Basant returns to Punjab after 25 years, but with tight restrictions

• Punjab governor issues ordinance ending 25-year ban on kite flying.
• Parents will be held responsible if child under 18 violates restriction.
• Kite flying will only be allowed using strings made of cotton.
  

The Punjab government on Wednesday allowed Basant celebrations under conditions, ending a 25-yar ban on kite flying in the province.

An ordinance permitting Basant celebrations with conditions has been issued with the signatures of Punjab Governor Salim Haider.

Punjab banned kite flying in 2001 as many people lose their lives every year in the province due to the chemical or metal-coated strings.

Under the new ordinance, children under 18 years of age will not be allowed to fly kites and parents or guardians will be held responsible if a child violates the restriction.

Kite flying will only be permitted using string made purely from cotton, while the use of metal chemically coated strings will carry severe penalties, it added.

In Lahore, the ordinance said that people using hazardous strings may face a minimum of three and a maximum of five years in prison, along with fines of up to Rs2 million.

The ordinance also emphasised the need for safety measures for motorcyclists.

For children under 18, the first offence will carry a fine of Rs50,000, increasing to Rs100,000 for the second.

Failure to pay will result in action against the parent or guardian, it said, adding that kite-flying associations will be required to register with the district’s deputy commissioner, while kites may only be purchased from registered shopkeepers.

Each registered seller will be linked to a QR code, and kites themselves will also carry QR codes to identify the seller, it added.

Manufacturers of kite string will similarly undergo registration, with QR codes enabling their identification, as per the ordinance.