KITE makers and kite flyers appear to be high on the hit list of the Lahore and Punjab police. They want stricter punishment to control a surge in the numbers of those who cannot stay away from the ‘horror’ sport. In the second week of July, Lahore’s CCPO wrote a letter to the IGP Punjab giving some eye-opening figures regarding the violation of rules to keep kite-flying in check. These curbs have progressively been tightened since the passage of the Punjab Prohibition of Kite Flying Act. There has been a sudden increase in cases this year. In Lahore, there were 3,000 cases registered in 2019, as opposed to well over 8,000 in the first six months of 2020. It is obvious that confined to one’s home for several months because of Covid-19, revellers have thrown caution to the winds; unfortunately, there have been accidents, some of them fatal, where individuals have been injured by the sharp kite string. The CCPO had stated in the letter that the punishment for kite makers had to be enhanced to arrest the worrisome trend. The IGP has now requested the provincial government to amend the act so that it can prove an effective deterrent.

The recommendations sent in a letter to the additional home secretary propose a punishment of up to five years or Rs2m or both for kite and string manufacturers. At present, the ceiling stands at one year and Rs100,000. Yes, a kite in hand could set someone back by as much as Rs2m. But if someone is still persisting with kite flying, it cannot be simply put down to the power of passion. It is also an issue of lax law enforcement. Having said that, after all these years, they are many who do not see all kites as the harbingers of evil. The police, if they are well connected with the local community, should be able to curtail the supply of those that are dangerous, sending a message to manufacturers to check for safety before promoting their ware.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2020