LAHORE: The Punjab government on Friday announced a new set of rules and regulations for kite flying during the next Basant festival after the success of the cultural event this year, in a bid to ensure that the festivities should not cause harm to people’s lives and property or disturb the public order.

After nearly two decades, a three-day Basant festival was celebrated in Lahore in February the las, following Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s decision to allow the festive cultural event, under strict regulations.

Maryam Nawaz is believed to have earned political dividend from the revival of this traditional kite-flying event which is very close to the hearts of Lahorities in particular.

The festival was banned in 2007 following an increasing number of incidents resulting in deaths and serious injuries to people,particularly to motorcyclists, mostly caused by sharp string, as well as celebratory gunfire.

Overcrowding of rooftops prohibited; children safety to be ensured

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari says the Basant festival will be celebrated in February 2027 and will be “bigger and better than the one held this year.” The Punjab government may also allow the festival in some other cities like Multan, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Faisalabad, she adds.

Speaking to Dawn, Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said, “The new regulations have been issued on the directives of CM Maryam to ensure the protection of life and property.”

She said that compliance with these instructions would be mandatory for every citizen, including building owners and event organisers. She said that kite-flying will only be allowed on secure rooftops, having a boundary wall at least three-and-a-half feet high.

“Parents and guardians have been directed to ensure continuous supervision of children,” she said. The minister said children should not be allowed near rooftop edges without adult supervision as “their safety is the top priority.”

According to the new rules, running, jumping and hanging over the rooftop edges has been completely banned.

The rules also prohibit the “overcrowding of rooftops,” and that the “number of persons present on a rooftop at any time shall not exceed its safe load-bearing capacity”.

The rules also hold the organisers of the Basant-related events responsible for managing the size of the crowd. The new rules also prohibit the “use of loud music, DJ systems, high-decibel sound systems, or any other activity causing noise pollution or disturbance to public order and tranquillity.”

To maintain public order, the new rules have banned any act “causing nuisance, harassment, obscenity, indecent behaviour, or disturbance to neighbours or the general public.” Under the rules, such acts will be considered an offence under sections 290, 292-A and 509 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The new rules also mandate the availability of first aid kits and access to them at all premises where kite-flying activities are organised. Under the rules, in case of accidents or violations, building owners and event organisers will be held individually and jointly responsible.

“No person shall use a mobile phone or engage in any activity likely to cause distraction while standing near the edges of a rooftop. The owner or manager of the premises and the organizer of any kite-flying event shall be personally responsible for compliance with noise control requirements on and around the premises,” the rules say and add the owner and/or manager of the premises shall be personally and jointly responsible for any injury, loss of life, or violation of law, rules or regulations occurring on the premises during any kite-flying activity.

The authorised officers of the district administration, police and allied departments of the concerned district shall be empowered to inspect any premises, likely to be used for permissible kite flying, at any time, during the permissible period.

The deputy commissioner of the district concerned shall notify such authorised officers.

The DC may, on the recommendation of the authorised inspection team or on his own motion, “seal or close any premises found to be in violation of these guidelines, the Act, or the Rules and Regulations made thereunder, without prejudice to any criminal prosecution that may be initiated,” the new rules read.

The chief minister said in a statement that the regulations were issued to ensure that the celebration of the kite-flying event is safe, and to prevent the loss of precious lives. “Strict legal action will be taken against the violators as playing with lives in the name of kite flying will not be tolerated under any circumstances,“ the chief minister said.

She also appreciated the public for complying with rules and regulations during the Basant celebrations this year. “Citizens of Lahore fully implemented the rules during Basant. I am confident that during the first phase of Basant 2027, the people of Lahore will again ensure compliance with the regulations,” the chief minister hoped.

The Basant festival, also known as Jashn-i-Baharaan, has for centuries marked the arrival of spring in Punjab, announcing the end of winter’s restraint and the return of warmth and vibrancy.

Rooted in the ancient idea of Vasant — spring as both a natural and emotional rebirth -- the festival gradually evolved from a seasonal observance into a deeply textured cultural practice.

“Basant was never just a day for me; it was part of who I was, part of every spring morning when the air turned warm and full of promise. As a boy, I would wake up before dawn and run to the rooftop with my siblings, thread in hand, my heart racing for the wind to lift our kites. Those patangs were my companions, my secrets, my way of whispering dreams to the sky when words fell short. Every tug on the string felt like my own heartbeat reaching higher,” a kite-flying enthusiast, Anwar Bajwa, says.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2026