RAWALPINDI: City Police Officer (CPO) Rawalpindi Muhammad Ahsan Younas has said, kite flying ban violators would be dealt with an iron hand and no one would be spared. He said, no one would be allowed to celebrate ‘Basant’ in the city.

The CPO said, directives have been issued to the police officers to take strict action against the kite flyers and kite sellers. He said, special teams have been formed to net the kite flying ban violators. He said ban on kite flying was being strictly implemented adding, all the Station House Officers (SHOs) would be responsible for kite flying in their areas. He said, the policemen have been directed to launch crackdown against the violators including those involved in aerial firing and fireworks without any discrimination.

According to a police spokesman, during this season police have seized nearly 55,000 kites along with thousands metal strings and sent 118 kites sellers and flyers behind bars.

To implement ban of kite flying imposed by the Punjab government, Rawalpindi Police were cautiously conducting raids against kite dealers and flyers across the district, he added.

Following the directives of City Police Officer (CPO) Rawalpindi Muhammad Ahsan Younas, Police launched crackdown on the people involved in kite selling and flying and recovered over 51,000 kites and 3141 kite flying string rolls from the possession of 107 accused netted from different areas during January, he said. He informed that Rawalpindi police had launched an operation to implement the ban and rounded up kite sellers and flyers. He said, Potohar division police arrested 54 accused and recovered over 27,000 kites and 741 string rolls while Saddar Division police rounded up 15 besides seizing 4,000 kites and 400 string rolls.