Is kite-flying banned after Basant conclusion?

Lahoris and people from across the country celebrated the much-awaited Basant in Lahore, marking the return of a festival after an over two-decade ban was imposed due to safety concerns.

Following the conclusion of Lahore’s three-day Basant festival on Monday morning, the city’s police chief has confirmed that kite flying remains strictly prohibited outside the festival period.

Lahore CCPO Bilal Siddique Kamyana warned that any violations of the kite-flying regulations would be dealt with sternly, and urged shopkeepers and vendors to refrain from the sale or distribution of kites and strings, which would now be considered a criminal offence.

"Illegal kite flying can prove to be life-threatening," the CCPO said, emphasising the ongoing risks associated with unregulated activity.

The three-day festival, which ended this morning, marked the return of Basant after more than two decades. 

Colourful kites soared through the skies as residents and visitors alike thronged rooftops across Lahore, celebrating with music, food and lively festivities under strict safety measures. 

The Punjab government lifted the ban for a limited three-day period, citing extensive precautions to prevent accidents similar to those that prompted the prohibition in 2000s.

The festival drew large crowds from across the country, with many participants flocking to Lahore to join in the traditional kite-flying competitions.

Rights groups and cultural activists have long criticised the ban, arguing that poor enforcement rather than the festival itself was to blame for past tragedies.

Some official events planned to take place during the festival were cancelled after a suicide blast at a mosque in Islamabad on Friday killed over 30 people.

Police were deployed across the city to enforce safety rules, while hospitals were placed on alert to deal with potential injuries. Authorities also monitored kite sales — including using QR codes to track kites — and confiscated banned materials, including glass-coated strings. Motorcycle riders placed protective rods on their bikes to intercept kite strings before they could cut riders.

Kite fighting was the main attraction of the festival, with participants manoeuvring their kites to sever the strings of their opponents', often drawing cheers from neighbouring rooftops. Workshops that once lay dormant were operating again to meet demand.

While workshops and kite shops reopened to meet the surge in demand, CCPO Kamyana warned that all such activity would need to stop following the festival. 

"Traders should avoid selling kites and strings now. Any transfer of these items will be treated as a crime," he said.

The Basant festival, traditionally marking the arrival of spring, was allowed this year only under careful regulation, with organisers and participants instructed to follow SOPs strictly.