Permanent ban in case of more deaths: CM: Kite-flying

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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LAHORE, March 7: Announcing a province-wide crackdown on makers, sellers and users of dangerous twine, Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi said on Tuesday that kite flying would be banned permanently if more deaths were reported during the next five days.

He was speaking at a news conference where PML-N spokesman Farrukh Shah declared his change of heart and entry into the ruling party.

The chief minister who appointed Mr Shah as his media adviser, said he had ordered a province-wide crackdown against the makers, sellers and users of dangerous twine at a meeting on law and order earlier in the day.

“We will have to say goodbye to kite flying if killings of people by dangerous twine continue. Deaths due to a recreational activity cannot be allowed,” he said.

The chief minister said the ban would be imposed if more deaths were reported during the next four to five days. Asked if the damage already done during the past few days was not enough (for inviting a ban on the sport), he said “let us see the results of the crackdown ordered today.”

He hoped that no more people would be killed as a result of the campaign and said 350 people using, selling or preparing dangerous twine had already been arrested during the past few days.

The chief minister said it was decided in the meeting to constitute teams comprising local police and nazims of union councils for conducting raids. SHOs and SPs would be directly responsible for twine-related deaths in their areas of jurisdiction, he said.

He said after newspaper advertisements, the government had now decided to run a campaign against the dangerous twine on electronic media. Those informing police about the users, sellers or makers of the dangerous twine would be given a reward of Rs 25,000, he said.

A chemical twine making factory, according to him, had been busted in Kasur. “We fully share the grief of the affected families. We are giving pecuniary compensation to them even though no-one can compensate for the loss of a life,” he said.
http://www.dawn.com/2006/03/08/nat12.htm

What does this *** think he is…He is waiting for more people to die to make the decsion on kite klying. Pathetic leaders we have imposed on us. Is this how they value life. If we cannot have implementation of laws in our country and our judicial system lies in ruins, then does this nation deserve any kind of entertainment. Looks like a jungle out there. Last week a father while riding a motor bike in Lahore literally got the head of his daughter in his hands after a metal wire cut her throat apart.

These leaders will realize when their own son or daughter suffers in such a way. but again they live in palaces where such metal wires do not fall..

No matter how much I like Musharaf for the other things he has done I hate him for promoting all such festivals in the name of moderation. Shows his far sightedness. Those who are in Pakistan will undersatnd what I am saying. Those outside Pakistan start thinking about Pakistan from the media’s angle which in most cases is not accurate.

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Re: Permanent ban in case of more deaths: CM: Kite-flying

My friends. Don't hope that Perveez Ilahi is going to value life anymore than a dog. He is a mass killer and related to thieves of Pakistan who sell enormous amount of drugs in Pakistan. I mean Choudry brothers , they rob banks, sell drugs, kill people and rape inoocent women. You think he cares about the kite flying related death, he doesn't give a living squat. All he cares is the amount of money that is going in his pocket and the five days that has been given will be extended soon after an enormous amount of pressure from his rich friends who want to enjoy some more kite flying. Do you think he gives a crap about the people that will die, I doubt it.

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Re: Permanent ban in case of more deaths: CM: Kite-flying

President pulls the plug

Islamabad (PR) – Ahead of Punjab government’s announcement to ban Basant throughout the province, the PID clarified that President Musharraf will not participate in any Basant-related activity. The text of the statement is as follows: President Musharraf’s forthcoming visit to the City is an official visit. During the visit the President will not attend any Basant related function/ activity.

http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/mar-2006/10/index5.php

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**Basant banned **

LAHORE - The Punjab government has imposed complete ban on kite flying throughout the province for an indefinite period. It would be for the first time ever in the history that the annual Basant festival, which used to be celebrated in Lahore and many other cities of Punjab, would not be held. The event, which was to be celebrated on Saturday night and Sunday this week, would not be held. Those who participated in a series of basant debates earlier in the day were delighted. The families of the victims also heaved a sigh of relief. The kite dealers who were already facing a crackdown were left disappointed. The government announced the ban late in the evening while ironically Basant night was being celebrated at Sheikhupura and Faisalabad. There was a huge outcry against kite flying especially in recent days due to killing of innocent children and people by widespread illegal use of razor sharp string used in the sport. The public mood was also not in favour of grand celebration. If it would have been held it would have been without its usual lustre because the major players that had been promoting the event in recent years were showing little or no interest. Almost all the multinational companies, TV channels, banks and institutions that used to hold big Basant functions in the past had not organised any activity this year. Scores of JI workers also staged a protest demonstration in front of the office of a multi national company that was sponsoring a major Basant event in the city. The earthquake disaster that struck upcountry had made the mood of the whole nation somber.

The delay in holding the event by postponing it for a week also fuelled the uncertainty. Earlier Jashan-e-Baharan too was postponed and the major players were adopting a cautious approach. Most of them had started disassociating themselves from the event even before the ban was announced on Thursday night. The issue was the main debate in the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday and Thursday. The opposition was demanding a ban on the activity. There was a standoff on the issue and Law Minister Raja Basharat at first adamant had after succumbing to pressure on Thursday said he would discuss the issue with chief minister for final decision. Coming in the heels of nation wide protests by opposition political parties against the publication of sacrilegious cartoons in Europe and visit of US President George Bush, kite flying issue was also gaining political dimension. In a statement after the enforcement of ban Punjab Chief Minister Ch Pervaiz Elahi has said that the ban on kite flying on the occasion of Basant will be strictly enforced. He said that government made many appeals to the kite flyers and other stake holders not to use dangerous stuff but they paid no heed to these calls. “Resultantly the killing of children and innocent people continued and the government was forced to impose ban,” he said. The Chief minister said the programmes under Jashan-e-Baharan would continue. A number of foreigners and people from other cities have already arrived in city while others were on their way. They would be disappointed. The government had failed to gauge the gravity of the issue and acted in haste to lift the ban without first working on how to check violations.

http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/mar-2006/10/index1.php

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Re: Permanent ban in case of more deaths: CM: Kite-flying

Permanent ban in case of more deaths: CM: Kite-flying <<< Is this CM posting?

I doubt that the ban would be enforced well enough to keep people from kite flying during this event.

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Re: Permanent ban in case of more deaths: CM: Kite-flying

If kite-flying was banned to prevent any loss of life and property … it is a good news. :k:

If kite-flying was banned to appease political Mullahs (MMA and JUP) threatening strikes and violence … it is a bad news. :nook:

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^ Gotta be cuz of the casualties. Can't be cuz of the possible Islamic reasoning.

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I agree Sadiyah, I'm skeptical about the actual enforcement of the ban too.
I hope the govt realizes that mere lip service is not good enough.

They were showing yesterday on GeoTV that motorcycle riders are often slaughtered by the string so as a preventive measure all riders are using a thin rod connected to the handle going over the rider's head and connecting to the back holder which would keep away any string etc coming on. Smart measure.

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Many companies distanced themselves from "evil" festivities because the fact is that the cartoon controversy + the deaths due to the kite flying did jolt the nation. Every person I talked who at once supported basant was not too happy about it anymore.

At last they realized! Or is it more of a question of credibility of the kursi?

I remember when I was little, we used to celebrate basant (although it was wrong, but i was misguided at that time), but it was not "jashan e baharan" and did not have many negative things with it like today. Especially in the Lahore of today, it was celebrated in some places in the most unIslamic way possible. Women dancers in roof tops, mixing of men and women openly, waste of mone, so much pomp and show that one would fail to tell if it was a muslim country. On the other hand, those in Pakistan would agree that EID is losing its significance.

The point is that it was MUSH who very bravely and shamelessley promoted it on media and participated in it. Little did he realize(or maybe he did) that there are elements in this nation who get encouragement and want to turn this country into a country in the name of Shaitan! I clearly rembember his words on tv live when he said that "this basant is enlightened moderation and we wioll go ahead with it, no matter anybody like it or not. Those who do not like it should sit at home"

Why is our self imposed leader not far sighted enough to understand the negativities associated with it. Its not a drama running here, its a country he has to run, so why did he make these irresponsible decisions? I am nobody to make judgmnents, but I don't know if Allah will forgive him for the deaths that occured. Yes as head of state he is responsible for what happens in Pakistan! If Umar (ra) was making hismself responsible for a dog sleeping hungry than why do these devils not realize the value of life and its sanctity.

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Re: Permanent ban in case of more deaths: CM: Kite-flying

Dear brother, do not forget that in Pakistan there is no law, there is no justice and there is no court. Its law for the rich and influential. Its bitter but its true. In PAKISTAN there is no rule of law, so no matter how many times these rulers try to fool the world, every common man in Pakistan knows that rule of law hardly exists!

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Re: Permanent ban in case of more deaths: CM: Kite-flying

yea the safety rods. From what i heard from some people in Lahore is the "dor" is too sharp that its cutting the rods and through helmets as well. Dunno if anyone has heard the same??

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Presentation on Basant

http://www.alhudapk.com/audio-video/presentation/basant/basant.pps

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What a farce!

I was watching GEO news only to see how people still celebrated basant even with the whole banning ordeal. It was as if nothing had happened.

Although it may not be a big deal, but it clearly goes to show what sort of control and authority Pakistan government has on its people.

If they don't have what it takes to impose a ban on basant, I doubt that they'd be able to impose bans on bigger controversial (can't think of any at the moment) matters.

App Hoty tu kiya kehty:hmmm:
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Saadia sis, I also was annoyed at the Geo News thing..... but this time it wasn't as big but the media is bent on showing that it is still alive.... especially JEW News. On top of that even state owned ATV that you may not get in North America was turned yellow to show "JAshan e Baharan" celebrations.

The reality is that they are not sincere about banning it.

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Yousuf Salahudin the infamous party dude grandson of Allama Iqbal who celebrates Basant with the cream of Pakistani society each year at his old city haveli in Lahore was also invited to speak with Kamran Khan on the issue via phone on Geo. Apparently he was going to obey the restriction and not celebrate. I wonder...
He was critical of the govt and said banning is not the solution...I wonder what is...? an obvious response coming from many ppl is that it should be celebrated in open fields outside the city, it'll also bring a nice rural touch. But what to say of tradition and contingent interests...as Fakhr-e-Alam's popular song goes "ankh wi larrani aye te guddi we urrani aye", so getting on top of roofs and for various other purposes, is smthng that even death is unable to keep people away from.

And I think people remember they had celebrated Eids with 'saadgi' due to the earthquake...

Cursing for what ?! Sawaab ?
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Re: Permanent ban in case of more deaths: CM: Kite-flying

NYT article on the ban. Also states that 600 kite flyer arrests have been made for people using illegal string.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/11/international/asia/11kites.html

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Re: Permanent ban in case of more deaths: CM: Kite-flying

For everyone's information Kite flying was banned not basant or jashn-e-bharan, so if people celebrated without kite flying it was by no means a violation of law.

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Re: Permanent ban in case of more deaths: CM: Kite-flying

Boy falls to death while flying kite

By Our Staff Reporter
RAWALPINDI, March 12: A 12-year-old boy lost his life after falling from the rooftop of his house while flying a kite, while more than 15 people sustained injuries in kite flying-related incidents in different parts of the city on Sunday, police and hospital authorities said.

Muhammad Wasim, a resident of Muslim Town, Sadiqabad, was flying a kite on the rooftop of his house when he fell down. He received critical head injuries and was shifted to the Rawalpindi General Hospital where he died.

At least 10 people injured in kite flying-related incidents were brought to the Rawalpindi General Hospital on Sunday. Similarly, five cases were brought to the DHQ Hospital.

Since the Punjab government imposed a ban on kite-flying, three people have lost their life and over 225 sustained injures in Rawalpindi.

Meanwhile, a stray bullet fired by some kite enthusiast landed near some people taking tea at the canteen of Rawalpindi General Hospital.

In another such incident a man, identified as Khalil Ahmed, was injured after a stray bullet hit him in Kohati Bazaar. Though the Inspector General of Police, Ziaul Hassan Khan, has directed the DIGs and DPOs to launch a special drive against kite-flyers and those involved in firing, the local police have been unable to deal with them.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/03/13/nat3.htm

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Basant frenzy grips Lahore

By: Zaheer Mehmood Siddiqui

LAHORE, March 12: Lahorites and their guests, who came from all over the country and abroad, could not resist the temptation to fly kites after Saturday midnight and flouted the ban till sunset on Sunday.

This time round only one-third of the kites were seen on the skies compared to the shows in the last couple of years in the Walled City, Gowalmandi and on Nisbet Road areas. The situation in other parts of the Punjab capital was different.

The hide-and-seek between police and the kite buffs continued till 2am on Sunday during which cellular phones were used to alert friends and relatives to a raid.

It seemed that the fireworks show at the three famous havelis where dinner receptions, musical and dance parties for the elite were arranged on Saturday night, motivated people to come to their rooftops as a number of enthusiasts restored to firing in the air in Walled City areas soon after it.

With a break from 4.30am to around 11am, the kite enthusiasts remained busy in shouting “Bo Kata” till they bade farewell to the festival by flying big kites of up to 10 taawa, exploding fireworks and restoring to aerial firing at sunset on Sunday.

Reports of use of loudspeakers, drums and pressure horns, and aerial firing poured in from localities like Shadbagh, Mahmood Booti, Wassanpura, Baghbanpura, Singhpura, Chamra Mandi, Tezab Ahata, Faiz Bagh, Misri Shah and Badami Bagh besides Sanda, Ichhra, Sabzazar, Gulshan-i-Ravi, Nawankot, Sherakot, areas across the Bund Road, Samanabad, Iqbal Town, Faisal Town and parts of Township and Green Town.

A good number of people were seen on their rooftops in these localities, especially in the afternoon in spite of the cloudy weather and a nip in the air.

People also started thronging recreational parks, especially the Racecourse Park, where Jashan-i-Baharan had been organised in the afternoon. The Gulshan-i-Iqbal and Bagh-i-Jinnah, too, had more visitors than they have on Sundays and other holidays.

Bread vendors on Wahdat Road and at Ichhra and Mozang said orders for qeemaywala and roghni naan were as these used to be on every Basant in the last couple of years.

All shutters in the two wholesale markets of kites and thread in Mochi Gate and Baghbanpura remained down. A majority of traders in streets and minor arteries of the city had removed the stock from their shops but were supplying the kites and thread, wrapped in bedsheets, to their permanent customers and acquaintances.

Aerial firing and use of metal wire by kite flyers resulted in power breakdowns, followed by water supply suspension in many parts of the city, especially in northern Lahore areas.

The Lesco authorities reported a total of 2,410 trippings during the last 24 hours.

“There were 150 minor trippings daily on an average in the city before the lifting of the ban. The system suffered a total of 1,825 minor and 49 major trippings on Sunday alone which caused a loss of Rs420 million to the system,” a Lesco spokesman said late in the evening.

“The loss to the electronic goods owing to power breakdowns and trippings must be in millions,” he said.

Last Sunday, the system suffered a total of 2,100 trippings, causing a loss of Rs390 million, he said.

Power supply remained suspended for less than 20 minutes in minor and from two to four hours in major trippings, the latter involving 132-KV grids which was very dangerous for the system, said the Lesco spokesman.

The Supreme Court had on Dec 9 prohibited kite flying and ordered the closure of the related business in view of the deaths of people caused by razor-sharp twine or metal wire, mainly in Lahore.

The ban on production, sale and flying of kites was formally lifted by the CDGL on Feb 25 initially for 14 days under the directions of the apex court. The CDGL issued licences for manufacture and sale of kites under the provisions of the Punjab Dangerous Kite-flying Prohibition Ordinance.

The licences were to become invalid on March 15, following an extension granted by the apex court on the request of the Punjab government. The chief minister had on March 10 reimposed the ban for an indefinite period.

Around 550 people have lost their lives since 1995 in related incidents.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/03/13/nat7.htm

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Re: Permanent ban in case of more deaths: CM: Kite-flying

Fantastic, thanks for the clarification.

Therefore, it's only the kites that have been banned and not the festival itself. Very interesting.

Anyway, sad that so many innocent people have lost their lives, especially the little kids. It's far better to fly kites in open areas and parks than on terraces. The innocent lives lost aren't worth flying kites on terraces.