Kite flying to remain banned in Lahore parks over Basant
• City admin to monitor festival using drones, safe city cameras for compliance
• Nearly 2,500 kite sellers, traders and associations apply for registration
LAHORE: The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has imposed a ban on kite flying in public parks and greenbelts on Basant, as the Lahore administration decided to digitally monitor the three-day festival, starting Feb 6, to ensure compliance.
PHA Managing Director Raja Mansoor Ahmad said the decision was made to ensure that kite flying and related celebrations did not harm trees and other park infrastructure.
“Since the Basant festival is being held for three days in Lahore alone, the arrival of a number of people from other cities of Punjab, other provinces and abroad is expected here for kite flying and other related activities.
In such a situation, the people may rush for the public parks and green areas for kite flying and other related celebrations…” he told Dawn.
He said the decision was made to prevent any untoward incident, including damage to the plants, greenbelts and other infrastructure.
“Lahore, in addition to its huge number of permanent residents, may also have a considerable number of people from other cities and countries starting from the Feb 4 evening, since Feb 5 is also a public holiday (Youm-i-Kashmir),” he added.
“The parks would remain open to the people, but they wouldn’t be allowed for kite flying,” he said, adding that the PHA enforcement staff has been put on high alert.
According to an official notification by the PHA, the directors concerned have been asked to ensure strict implementation of the ban within their respective zones.
The authority emphasised that any violation of these instructions will be considered unacceptable, and in case of any damage or untoward incident, the respective director would be held responsible.
Digital monitoring
Meanwhile, the city district administration said that strict digital monitoring of Basant would be carried out through drone cameras and the Lahore Safe City Authority’s cameras. A control room would be set up at the DC office.
It was revealed in a meeting presided over by Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali Ijaz.
“Kite flying will only be allowed from Feb 6 to 8, whereas the material will be sold through registered dealers alone,” the DC said while speaking on the occasion.
He said that kites bigger than the approved sizes will be prohibited. Moreover, none of the bikers would be allowed to drive without safety wires. Basant would only be allowed at specific grounds or notified rooftops, including in the Walled City or other locations across the district.
Registration of kite manufacturers
On the other hand, as many as 2,437 kite manufacturers, sellers, traders and associations have applied for registration with the city administration for the festival.
According to a document seen by Dawn, as many as 1,334 kite sellers applied for registration till Jan 22, 2026. Out of this, 161 applications were currently in process, whereas 1,107 had been approved.
A total of 838 kite manufacturers applied for registration, 697 applications had been approved, whereas 85 were in process. However, 51 applications were rejected.
Similarly, 250 kite traders applied for registration, out of which 19 applications were in process and 223 had been approved. Eight applications were rejected.
Moreover, 18 kite flying associations applied for registration, of which 12 were approved, two are in process, while four applications were rejected.
It is pertinent to mention that the provincial government decided in December last year to celebrate a limited Basant in Lahore with strict conditions.
Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2026
