LAHORE: Lahore police arrested 10 suspected kite sellers and seized about 4,470 kites and 31 spools of banned string in a series of raids, as the city enforces a ban on trading kites outside the window officials have set for Basant 2027.
The largest haul came from Gulshan-e-Iqbal police, who arrested one man near the Fruit Market entry gate and recovered 2,200 kites and firecrackers hidden in three cartons. In New Anarkali, two suppliers were held with 2,000 ready-made kites and 20 spools of banned string as they arrived at the Ladies Market to make a delivery.
Kot Lakhpat police stopped two men on Kacha Jail Road with more than 100 kites concealed in a dog-food carton. In Shalimar, Gujjarpura and Mughalpura, five people were arrested with 170 kites and 11 spools; police said they made kites and delivered them through online orders.
Cases were registered under the Punjab Kite Flying Ordinance. Dolphin Squad SP Bilal Ahmed said there was zero tolerance for buying or selling kites and string before the authorised period, and that no person or vehicle could enter Lahore without a security check.
The government has allowed kite flying for Basant in a fixed window, recently moved to Jan 29 to Feb 7. Licensing has lagged: thousands of applications from kite makers were pending in September without a single licence issued, leaving traders who want to stock up early exposed to arrest.
Glass-coated and chemical string has killed motorcyclists and children over the years, which is why string remains the focus of enforcement even as the festival returns.
Leave a Reply