Pakistan’s Punjab province has declared a complete ban on kite flying. The state assembly has also passed a law banning kite flying. In such a situation, if anyone is caught flying kites in Punjab, he can be sentenced to five years in prison and fined Rs 20 lakh.

The legislature of Pakistan’s most populous province Punjab on Tuesday passed a law to permanently ban kite flying. The law passed by the legislature of Punjab province provides for increased jail term and heavy fines for kite flyers and kite makers. The state government has taken this step before the decades-old Basant festival.

The government is scared of accidents caused by kite flying

The ban on kite flying was first imposed in the state capital Lahore in 2005. At that time at least 11 people were injured by the thread during kite flying. Through this law, the scope of the ban is being extended from Lahore to other cities. The new law will come into effect in the province before the Basant festival in which there is a tradition of welcoming spring by flying kites.

5 years imprisonment, 20 lakh fine for kite flying

Ruling Pakistan Muslim League party MLA Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman introduced the bill in the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday, which was passed by a majority. According to the bill, flying kites in violation of the law can lead to imprisonment of three to five years and a fine of up to 20 lakh Pakistani rupees. Rehman said that the manufacturers of kites and strings can face imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine of up to 50 lakh Pakistani rupees under the law.