A 30-year-old man died after his throat was slit by a kite string in Bhatti Gate during the early hours of Saturday.The victim, identified as Muhammad Faisal, was travelling on his bike when a kite string slit his throat, seriously injuring him. Faisal was taken to a nearby hospital where doctors pronounced him dead. Police shifted the deceased’s body to the morgue for an autopsy. Officials also collected evidence from the crime scene and recorded eye witness statements.Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar also took notice of the incident and asked the police to submit a report.In the aftermath of the incident, Lahore Operations DIG Shehzad Akbar directed officers to take strict and stern action against those flying, selling and manufacturing kites. Further, all divisional SPs were directed to ensure a ban on flying kites in their respective areas.Meanwhile, in the past two months Lahore police has arrested 316 people involved in flying, selling and manufacturing kites.“We have also extended our cooperation with the district administration in order to crackdown on factories which are manufacturing kites,” said a police official.So many young individuals have lost their lives trying to fly kites. Parents should discourage their children from participating in such a dangerous pastime; under the law, they can be punished for failing to stop their children from flying kites, he warned.Divisional SPs have been directed to constitute special monitoring teams in order to enforce the ban of flying kites. SPs have also been directed to send daily reports regarding the crackdown, the official added.In March, an SHO and a DSP were suspended while an SP was made an OSD after a citizen was killed in a similar incident in Sabzazar.Published in The Express Tribune, September 23, 2018.