Punjab has imposed a complete ban on kite flying across the province ahead of Basant.
In this regard, on Tuesday, the Punjab Assembly passed the amended Kite Flying Prohibition Act 2024.
The resolution was moved by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA, Hina Parvez Butt. The resolution expressed concerns about the increasing incidents of stray kite strings in the province.
The ban includes “transporting kites, metal wires, nylon cords, or any thread covered with sharp mannjha or other harmful materials used for kite flying.”
The new rule states that people caught flying kites could be sent to jail for three to five years, fined Rs2 million, or both. Not paying the fine might lead to another year in jail.
Kite makers and transporters will go to jail for five to seven years, a fine of Rs5 million, or both. Not paying this fine could result in another two years in jail.
The new law includes specific punishments for kids who are found flying kites. For the first crime, they will be fined Rs50,000. For the second offence, the fine will be Rs100,000. A third crime will lead to punishment under the Juvenile Justice System Act 2018, which could include jail time.
In March of last year, a bicyclist died in Faisalabad when a metal string, thought to be from a stray kite, cut his throat. After the incident, Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz ordered action against those who were kite flying.
Celebration of Basant in Pakistan
Basant is a very colourful and popular holiday in Pakistan, especially in Punjab. A couple of years ago, the provincial government banned the kite event in Punjab because there was an increase in deaths caused by chemical-coated twine.
In 2005, the Supreme Court had also banned the festival over deaths caused by the use of sharp and glass coated strings. Several petitions challenging the ban were dismissed by the court.
