Police start detaining habitual kite flyers.

RAWALPINDI -- The police, after registering 858 cases against kite sellers and flyers since they began their crackdown to end kite flying, have now started detaining habitual kite flyers and those who have previously been apprehended in similar cases for 15 to 30 days under section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order.

A police spokesman said that police have begun detaining kite flyers and sellers for 15 to 30 days depending upon their involvement in violating the government ban on kite flying, instead of registration of first information reports (FIRs) against them as they are just bailed out and start flying kites again.

He said that those detained also include people who are habitual kite flyers and had been arrested previously on similar charges.

The spokesman said that 38 people have been detained so far.

He said that police have registered 868 FIRs and arrested the same number of people since Feb 19, 2023, while 67 cases related to firing had been registered and 55 people arrested till March 3, 2023.

Kite flying and firing has significantly dropped, and police observed that the change in policy from arrest to detention has been more effective.

The Punjab chief minister has already taken notice of unchecked kite flying and firing in Rawalpindi on an unannounced Basant day on Feb 24, 2024 which left three people dead and over 50 injured.

Two of those who lost their lives...