RAWALPINDI: Basant was celebrated in different areas of the Rawalpindi Cantonment despite a ban, while police arrested 48 kite flyers and sellers and recovered thousands of kites and kite flying string rolls.
According to a police spokesman, Rawalpindi police arrested 21 on Friday and 27 violators were rounded up on Thursday night during the crackdown.
Police had made it clear that kite flying was banned and strict action would be taken against the violators, but the enthusiasts celebrated the Basant night on Thursday and Friday without fearing the consequences.
The Rawalpindi Kite Flying Association said: “We have banned the use of metal strings and aerial firing during Basant. There is no justification to ban Basant anymore.”
Kite sellers also sold kites on black market and delivered kites to people in vehicles with tinted windows.
Basant festivity was seen in different areas, including Tench Bhatta, Peoples Colony, Dhok Syedan, Dhok Chirag Din, Dhok Chaudhary, Lal Kurti, Tariqabad, Rahimabad, Tahmaspabad, Gulistan Colony, Adara, Girja, Chauhar Harpal, Dhok Mastiq, Gawalmandi, Daryaabad and other areas.
In several areas, particularly in the old city, police faced great difficulty in arresting kite flyers.
Rawalpindi police, on the directives of City Police Officer (CPO) Syed Khalid Mehmood Hamdani, continued a special crackdown against kite sellers and flyers on Friday.
The spokesman said all police stations of the cities had been directed to accelerate the ongoing operations against kite-flying ban violators while special teams under the supervision of senior police officers were also conducting raids in different areas.
Superintendent of Police, Potohar Muhammad Waqas Khan said that all available resources were being utilized to deal with kite flying.
He said Police under the supervision of Senior Superintendent of Police, Investigation, Zunaira Azfar on Thursday conducted a flag march in Potohar Division to curb kite flying.
SP Potohar Muhammad Waqas Khan, Divisional SDPOs, SHOs, Elite Force, Traffic Police, and Dolphin Squad participated in the flag march, he added.
SSP Zunaira Azfar said the police have conducted a flag march in different areas of Potohar Division to maintain law and order and to warn the kite flyers and those involved in the aerial firing.
The flag march started from SP Potohar Town Office and culminated at starting point after passing through Katcheri Chowk, Chungi Number 22, Bakra Mandi, Dhoke Syedan, Baraf Khana Chowk, Peoples Colony Morr, Akhri Stop, Aadra, Wasim Market, Boher Mosque and Qasae Chowk.
The spokesman said flag marches were being conducted in various areas to make the security plan more effective and added that strict vigilance would be maintained like in previous years to maintain law and order in the city and to curb the dangerous kite flying.
