LAHORE – Punjab Governor Latif Khosa’s dream of flying kites with PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and people’s hopes to celebrate basant were razed to the ground on Sunday when the Punjab government announced to uphold the ban on basant this year as well. Per reports, the Punjab government decided to keep intact Punjab Prohibition of Kite Flying Ordinance, 2001, later amended in 2007 and 2009, in line with the Supreme Court order for the safety and security of life and property of the people.
The ban on kite flying was lifted by the Supreme Court for 15 days some years ago, but was again enforced by then chief minister of Punjab Pervaiz Elahi after the expiry of the time period. On January 4, 2006, the provincial government lifted the ban for 24 hours, and on both occasions, more than 10 deaths and dozens of injuries were reported.
A PML-N senior leader told Pakistan Today that there were a number of reservations over kite flying and nobody, even the kite-flying associations, civil authorities and law enforcement agencies, had come up with assurances to make the festival safe and accident free.
