Basant Festival: Pakistan's Punjab govt bans kites featuring symbolic imagery

Any kite featuring symbolic or representational imagery has been expressly prohibited during the forthcoming revived Basant.

A Punjab government order to the effect applies across Punjab and not just to Lahore, covering all stages of the kite supply chain. Violations are expected to invite legal action under the relevant laws.

With the revival of Basant set to draw large crowds to Lahore next month, the Punjab government has imposed strict restrictions on the use of symbolic imagery on kites to pre-empt any attempt to disturb public order during the festivities.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Home Department has informed the Lahore High Court (LHC) that Basant would not be celebrated anywhere in Punjab except Lahore, and submitted a compliance report detailing safety arrangements for the festival.

In an order issued by the Home Department, the Punjab government banned, with immediate effect, the manufacturing, trade, transport, storage, sale, purchase and use of kites carrying images or pictures of holy scriptures, religious places, individuals, national flags or flags of political parties anywhere in the province for a period of 30 days.

The move comes against the backdrop of official permission granted for permissible kite flying within the territorial limits of Lahore district from February 6 to 8, 2026, on the occasion of Basant.

According to the Home Department order, intelligence and administrative reports indicated that miscreants could exploit the festival by displaying sensitive religious, political or national symbols on kites, potentially provoking controversy, discrimination or unrest.

The government noted that there were "sufficient grounds” to take immediate preventive action to ensure that Basant remains a cultural and recreational event, free from any elements that could disrupt communal harmony or public peace.

To that end, the authorities have clarified that during the three-day festival in Lahore only plain uni-coloured or multi-coloured kites, commonly referred to as gudda or patang, will be allowed to be flown.

LHC Justice Malik Muhammad Owais Khalid heard petitions related to Basant and directed authorities to ensure full implementation of precautionary measures and summoned Lahore Deputy Commissioner Capt (retd) Muhammad Ali Ijaz to appear before the court.

Officials from the Directorate General of Public Relations and the School Education Department were also summoned to brief the court on public awareness campaigns.

Punjab Special Home Secretary Fazalur Rehman submitted a compliance report informing the court that a high-level committee overseeing Basant arrangements would meet on January 27, with progress report to be presented at the next hearing.

The court expressed satisfaction with the report while stressing that no accident should occur during the festival, calling public safety a core responsibility of the government.

Authorities informed the court that safety planning was based on a decade of data, leading to the creation of red, yellow and green zones across Lahore.

The walled city has been declared a red zone, while areas such as Harbanspura fall into yellow zones. Green zones are areas assessed as having minimal risk. Funds have also been released to install protective rods on motorcycles to reduce injuries caused by kite strings.