ISLAMABAD, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Police on Saturday sprang into action against kite-sellers and detained at least 52 of them as the traditional "Basant" festival approaches in northern city of Rawalpindi in the Punjab province of Pakistan, local Urdu TV channels reported.

According to Rawalpindi police, law enforcement agencies conducted the raid in and around Royal Artillery Bazaar area of the city and arrested 52 people, and almost 7,000 kites and 150 strings were recovered during the raid.

Police also registered a case under the Punjab Prohibition of Kite Flying Ordinance against them.

The Basant Kite Festival is a traditional spring time kite flying event in Pakistan to mark the commencement of the spring season and is celebrated in all the provinces of the country, especially in eastern Punjab province. This year's Basant Kite Festival, also known as spring kite festival, falls on Feb. 24-25.

Recently, the event has been banned by the government as the authorities were of the view that the event is responsible for a number of deaths each year due to the use of deadly wires, aerial firing during celebration, falling to death while flying kites from roof tops of houses and several other factors.