RAWALPINDI: The administration has asked the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) to seize domestic pigeons and their cages that are set up on rooftops in at least seven Rawalpindi union councils in order to stop bird strikes that cause accidents near the Nur Khan airbase in the garrison city.
Similarly, after a young man died in Dijkot last week from a metallic kite string, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz issued orders, the administration also made the decision to suppress kite flying and celebratory firing in the city.
On February 24, during Rawalpindi’s “basant” celebration, two transport planes and a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) aircraft parked at the Nur Khan base were hit by stray gunshots. There have been disturbances to jet traffic to and from the airbase caused by birds and gunfire in the vicinity of the base, including Rawal Road, Band Khana Road, Amarpura, Glass Factory Road, and the former airport area. The administrator also instructed the city managers to make sure these union councils are clean.
Commissioner Aamir Khattak issued these instructions at the “Bird Hazard Committee” meeting, which was convened to discuss the campaign against kite flying, aerial gunfire, and pigeon flying. He gave the deputy commissioner the order to enforce Section 144 and launch an instant crackdown against these three “fatal” practices.
Administrators take action against kite flying, firing celebrators; nine are imprisoned for kite flying.
The administration of Nur Khan airfield requested in January of this year that the city police officer (CPO) and the deputy commissioner of Rawalpindi remove bird cages that locals had put up on their rooftops close to the airfield.
Ban on flying kites
As part of a crackdown against the practice, which recently claimed the life of a man in the province, the police detained nine people and found kits and strings.
Over the course of the year, the authorities have confiscated 78 thousand kites and strings and detained 980 people.
Kite flying and kite sale are illegal, according to the commissioner, who was cited by a district administration officer who was privy to the discussion. The Kite Flying Act stipulates that selling kites carries a fine of Rs. 100,000 in addition to a three-year jail sentence.
Selling kites can result in up to six months in jail and a fine of Rs. 100,000.
However, the people living in the garrison city thought the government ought to take action against the companies that make kites and strings. They reported that the kids who were flying kites were just picked up by the police and the administration.
Although the district administration had promised to organize squads with police and administration representatives last year, they were unable to do so this year. But after a young man in central Punjab died, they took action against kite flying.
