LHC seeks details from govt on kite-flying ban

Staff Report

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the Punjab government on Wednesday to provide details of measures adopted by it to implement a ban imposed by the Supreme Court on the manufacture, trade and flying of kites in the province.

Justice Mian Mohammad Najamuzzaman gave the directions on a petition by the Lawyers’ Welfare Association.

The judge also directed the petitioner’s counsel Mohammad Azhar to submit proposals for the implementation of the ban.

Azhar said that the petitioner had sought steps taken by the provincial government to implement the ban, while the government had responded by filing a report about the people killed and injured when the ban was temporarily lifted for Basant. This reply did not meet the petitioner’s requirements and it was irrelevant to the proceedings, he said.

The petition had requested the court to strike down the provisions of the ordinance inconsistent with the ban. Azhar said that the relaxation of the ban for a certain period, as during Basant, could not be allowed because such a provision “gave legitimacy to an otherwise illegal activity”.

Azhar said that it had been reported that 861 people died in kite-flying related accidents from 2002 to the first quarter of 2006. This proved that the ordinance was a threat to the people’s lives, he said.

The petitioner also sought the registration of cases against the Punjab inspector general (IG) of police, the deputy IG, the Lahore district nazim, all Lahore town nazims and Kite Dealers’ and Manufacturers’ Association for failing to comply with the Supreme Court’s order.

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