LAHORE: The Punjab government has notified rules for the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Ordinance 2025 but it has not made a final decision on the scale of kite flying in Lahore as well as in other districts across the province.

It is also yet to formally notify the announced dates of a three-day Basant festival, starting from Feb 6 in Lahore and elsewhere.

With the notification of rules for the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Ordinance 2025, the Punjab Assembly is expected to take up “The Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Bill 2025” for approval in its sitting on Monday (today).

While the government has announced holding of a three-day Basant festival in Lahore from Feb 6 next, it has yet not decided the scale of kite flying in Lahore. “The Punjab government is currently holding meetings to decide the scale of three-day Basant ranging from allowing kite flying activities across Lahore, or in some specified grounds or specified rooftops, including known rooftops inside the Walled City,” a source in the home department told Dawn on Sunday.

The Punjab government has instructed all deputy commissioners in the province to register kite and string (dor) manufacturers, traders or sellers and inform the government when they would be ready to hold Basant in their respective districts. “While the Basant was actively celebrated in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and other districts, the respective DCs would formally inform the Punjab government that when they would be ready to allow the Basant festival whether on Punjab government’s announced dates or some other dates,” the sources, privy to development, told Dawn.

The Punjab government under the leadership of the then chief minister Shehbaz Sharif had banned Basant festival some 18 years ago in 2007, following an increasing number of deaths and serious injuries caused to the motorcyclists by prohibited sharp strings. The Punjab government is now making efforts to revive the festival – on the recommendations of PML-N chief and former premier Nawaz Sharif following meetings with the Basant stakeholders.

Charkhi, dor with sharp maanja banned; govt yet to decide on venues,more regulations

Kite flying is currently banned across the province and will be allowed only on specific days and designated locations across the province after the passage of the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Bill 2025 by the Punjab Assembly.

Under the bill, flying kites with metallic wire, nylon cord or strings coated with glass or other sharp materials is prohibited, along with the manufacturing, transport, storage and sale of kites and hazardous strings.

Violators involved in kite flying could face three to five years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to Rs2m, while those manufacturing or selling banned materials may be punished with five to seven years in jail and fines up to Rs5m.

The bill empowers deputy commissioners to allow “permissible kite flying” on specific days and at designated locations, subject to the government approval and strict conditions. However, the use of sharp or metallic strings will remain banned under all circumstances.

RULES: The Punjab government has notified the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Rules 2025. According to the rules, an online application for registration as manufacturer, trader or seller of the permissible kite flying material shall be made to the deputy commissioner concerned along with specified documents.

The kite flying associations can also register with the DCs concerned through an online application by the association’s president or general secretary. The DCs concerned shall, within 10 days of the receipt of online applications, verify the contents of applications and documents and after verification, they shall decide the application and issue a certificate of registration having one-year validity.

No person shall manufacture, trade, transport, sell or use a ‘charkhi’, ‘sharp maanja’, ‘dor’ coated with sharp maanja for ‘kite’ or ‘dor’ not permissible.

The notified rules have also proposed an annual non-refundable registration fee structure, explaining the government will charge Rs1,000 each for registration of manufacturers, traders and sellers, while it will charge Rs5,000 fee for registering a kite flying association.

The kite flying rules have also notified specifications of permissible kite flying material that states: a patang shall not exceed four-and-a-half githi and 35 inches in width and 30 inches in length. A ‘gudda’ shall not exceed one-and-a-half tawa and 40 inches in width and 34 inches in length.

‘Dor’ will be made of cotton with not more than nine tars (threads), and not less than 28 counts, coated with ‘maanja’ having sheesha size of 350 mash and above and wound in the shape of a ‘pinna’ having a specific QR code. Dor wound on a charkhi is prohibited.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2025