Punjab Residents Prepare for Four-Day Holiday Starting February 5

Punjab is set for a four-day break from February 5 to 8 after the provincial government declared Friday and Saturday as public holidays. According to an official notification issued on Tuesday, February 6 and 7 will be observed as Public Holidays in Punjab.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz encouraged residents to make the most of the upcoming long weekend, describing it as an opportunity for rest and rejuvenation. She highlighted a sequence of holidays: February 5 is Kashmir Day, followed by Basant on February 6, with regular weekend holidays scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

In Lahore’s winter skies, Basant returns after years of silence due to restrictions imposed in the early 2000s. The festival was once synonymous with color, rooftops, and springtime renewal but is now closely regulated by the Punjab government, which lifted a blanket ban on the occasion in 2025.

The revival comes with unprecedented restrictions placed upon kite flying. Under official notifications issued by Lahore district administration, kite flying will be permitted only within Lahore’s limits and for three specific days—February 6 and 7—and is strictly enforced elsewhere in Punjab. The rules impose a complete ban on nylon, plastic, chemical-coated, and glass-coated strings, metallic wire, and spools; only cotton string wound into round “pinna” forms with QR codes to ensure traceability will be allowed.

The Punjab Kite Flying Ordinance 2025 has formally reopened the door for Basant while setting stringent guidelines on every aspect of the festival.