RAWALPINDI: Despite police efforts to enforce the ban on kite flying in the garrison city, a five-year-old boy suffered critical neck injuries after being struck by a metal kite string.

His mother and elder brother also sustained cuts while trying to save him in Chaklala Scheme III.

Meanwhile, two more victims of flying kite strings were brought to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) on Thursday with cuts on their fingers. One was identified as Hassan, 13, and the other as Anas, 17. The boy injured in the Chaklala Scheme III incident received 25 stitches in his neck, while his elder brother’s five fingers were also treated.

“Abu Bakar is stable, but a bit terrified,” one of his relatives told Dawn.

Usman Ali with his sister Madiha and her children Danyal, 7, and Abu Bakar, 5, were going to their father’s house in Chaklala from Gulistan Colony on their motorcycle at about 5:30pm.

Mohammad Akram, brother of Usman Ali, said in the FIR registered with the Chaklala police that while they were passing through the Leh bridge, a metal kite string struck the neck of Abu Bakar, who was sitting in front of the driver on the bike. His mother and elder brother got injuries on their hands while pushing away the metal string. The child was taken to a nearby private hospital on High Court Road from where he was sent to the DHQ hospital as it was a police case.

A paramedical staff at the private hospital told Dawn that the child had sustained deep cuts, but his condition was out of danger.

His further said in the FIR that his seven-year-old nephew Danyal was also injured after being struck by the metal kite string while saving his younger brother,

Senior police officials visited the victim’s family and recorded the statement of the injured boy’s mother. They also presented bouquets to the boy and prayed for his early recovery.

In line with the complaint, the police registered a case under section 324 of Pakistan Penal Code (attempt to commit qatl-i-amd, intentional murder), and the Punjab Prohibition of Kite Flying Ordinance 2001-4.

A police spokesman said following the incident in which two children were injured, an investigation had been launched.

The CPO has ordered to further intensify the crackdown on kite flying and said during the past one month 346 cases were registered against kite suppliers and people involved in kite flying and 397 suspects were arrested.

More than 97,000 kites and 1,200 strings were recovered from the detainees.

Kite flying has been declared a non-bailable crime. People involved in bloody games like kite flying cannot escape the clutches of the law, he added. The police have intensified patrolling in the city areas and are using drones to identify kite flyers and sellers. In addition, announcements were also being made from mosques regarding the ban on kite flying.

On the other hand, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has taken notice of the incident in Rawalpindi and sought a detailed report from the commissioner Rawalpindi.

A statement issued by the Punjab government said that the chief minister reiterated that Basant will be celebrated only in Lahore, while kite flying remains strictly banned across the rest of Punjab. She said the use of prohibited and dangerous kite strings must not be allowed to turn a festival of happiness into a tragedy.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2026