Policing Lahore: Juggling Security, Law Enforcement, and Kite-Flying Crackdown

The city police in Lahore, Pakistan had a challenging week as they carried out a crackdown on kite flying while also dealing with various security and law-related issues. The police had to ensure extensive security arrangements for events such as the Pakistan Super League (PSL) cricket matches, Mela Charaghan, Jashan-e-Baharan, marathon race, Aurat March, and other cultural, religious, and sports activities organized during the week.

Adding to the police’s burden, the Punjab government imposed section 144 to prevent rallies by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. This led to a tussle between the police and PTI activists, with several clashes reported during the week. The police were also on high alert to comply with court orders and maintain law and order.

Amid all this, the police team had to crack down on kite flying, which is a traditional event in Lahore during this season. Some unidentified persons had announced the celebration of Basant, which led to the police launching a crackdown on the activity. The police identified a “kite flying association” involved in promoting and doing business on Facebook and arrested some members through a cyber operation.

The police spokesman said the group was involved in organizing kite flying competitions and online sales of metallic string and kites. The police arrested the suspected administrator of the group, Raja Arsal, from Rawalpindi, and an active member, Kashif, from Gujranwala. Meanwhile, legal steps were being pursued to arrest the group’s leader, Mian Bilal, who had left for abroad a week ago.

Despite the police’s best efforts, the situation was overwhelming, and they were unable to prevent all incidents from happening. In light of this, it is clear that the police had to bite off more than they could chew during this challenging week.

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