LAHORE, March 4: Many kite sport enthusiasts were seen flying kites, a banned sport, on Sunday while police claimed to have arrested 227 people on charges of violating kite flying laws and seized 450 kites and 300 rolls of string from them.

According to a police handout, police led by divisional superintendents of police patrolled their areas and three monitoring squads led by the SP (Security) also monitored the working of police teams.

Iqbal Town police division arrested 30 violators, Ravi Town division 40, Mughalpura division 32, City division 30, Sadar division 28, Cantt division 24, Model Town division 12, Kot Lakhpat division eight and Civil Lines division five.

Dawn observed that kites were back in the sky in several areas of the city despite strict directives from the operations police chief to field officers to prevent the practice.

No human loss or injury was reported from any part of the city.

Kites were flown in Johar Town, Faisal Town, Township, R.A Bazaar, Nishat Colony, Old Nawankot, Gulshan Ravi, Gulshan Iqbal, Old Anarkali, Walton Road, Mozang, Model Town and Model Town Extension.

“I have collected two stray kites and have not seen any police official to check kite sport,” said Abbas.

INJURED: An employee of the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited was injured when the string of a stray kite cut his throat in Model Town on Saturday evening.

Zahoor Ahmed told this reporter by phone that his paternal uncle Fazal Ahmed Khan, a resident of 564-Q Block, was going on his official motorcycle when the string cut his jacket and later his throat near his house.

He said Fazal, who also became the victim of a stray string last year, received a minor injury.

Zahoor appealed to the government to stop this deadly game and take strict action against the violators.