http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/11/international/asia/11kites.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Spring Is Near, but the Traditional Welcoming Kites of Lahore Are Grounded
QUETTA, Pakistan, March 10 — For the first time in memory, no kites will flutter in the Lahore sky for the boisterous spring festival known as Basant, which this year falls on Sunday.
But I guess it’s still okay to shoot off a few magazines of your AK everytime you have a good meal.
Re: Ha ha..
Good...With the money saved, the Punjab government can spend building a couple of schools in some backward pind...That is worthwhile in the long run...
Re: Ha ha..
How does the government save money by banning it?
Re: Ha ha..
http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,30000-13513490,00.html
More than 1,400 people have been arrested in Pakistan for violent kite-flying.
The arrests happened in a three-day crackdown at an annual festival held across the east of the country.
A kite-flying ban was imposed in the Punjab province on Thursday after seven people died in the lead up to the Basant festival.
The victims were slashed by kite strings that had been reinforced with wire or glass fibre.
Police spokesman Malik Munir Ahmed said at least 1,430 people have been detained since Friday.
The arrests were mostly for flying kites but also for firing celebratory gunshots into the air and playing loud music.
About 800 were arrested in the provincial capital Lahore, and the rest in other parts of Punjab. They face fines or jail terms of up to six months.
The mayor of Lahore defended the ban, saying it helped prevent deaths.
Mian Amir Mahmood said: “Last year 19 people died on Basant day. No one has died this year”. Basant day was the final day of the weekend festival.
Police raided homes where kites were seen flying from backyards.
Some kite fliers cut their strings as police approached and denied they had defied the ban, witnesses said.
%between%
Re: Ha ha..
The schools are already there in backward pinds ... they are called '**Ghost schools'* ..*
Ghosts teacher teach little angels, as all the young and talented, educated lot has already found jobs in foreign land or they are pursuing greener pastures..
The money will be wisely spent on the proposed 60% increment in the salary and allownses of MPA / MNAs
Re: Ha ha..
The causalities are unfortunate and my heart goes out to the victims and their families but you have to take chances in life, there is danger in everything, if it’s your time you’ll die crossing the road instead, you can’t have people walking around in space suits.
Pakistan is becoming a ninny state where leaders dictate everything, how much food to serve at weddings, not to fly kites, next they’ll be telling people when to go for a slash.
Kite flying is a fun sport and Bahaar/Basant/Spring is the best season for it.
Kite flying during spring has become a Pakistani and Lahori tradition, it is culture, it needs to be preseved so that when Faruk is in Pakistan he can participate.
Damn the murda dil bureaucracy!!!!