Lahore: The Punjab government has finalised comprehensive standard operating procedures (SOPs for Basant celebrations in Lahore, as the historic festival makes its official return after 18 years under strict safety and administrative arrangements.
Provincial Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari said on Tuesday that preparations were being carried out under the direct supervision of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, who has personally briefed the public on safety protocols to ensure a secure and well-managed Basant from February 6 to 8.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), mainly dry weather with clear skies is expected during most of the three-day festival, with light westerly and north-westerly winds blowing at 10 to 15 kilometres per hour, creating favourable conditions for safe kite-flying. The PMD, however, advised citizens to exercise caution, particularly near electric lines and roads.
Addressing concerns over kite shortages and soaring prices, Azma Bokhari said the government had allowed the manufacturing of permissible kite-flying material in four additional districts to stabilise supply. Only cotton string is permitted, while metallic and chemical strings, oversized kites and prohibited designs remain strictly banned. Authorities are also closely monitoring the movement of kite-flying materials entering Lahore.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has repeatedly urged citizens to celebrate Basant responsibly, stressing that kite-flying is permitted only in Lahore during the three-day period as part of a pilot project. She said more than 700,000 motorcycles had been fitted with safety rods, while dangerous buildings had been surveyed and sealed where required.
To facilitate the public, free travel will be available on metro bus services, the Orange Line train, selected bus routes and thousands of rickshaws during the festival. Emergency arrangements have also been finalised, including the deployment of ambulances, fire brigade vehicles, motorcycle rescue units and quick response teams in all tehsils of Lahore.
In addition, Yango Pakistan has joined the Basant celebrations by offering free rickshaw rides and deliveries across Lahore from February 6 to 8. The company will subsidise tens of thousands of trips, distribute safety rods among partner drivers and allow drivers to opt out of work during the festival without penalties, reinforcing a people-first approach to safety.
The chief minister said Basant had already generated economic activity worth billions of rupees, benefiting kite manufacturers, hotels, restaurants and transport services. She added that thermal drone surveillance, QR code–embedded kites and real-time monitoring systems were being used to enforce compliance with SOPs.
Azma Bokhari said Basant was not just a festival for Lahore, as people from across the country were travelling to the city to take part. She expressed hope that if celebrations remained safe and orderly, the festival would be expanded to other parts of Punjab next year.
Samra Zulfiqar, a real estate analyst at Zameen.com, is passionate about finding projects that offer buyers the best returns. Her keen insights spotlight the market’s most promising opportunities.
