Punjab CM praises Lahore for following SOPs during Basant

Punjab’s Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz praised the people of Lahore for their adherence to safety protocols during the three-day Basant festival, which was set to reach its climax. In a statement on her PML-N official account, she stated, “Lahore is happy today, and I am just as thrilled. The residents played an indispensable role in making this Basant a success by following all rules and regulations.”

The vibrant skies over Lahore were filled with brightly colored kites this weekend, celebrating the return of the beloved festival after being banned for 19 years due to safety concerns. Families and groups flocked together on rooftops, parks, and streets for what would be three days of kite-flying festivities.

“We are all excited — everyone in Punjab and across Pakistan,” said Shahzaib, a local kite flyer, as quoted by AFP. “It’s difficult now to find kites and strings; they sold out.”

Maryam Nawaz also noted that the safe Basant idea would be implemented elsewhere. The ban on the festival was lifted in 2007 following multiple fatal incidents caused by glass-coated strings and celebratory aerial gunfire. These factors led to injuries and deaths of pedestrians and motorcyclists.

This year, the authorities allowed for three days of the festival with increased safety measures, which was warmly received by locals who were eager to take part in such a joyous event after being deprived of it for years.

“We had lost businesses when the ban occurred. After lifting the ban, I sold about 20,000 to 25,000 kites,” explained Tariq, a kite manufacturer.

Rights groups and cultural activists have long criticized the ban, believing enforcement issues rather than the festival itself were responsible for past tragedies. Nevertheless, this year’s Basant saw some official events canceled following a deadly suicide bombing at a mosque in Islamabad on Friday.

Authorities deployed police to enforce safety rules while hospitals remained prepared to handle potential injuries. To prevent incidents of kite strings snaring riders, motorcycles carried protective rods mounted on their bikes.

The main attraction for the festival was kite fighting as participants maneuvered kites to sever opponents’ strings, sometimes drawing cheers from nearby rooftops. Workshops that had been dormant were again functioning at full capacity in response to increased demand.

For Chand Ustad, a 51-year-old string maker, “Buying and flying kites shouldn’t be a one-time thing. Keep buying them, keep flying them; this helps our business as well.”