Pakistan imposes kite flying ban

[Cully]

LAHORE, Pakistan (CP) - The death of a four-year-old boy whose throat was slit by the glass-coated string of a low-flying kite has prompted authorities to forbid kite-flying in eastern Pakistan.

The ban, announced by the Punjab provincial government late Thursday, will take the wind out of this weekend's Basant festival, when Lahorites celebrate the coming of spring by flying thousands of colourful kites over the city.

It seems an innocent pastime, but some kite fliers reinforce strings with wire or ground glass for duelling other kites and betting on who wins. When strings cross in the congested sky, competitors attempt to cut loose the opponent's kite.

A similar competition is a central event in The Kite Runner, a popular novel by Afghani author Khaled Hosseini.

Seven people, including two children and a college student, have died in accidents involving such kite strings in Lahore in the last two weeks, all them as they rode on motorbikes. Outraged citizens have staged small protests, burning piles of kites and demanding authorities take action.

"I saw my son dying helplessly," said Mohammed Rizwan, father of four-year-old Shayan Ahmad who was killed Tuesday. "My son's death has ruined my life."

Shayan was sitting on the fuel tank of his father's bike as they rode together through the upscale Gulberg neighbourhood. The kite string caught Shayan in the throat and the bleeding boy collapsed in his father's lap. He died before they could reach a hospital.

Police have registered a murder case against the unidentified kite flier but apparently have no leads as to who it was.

Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, the top elected official in Punjab, announced the kite ban for an indefinite period after meeting with the boy's father.

A similar ban was ordered by the Lahore High Court two years ago after a stream of similar accidents, despite opposition from kite manufacturers who claimed that thousands of people could lose their jobs. The ruling was upheld in late 2005 by the Supreme Court but to little effect.

At least 19 people died and 200 were injured in February last year, before and during Basant.

Police now are vowing to enforce the ban strictly. They arrested 74 people Friday, including 22 shop owners, for selling or flying kites after the ban was announced, said Police Chief Amir Zulifquar.

Most Lahorites welcomed the ban, although it will likely take some of the fun and colour out of Basant, one of the city's most popular festivals, due to start Saturday night.

People usually crowd streets, parks and roof tops to fly kites, listen to music and party. Hardline Muslims, however, oppose it as a waste of money and consider it a Hindu festival. Basant means "yellow" in the Hindi language, and women often wear yellow dresses during the celebrations.

Tufail Ahmad, 35, praised the government for the ban. "It should have been done much earlier," he said.

Anis Ahmed, a university student, said authorities were depriving people of a centuries-old sport. "It should have allowed kite-flying at parks, instead banning it," he said, but added he opposed the use of sharp kite strings.

Police have arrested 1,100 people since March 5 for selling or manufacturing glass and chemical-coated kite string, said Khwaja Khalid Farooq, a senior Lahore police superintendent.

[Lazlo]

First kites, then bubbles.