LAHORE, April 29: The Punjab government has finally re-promulgated the Prohibition of Kite Flying (Amendment) Ordinance 2007.

The ordinance has been promulgated one week after its expiry date of April 20.

The government had on Jan 20 promulgated the ordinance to curtail dangerous kite flying and allied business, and to organise Basant.

It was tabled in the Punjab assembly. But it lapsed on April 20 before the assembly could adopt it.

“The ordinance has been re-promulgated on April 27,” official sources told Dawn here on Sunday. They attributed the delay to procedural bottlenecks in the Governor’s House where the ordinance was sent for final approval.

They said since the law did not exist from April 21 to April 27, the gap was naturally covered by a previous ordinance promulgated by the provincial government in 2001 to just disallow usage of nylon twine and metallic wire.

The Punjab Prohibition of Kite Flying (Amendment) Ordinance 2007 was promulgated in view of killing of people after the slitting of their throats by sharp twine and a strict notice taken by the Supreme Court.

Except for a few days around Basant, it permanently bans kite flying and the allied business in Punjab. It contains several measures to make the sport and its allied business people-friendly, and enhanced punishments for its violations during the limited allowed period.