provided is of no value, or the DC concerned already has such information.

The ordinance, “under statement of objects and reasons” generally prohibits kite flying across Punjab, but it also empowers the government to allow permissible kite flying under a regulatory framework at specific places and days. Besides, it provides for registration of manufacturers, traders and sellers of permissible kite flying material, as well as that of kite flying associations.

The ordinance also provides for punishments to deter people who may act in contravention of the provisions of the ordinance. “It also provides [for] whistle-blowers in identifying the miscreants involved in violation of the provisions of the ordinance,” the ordinance reads.

It empowers the DCs to cancel registration of a person or kite flying association registered under section 5 or 7, in case of contravention of any provision of the ordinance, rules or regulations.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2026

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