Lahore Basant set for March 12-14 as govt announces strict safety rules

LAHORE: The Punjab government announced on Friday that Lahore will celebrate Basant from March 12 to 14 next year under strict kite-flying safety regulations, including controls on the manufacture and sale of kite-flying materials and a ban on the activity in designated areas near Allama Iqbal International Airport.

A notification issued by Deputy Commissioner Lahore Muhammad Ali Ijaz on Friday, with prior approval from the provincial government, has permitted kite flying across the district during the three-day period, except in designated prohibited zones.

Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had approved a 10-day Basant festival in Lahore, describing it as a major festive gift for the city’s residents. However, the Punjab government did not issue a formal notification following her announcement.

The government has also made digital registration mandatory for kite manufacturers, traders and sellers, restricted the size of kites and specified the materials that can be used to prepare kite strings.

Under the announced restrictions, kite flying outside the permitted dates will attract a penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of Rs2 million.

The authorities have also ordered measures to ensure rooftop safety, including the construction of boundary walls at least 3.5 feet high before December 31. The district administration has been directed to inspect old buildings and prohibit kite flying from rooftops deemed unsafe.

Manufacturing, sale and transport of kite materials

Under the notification issued under the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Act 2025, manufacturing permissible kite-flying materials is allowed from September 5, 2026, to March 14, 2027, subject to valid digital registration.

The purchase of materials from manufacturers, their transportation and storage will be permitted from February 1 to March 14, 2027, while sales to the general public will be allowed from February 10 to March 14, exclusively through registered sellers.

Manufacturers, traders and sellers must register through the Punjab government’s E-biz app or the dedicated Basant registration portal at https://basant.punjab.gov.pk.

It said that registered businesses must display their registration certificates at approved premises and maintain complete records of their stock, sales and movement of kite-flying materials. These records must be produced when requested by an authorised officer of the deputy commissioner.

Only materials specified under the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Rules 2025 and Punjab Kite Flying Regulations 2025 may be manufactured, transported, stored, sold or used during the permitted period.

Kite sizes and string restrictions

The notification sets limits on the dimensions of kites and specifies the composition of permissible strings.

A ‘patang’ must not exceed four and a half githi in width, 35 inches in width and 30 inches in length, according to the notification. A ‘gudda’ must not exceed one and a half tawa, 40 inches in width and 34 inches in length.

The notification said that kite string, or ‘dor’, must be wound in the shape of a ‘pinna’ and made of cotton, with no more than nine threads and a minimum count of 28. The permitted coating must have a minimum glass-powder mesh size of 350.

Preparation and treatment of the string have been restricted to laundry starch, 350-mesh glass powder and rice flour. The use of additional chemicals, adhesives, hardeners, abrasives, metallic substances or strengthening agents has been prohibited.

The manufacture, sale, transport, storage, possession and use of ‘charkhis’, sharp ‘maanjha, metallic wire, nylon or plastic cord, and other strings coated with sharp or injurious materials are also banned.

Rooftop safety measures

The Punjab home secretary has directed the Lahore district administration to ensure that rooftops used for kite flying are structurally safe before Basant.

Property owners must construct boundary walls at least 3.5 feet high by December 31 and arrange repairs to rooftops, parapets and stairways at permitted locations before the deadline.

The Deputy Commissioner Lahore has been directed to arrange inspections of rooftops in old buildings and houses. Where an inspection report is unsatisfactory, kite flying must be prohibited on the unsafe rooftop.

Responsibility for ensuring that a rooftop is structurally sound rests with the property owner. Building owners must also secure electrical wires located close to rooftops before the festival.

The deputy commissioner has been authorised to seal buildings in cases involving violations of the announced directions or applicable law.

Safety rods for motorcycles

The Lahore traffic police will install safety rods free of charge on more than two million motorcycles before Basant, according to the home secretary’s instructions.

According to the notification, motorcyclists will be required to comply with the prescribed safety measures, including the installation of safety rods, under the applicable regulations and guidelines issued by the Punjab Home Department.

The notification directs all government departments, attached departments, agencies and organisations to assist the district administration and police in enforcing the safety conditions.

Registered kite-flying associations must also coordinate with the deputy commissioner and authorised officials to help ensure that the festival is conducted safely.

Areas where kite flying will remain prohibited

According to the notification, kite flying will not be allowed in designated areas falling within the aircraft approach and take-off paths of Allama Iqbal International Airport.

The prohibited areas in the aircraft approach path are Nadirabad, Gulshan Ali Colony, Nishat Colony, Bhatta Chowk and Blocks R, S, P and Q of Defence Housing Authority Lahore.

The restrictions covering the aircraft take-off path apply to Al-Faisal Town, Jorraypul, Canal Bank Road adjacent to Tajpura and Tajpura.

The restrictions are intended to keep kite flying away from designated aircraft movement corridors. Kite flying elsewhere in Lahore will be subject to the notification’s conditions and all applicable safety regulations.

The government has directed the district administration and police to ensure strict enforcement of the rules throughout the permitted period.

With the three-day schedule now notified, the authorities are preparing a regulated framework for Basant 2027, covering the supply chain for kite-flying materials, rooftop safety, traffic precautions and restrictions around the airport.