LAHORE: Kite industry has the potential to earn millions of dollars of foreign exchange as Pakistani kites are gaining immense popularity in Saudi Arabia, UAE, UK, United States, Canada and various other countries.
Chief Minister Punjab Syed Mohsin Naqvi and Governor Punjab Muhammad Balighur Rehman are requested to help revive this sector as the ban is imposed only in Punjab. Pakistani kites are being exported from KPK and Sindh in bulk quantity.
Little attention and few safety measures would not only ensure immediate employment for over 1.5 million people but would also attract again those lost tourists who were used to visit Pakistan just to participate in the kite flying festival.
Founder of kite flying festival Khawaja Nadeem Saeed Wayen said “Pakistan can have over one million foreign tourists annually, employment of over 1.5 million people only in Lahore circulation of billions of rupees by taking just a few safety measures including just a rod on motorbikes”. Representatives of stakeholders including Prince Ehtisham Khan, Saleh Zia, and Sheikh Irfan, Haji Hamid, Malik Nadeem, Gosha, Tayyab Lal and others were present in the meeting.
Khawaja Nadeem said that the kite flying festival in Pakistan was become one of the most popular events in the world as millions of tourists were used to visit Pakistan to participate instead of taking safety and corrective measures, the entire kite industry was killed with a one stroke of pen. He lamented that the ban on kite industry and associated festivals forced millions of people for starvation and a noteable number adopted begging for bread and butter.
Prince Ehtisham Khan in his remarks said that imagine a clear sky, adorned with vibrant kites dancing in the wind, as people gathered to celebrate a centuries-old tradition. The Kite Flying Festival holds a special place in many cultures, symbolizing freedom, joy, and the pursuit of dreams. But beyond its colorful spectacle, this ancient practice carries a deeper economic significance that often goes unnoticed.
“The Punjab government appealed to review the ban on kite making and allow people to continue the business so that kites and string could be exported to earn much needed foreign exchange,” Khawaja Nadeem said. “Kite making had become an industry which provided employment to women who worked at their homes. The women and their families are starving after the ban on the kite flying festival,” he added.
He said no doubt, kite flying caused deaths in a number of areas but the ban was not an answer, rather the government should dedicate special zones around the city for kite flying. He said around 1.5 million people in Punjab are associated with the kite flying industry who had lost employment.
He appealed Punjab Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi and Governor Punjab Muhammad Balighur Rehman to form a committee including representatives of public and the private sector for the proposed kite city or kite flying zone.
He said “The Punjab government should establish a safe place outside Lahore that would not only restore the employment of millions of people but also undo the negative image of the country. He said the move would promote tourism and also attract foreign investment in the province.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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