LAHORE:
As the city counts down to Basant, the sky may soon be filled with colour, but on the ground, a shortage of kites and string, delays in vendor permits and mixed official signals are converging into a controversy that threatens to define the festival’s return more than the celebration itself.
Concerns have been raised over a potential shortage of kite-flying supplies that could dampen Basant celebrations. Sources said the supply of kites, reels and lines remains limited, while the online permit system for licensed vendors is yet to become operational.
Despite the administration allowing import of hang-gliding equipment from other cities, license holders are reportedly facing difficulties due to delays in issuing online permits.
Industry representatives have warned that further delays could lead to price increases and reduced celebrations. The Kite Flying Association has urged the administration to immediately activate the permit system and warned that Basant celebrations may lose their charm if supplies are not made available on time.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has rejected claims to ban all songs for Basant, clarifying that the ban only applies to stage performances, as the event, which was supposed to bring good publicity for the government, continues to sink into controversy.
A day after a notice banning 132 songs, including one associated with PTI, went viral, the government clarified that the notice issued on January 23 by the Punjab Art Council had nothing to do with Basant.
Information Minister Azma Bokhari, speaking at a press conference in Lahore, said the ban on songs during stage drama performances had no connection with Basant and only applied to stage performances involving dance, with the aim of maintaining ethics and quality.
She added that regulated Basant guidelines focus on public safety, with full registration and monitoring of kites, strings and producers, strict size control and price regulation.
Curiously, even after the press conference, when contacted, senior city police officials claimed that those playing songs from the banned list would be booked under Section 188 immediately.
Later, when these officials were informed about Azma Bokhari’s clarification, they requested anonymity, saying that the minister was the ultimate authority on the matter and asked that their earlier position be overruled.
Information Minister Azma Bokhari was asked to respond to this apparent confusion, but she chose not to respond.
The event, which was supposed to bring good publicity to the government, has so far only sunk deeper into controversy.
From strict security measures and compulsory registration that have driven up the prices of kite strings, to banning citizens from using kite colors to express their political affiliation to exorbitant fines for violation – everything has made a lack of proper planning and a disconnection with ordinary citizens more and more apparent.
Implementation of the Basant rules has also remained a pressing issue, with authorities privately admitting that it is almost impossible to determine from which roof a kite is being flown.
An official from an affected department, who requested that even his department remain off the record, said there was no conceivable way to enter the offending roof.
He added that it was now up to the district government to frame rules so that the police did not use the rules as a license to act according to their own whims.
A sitting PML-N parliamentarian also expressed concern over reviving what he called a deadly festival, especially by confining it to Lahore only. He questioned why other towns and cities were deprived of the festival, saying this would leave a bad taste among people in other major cities in the province.
However, a former federal minister said that the event was quintessentially Lahore-centric, even though it was also against Basant, and therefore it made sense to celebrate it only in Lahore.
He added that the festival would effectively belong to the rich, given the high cost of kites, strings and participation. He said he hoped and prayed that Basant would not take life and maintained that it should not have been resuscitated.
Former deputy director Hasan Askari Rizvi said that holding the event only in Lahore while it remained banned elsewhere would have a negative impact on people in other cities, calling its application discriminatory and unlikely to benefit the PML-N government in any way.
He said banning party colors was not unconstitutional but an administrative decision given to the government, adding that given the current court situation, the option of legal appeal was not even available.
Information Minister Azma Bokhari was again contacted for comment on the growing controversy surrounding Basant, but she was not available.
Meanwhile, the tightly regulated and government-sponsored revival of Basant is fast becoming a test of the Punjab administration’s ability to manage security, politics and public expectations as the Lahore district administration issued a strict 12-point code of conduct for the three-day kite flying festival.
The development came following directives from Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for the festival scheduled from February 6 to 8.
Emphasizing public safety and zero tolerance, Deputy Commissioner Lahore announced that the code of conduct would be enforced across the city, including all rooftops and premises, to ensure compliance with the Kite Flying Act, 2025, and other safety regulations.
District administration, police and relevant departments have been directed to strictly implement the guidelines, with officials empowered to inspect rooftops and impose immediate bans on kite flying in unsafe places.
Under the code, the use, sale or display of metallic, chemical, glass-coated, nylon or otherwise dangerous kite strings has been strictly prohibited, while aerial firing and the use of loud noise systems causing public disturbance have also been banned.
Authorities have also made it mandatory to install safety bars on all motorcycles in Lahore to protect riders from dangerous kite strings.
Kite flying near airports and sensitive installations will not be allowed under any circumstances. Property owners have been asked to ensure adequate safety arrangements on the rooftops and will be held personally responsible for any accident or loss occurring during the festival.
Sale and purchase of kites and related accessories will be allowed only from February 1 to 8 and only through sellers registered with the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Purchasing supplies from unauthorized sellers will result in strict legal action.
Earlier, CM Maryam Nawaz said that all departments were actively working to make the government sponsored Basant Festival safe and well organized.
Chairing a review meeting, she said a comprehensive traffic management plan had been finalized in which Lahore would be divided into several zones and motorcycles would not be allowed to enter the red zone without a safety cordon.
Free transport plan
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has also finalized a comprehensive free transport plan for the Basant celebrations. The Lahore Divisional Commissioner approved the plan under which citizens will be able to travel for free on Metro Bus services and Orange Line Metro Train throughout the festival.
According to officials, free transport will be available on 24 routes across Lahore, with 228 buses plying on feeder routes, 64 metro bus vehicles, 54 buses from public colleges and 73 buses from universities.
The Orange Line Metro Train is expected to carry around 250,000 passengers daily, while the Metro Bus and feeder routes combined will facilitate over 340,000 commuters per day. Additionally, 5,000 branded private rickshaws will also provide free transport services.
