Lahore: The Punjab government on Monday approved the manufacture of permissible kite-flying material in four additional districts, Faisalabad, Kasur, Multan, and Sheikhupura, due to rising demand and soaring prices ahead of the Basant festival in Lahore.
Basant will be celebrated in Lahore from February 6-8 under strict restrictions, following the lifting of the 18-year ban on the festival. Lahore remains the only district where celebrations are permitted.
According to a February 1 letter from the Punjab Home Department to the concerned deputy commissioners (DCs), manufacturers in the four districts must register with their respective DCs and through the Punjab government’s e-Biz portal. They are only allowed to produce “permissible kite-flying material.”
The government has allowed only cotton string for kite-flying. Metallic strings and kites exceeding fixed sizes are strictly prohibited. Under the Basant code of conduct, 1.5 Tawa Gudda kites (width 40 inches, length 34 inches) and 4.5 Guddi kites (width 35 inches, length 30 inches) are permitted; larger kites are banned. Additionally, kites bearing images of any person, holy scripture, religious place, national flag, or political party are prohibited.
The letter also clarified that registered manufacturers in these four districts may sell their products only to sellers and traders registered with the Lahore DC for use in Lahore on February 6-8, 2026. Sale outside Lahore or to unregistered buyers is strictly prohibited.
According to Punjab Home Secretary Dr Ahmad Javed Qazi, the approval was issued to meet high demand and bridge the supply gap. In addition to local production, traders and sellers in Lahore may procure permissible kite-flying material from other provinces, such as Peshawar, Haripur, and Abbottabad, with prior permission from the Lahore DC.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced on X that every twine ball (pinna) will carry a QR code, allowing tracking from manufacturer to seller to buyer. She said all manufacturers are registered and compliant with safety standards, and only approved products from outside Punjab will be allowed.
Ban around Lahore Airport Qazi added that the provincial cabinet approved banning kite-flying in areas identified by the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) for flight safety. The Lahore DC will enforce Section 144 in these zones under Section 6(1) of the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Act 2025. The PAA requested bans in Nadrabad, Gulshan Ali Colony, Nishat, Bhatta Chowk, and DHA blocks R, S, P, and Q, which lie in the approach path of Allama Iqbal International Airport. Kite-flying is also banned in Al-Faisal Town, Joray Pul, Canal Bank Road, and Tajpura along the take-off path. The PAA emphasized that kites and strings can damage aircraft engines or critical surfaces, potentially causing serious accidents
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