No chances of Basant again

LAHORE – The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led Punjab government is not in a mood to lift the ban on Basant and likely to keep intact the Punjab Prohibition of Kite Flying Ordinance 2001, amended in 2007 and 2009 in line with Supreme Court orders for safety and security of life and property of people.
A senior PML-N leader told Pakistan Today that a lot of threats are involved in kite-flying and nobody including kite-flying associations, civil authorities and law enforcement agencies had come up with assurances to make the festival safe and sound. Some party leaders told PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif that if anyone died during Basant, the PML-N and its government would be held responsible. “It would be like putting one’s hand in a hornet net for nothing,” he quoted some party leaders as saying.
Another source at Raiwind said that during an informal meeting, Nawaz asked about repercussions of relaxing the ban on kite flying on which legal experts did not rule out the possibility of filing of writ petitions against the PML-N and Punjab government for allowing kite flying. It was also observed that the Punjab government had submitted a report in court that allowing kite flying would be against the public interest.
Around 18 people were killed and 24 others injured in incidents related to kite flying during 2006-09, the report said, adding that WAPDA incurred losses worth Rs 5 billion while damages caused to grid stations amounted to Rs 57 million. It would be unfair to leave people at mercy of a group involved in the kite flying business, the report concluded.
A kite flying association member told the committee formed on Nawaz’s orders that a specific type of material and kite size was not dangerous and he could guarantee that no lives would be lost during the festival. The meeting also discussed that the ban on Basant was lifted by the Supreme Court for 15 days in March 2005 but was again enforced by former Punjab CM Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. On January 4, 2006, the Punjab government had again lifted the ban for 24 hours and on both occasions, more than 10 deaths and injuries were reported.
Talking to journalists outside the Punjab Assembly some days ago, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said, “There is no question of celebrating Basant. Last year, we had strongly implemented a ban on Basant and this year too we will ensure its implementation,” Sanaullah said.
He also denied that the issue was under discussion at the government level. Kite flying associations have submitted a number of applications at the DCO Office seeking permission for kite flying on February 26 and 27.