Punjab’s plan to revive Basant challenged in court

LAHORE: A petition was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) yesterday (Thursday), contesting the Punjab government’s move to restore Basant through a freshly issued ordinance. This is the provincial government’s first attempt to bring the festival back in nearly two decades.

The challenge argues that the decision could reopen the door to a “dangerous sport” that has previously claimed multiple lives. The Judicial Activism Panel (JAP), a self-described public interest body, submitted the plea through Advocate Azhar Siddique, Dawn News reported on Friday.

The petition criticises the government for issuing the ordinance while the provincial assembly was in session, calling the step unconstitutional and unnecessary.

It warns that kite flying has historically resulted in fatal incidents across Punjab, an issue serious enough that even the Supreme Court once intervened. The petition recalled that just last year, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz met the family of Asif Ashfaq, a Faisalabad resident who died after being struck by a kite string. At the time, the chief minister had condemned kite flying as a “bloody sport”.

The petition urges the court to nullify the ordinance and the accompanying notification permitting kite flying, arguing that the government misused Article 128 of the Constitution by reintroducing Basant without any urgent justification.

GOVERNMENT INSISTS FESTIVAL WILL BE SAFE

Meanwhile, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari defended the revival, saying Basant would return as a “fully regulated and closely supervised” cultural event rather than a hazardous pastime.

The festival, long associated with vibrant skies and spring celebrations, had been banned since 2007 after a series of deadly incidents, particularly involving motorcyclists and children injured by metallic or chemically treated kite strings.

Bukhari said the government had eliminated the production and sale of dangerous kite strings. Anyone found using or selling metal or chemically coated string will face three to five years in prison and fines reaching Rs 2 million, she noted.

She also shared the fines and penalties for violations, which have been considerably strengthened in the latest ordinance. All manufacturers and sellers of kite string will now require registration as well, and every roll must feature a QR-coded identifier.