A Full Bench of the Supreme Court has imposed ban on kite flying, manufacturing and sale of kites and flying thread for a month, and observed that police and nazims will be responsible for implementation of the court orders.
The Bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday, Justice Syed Tassaduq Hussain Gillani and Justice Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmed, also advised the public to lodge complaints to Registrar Supreme Court if ban is violated by anyone.
The Bench held that, on a public complaint, the Court would initiate contempt of court proceedings against the violators.
The Court passed these orders in the course of suo motu proceedings initiated against kite flying which caused deaths of a number of innocent citizens.
The Chief Justice observed that loss of human life is the biggest loss and added that killing due to kite flying is a murder but unfortunately there is neither any evidence nor any specific person could be held responsible over the loss of human life.
The bench observed that government would have to act strictly against anti-social attitude of the people and have to get implemented the laws strictly against kite flying. The court further observed that although the society could not avoid kite flying, being an entertainment, but now it has hit human lives severely, therefore the government should not close its eyes.
A citizen Shahzad Sheikh produced his son Fahim Shahzad before the court whose voice has been lost due to a cut by thread in his neck. He requested the court to ban the kite flying. He said that his son has lost all the pleasures of his life only due to menace of kite flying.
The counsel of Wapda contended before the court that Wapda is facing loss of Rs one billion annually due to tripping. He said that there are different laws under which kite flying could be checked through strict implementation.