RAWALPINDI: The district police, on the directives of City Police Officer (CPO), Umar Saeed Malik have deployed over 1600 cops in different city areas particularly congested localities to control kite flying and aerial firing.
According to a police spokesman, the police had launched a crackdown and taking strict action against kite sellers, flyers and those involved in aerial firing while senior police officers including Senior Superintendent of Police, Operations, were monitoring the crackdown. He informed that police had arrested 690 violators besides recovering over 97,000 kites and 1800 kite flying string rolls from their possession during this season.
He said that the CPO who was also monitoring the crackdown against the violators had directed the officers concerned to utilize all available resources to net the kite flying ban violators. He informed that the CPO had also appreciated police performance and directed to continue raids to take strict action against sellers and flyers.
The kite flying ban violators were being dealt with an iron hand and no one would be spared, he said adding, no one would be allowed to violate the law and indulge in kite flying and selling. The use of metal string for kite flying resulted in the loss of human lives therefore, all-out efforts were being made to stop the kite flying, he added.
A special awareness campaign was also being run to control the ban violation, he said. He informed that Punjab Inspector General of Police, Rao Sardar Ali Khan had issued orders to speed up the crackdown against kite flying and aerial firing. Under an awareness campaign, special announcements were also being made in the mosques to prevent kite flying and aerial firing, he said adding, the parents were also urged to keep an eye on the activities of their children and not allow them to be a part of illegal activities.
The people had also been requested to report on 15 against kite flying and aerial firing so that such notorious elements could be immediately rounded up, he added.