LAHORE, Feb 6: The three-day Basant festival commences in the provincial metropolis with a colourful buggy parade to be inaugurated by National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Husain outside the Nasir Bagh after Friday prayers.
The buggies carrying the guests will be driven through various parts of the city and reach the Kissan Street on the Circular Road, where the All Pakistan Kite Flying Sports Association will inaugurate the event.
People from various parts of the country started pouring in the city on Thursday for the event.
The city district government has directed the businessmen, industrialists and elite inviting hundreds of guests at their places to inform the police for making security and traffic arrangements.
The government has constituted committees in all Lesco sub-divisions to check the use of metal wire for kite-flying. At least 28 people have already been arrested for violation. The police have been directed also to arrest the people firing on Basant.
Colourful banners have been displayed along the roads leading to gardens and parks and ornamental gates erected on major roads for welcoming the guests.
Basant will be celebrated by enthusiasts at the traditional kite-flying grounds at Manto Park, Garden Town, Assembly Hall, Railway Carson Institute and the Chawburji Park. All is set for the event also at grounds in Shadbagh/Wassanpura Scheme, Gujjarpura, Wahdat Colony, Model Town, Sabzazar, Defence, Railway Colony, Gulshan-i-Ravi, Shahdara Park, Lawrence Road and Badshahi Masjid.
The city district government and the Parks and Horticulture Authority have also made elaborate arrangements for Basant, which is a part of Spring festival already started at the Racecourse Park, Iqbal Park, Saint Mary’s Park and the Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park from Feb 1.
Other programmes include a two-day TDCP Basant extravaganza at the Shahi Hammam starting tomorrow (Feb 8).
The Punjab Tourism Development Corporation, Punjab Arts Council, Parks and Horticulture Authority, National Highway Authority and Lahore Electric Supply Company are collaborating with the local administration to make Basant and Spring Festival a success.
Several hotels and clubs in Lahore have made arrangements for the Basant. A brochure containing detailed programme of the festivities will be distributed among the passengers arriving in the city at the airport and bus stands.