LAHORE: The Punjab government has finally decided to only celebrate a limited Basant festival in Lahore, whereas kite-flying will remain banned in other parts of the province.

As per details, the Lahore deputy commissioner had issued a notification to hold a three-day Basant in Lahore from Feb 6, while the rest of the deputy commissioners of the province were expected to follow suit. However, the Cabinet Committee on Law and Order that met at the home department on Wednesday, decided that Basant would only be held in Lahore and that too at a limited scale.

Though there was no need for all divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners to be present at the meeting, sources in the home department told Dawn that they had been invited to attend the meeting through video-link particularly for the “Basant agenda”.

Punjab Home Secretary Dr Ahmad Javed Qazi told the cabinet committee meeting: “The provincial cabinet had allowed limited Basant on Feb 6, 7 and 8 in Lahore only,” and kite-flying would remain banned elsewhere in the province under the “Kite Flying Regulations Bill 2025”.

Home department had previously instructed all commissioners and DCs to start registering twine and kite manufacturers across the province

Though the Lahore deputy commissioner had notified a three-day Basant in Lahore on Monday without entailing any location restrictions, implying that the festival would be allowed across the Lahore district.

A divisional commissioner, on the condition of anonymity, told Dawn that a security agency representative also told the meeting that Basant would not be allowed across the district but only at a limited scale.

It may be mentioned that the home department had held multiple meetings on the revival of Basant and had proposed that Basant be allowed at specific grounds, or specifically notified rooftops including in the Walled City or other locations across the district. The home department had also instructed all divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners to start registering twine and kite manufacturers to ensure notified specifications for the Basant material.

The divisional commissioner also said that the government was actually piloting the Basant festival in Lahore. He asserted that it was a chance for the people of Lahore to show responsibility and follow restrictions to revive Basant in the rest of the province. “People should watch their neighbourhoods and ensure that no illegality is committed and there should be no human injury in the best interest of the Basant festival,” he said.

Expressing apprehension, the commissioner said that any serious accident during the festival might lead to government bashing – leading to banning Basant for good.

Despite celebrating a limited basant in Lahore, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has directed plying buses and rickshaws on city roads for free to minimise the use of motorcycles on Lahore roads. It is learnt that the government might use the buses of colleges and universities during Basant days to facilitate citizens.

The cabinet committee meeting also expressed deep concern over incidents of illegal kite-flying and injuries to passersby in some areas.

Eventually, the home department wrote a letter to all commissioners, RPOs, DCs, CPOs and DPOs in the province on Wednesday seeking action against all those violating the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Ordinance 2025. The home department showed concern in the letter that illegal kite flying was being observed in certain parts of the province. It stated that incidents were being reported in which injuries to passerby had occurred due to this activity.

It said, “such practices pose a serious threat to human life and public safety”. The home department said that action against law violators could include arrest of manufacturers, suppliers of kite flying material and persons involved in kite flying, in accordance with the law – under intimation to the department.

The cabinet committee’s 46th meeting, chaired by its Chairman Khawaja Salman Rafique had also instructed fool-proof security arrangements for the New Year’s night besides launching strict action against those involved in aerial firing, hooliganism and one-wheeling.

The meeting also approved extension in deployment of Rangers in Mianwali, Attock, and DG Khan.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2026