LAHORE: Owing to massive demand for kites and dor (string) and soaring prices in view of the much-anticipated Basant in Lahore alone, the Punjab government has allowed manufacturing of the ‘permissible’ kite flying material in four districts.

Following an approval sought from the Punjab cabinet, through circulation, the home department has instructed the deputy commissioners to allow manufacturing of `permissible’ kite flying material in Lahore’s adjoining districts Kasur and Sheikhupura as well as Faisalabad and Multan.

The home department’s letter instructs the four respective deputy commissioners to register manufacturers alone through the e-Biz digital portal and permit them to manufacture only the “permissible kite flying material” already notified and disseminated among all stakeholders.

The instructions issued to the deputy commissioners categorically state that the registered manufacturers in the four districts shall sell their `permissible’ products to the traders and sellers registered with the Lahore deputy commissioner for use in Lahore district alone on Feb 6, 7 and 8.

Kasur, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Multan DCs asked for making of ‘permissible’ material due to high demand and prices

Asserting that no one can be registered as a `trader’ or`seller’ in the four districts, the home department’s letter to the four DCs says, “Sale of permissible kite flying material by registered manufacturers of these four districts to any person or entity, other than the registered traders and sellers in Lahore, shall be strictly prohibited.”

While the traders say the government took the decision to get the material manufactured from four other districts to meet the massive demand in Lahore, Punjab home secretary Dr Ahmad Javed Qazi said the cabinet has taken the decision in light of the soaring prices and to meet the demand-supply gap.

Besides manufacturing in four districts, the home secretary said the traders and sellers had also been allowed to get “permissible” kite flying material from other provinces and added that the material was already coming from Peshawar, Haripur and Abbottabad. The traders and sellers were required to get permission from the DC Lahore to transport the material.

“The kite flying material in Lahore has been manufactured since Jan 1 as the registration portal had opened on Dec 29 last,” he added.

BAN AROUND LAHORE AIRPORT: The Punjab cabinet has approved the exclusion of several Lahore areas including some DHA blocks and declared them “No Kite Flying Zones” – on the request of the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA).

The PAA had requested the Punjab government to impose Section 144 completely banning the use of metallic and chemical kite strings in areas that may affect take-off and landing operations.

The PAA at the Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore, has written a letter to the Punjab additional chief secretary that a complete ban on kite flying be imposed (during Basant days) for the safety of flight operations on airports’ both aircraft approach path and aircraft take-off path.

It may be mentioned that Section 144 is perpetually imposed around all airports in the country that even include use of laser lights and search-lights installed upwards and keeping birds like pigeons.

The PAA has identified that the areas of Nadrabad, Gulshan Ali Colony, Nishat, Bhatta Chowk and DHA’s R, S, P and Q be declared as no kite-flying zones.

Similarly, the PAA has sought a ban in Al-Faisal Town, Joray Pul, Canal Bank Road and Tajpura to protect the aircrafts’ take-off path.

The PAA requested, “Impose Section 144 in the identified areas to ban kite flying on the rooftops of houses as kites and kite-strings can be ingested into aircraft engines or strike critical aircraft surfaces, leading to potentially catastrophic consequences”.

When contacted, home secretary Dr Qazi said the cabinet had already approved exclusion of identified Lahore areas for the purpose of kite flying. He said the DC would notify Section 144 for the identified Lahore areas under Section 6 (1) of the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Act 2025.

The imposition of Section 144 by the DC is awaited.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2026