ISLAMABAD – A Police Officer in Pakistani federal capital Islamabad openly threatened kite flyers with violent action including beating them in public with shoes and demolishing their homes.
A clip of SHO Secretariat Ashfaq Warraich went viral online, showing him making announcement via a mosque’s loudspeaker about kite flying. Warraich openly threatened to file cases against parents of any children caught flying kites and to publicly beat them with shoes. The fiery cop also warned to demolish houses of kite flyers.
The extreme statement comes amid police’s struggle to control kite flying in the region, which has been a growing concern. In his address, Warraich called kite flying a deadly game that poses risk to life and urged parents to prevent their children from participating in activity. He further emphasized need for greater community awareness of the dangers involved.
The clip also sparked widespread criticism, with many questioning the legality of Warraich’s proposed actions. Legal eagles were quick to respond to his statement, calling it crime and suggested that both disciplinary action and legal consequences could follow.
Recent deaths caused by sharp glass-coated kite strings in Pakistan further hindered the possibility of reviving the Basant festival. Scores of people lost their lives in Lahore and Faisalabad, leading to a police crackdown on kite flying and the sale of dangerous kite strings. Despite the ban on kite flying, accidents continue to report due to deadly practices.
