Pakistan to tighten safety rules for Basant festival in Lahore
Authorities in Pakistan’s Punjab province plan to introduce strict rules for holding the Basant kite festival in Lahore, scheduled for March 12–14, 2027. Unauthorized kite flying will carry multimillion-rupee fines and prison terms, Dawn reports.
Permits and roof requirements
Safety rules were discussed at a meeting chaired by Punjab Home Secretary Ahmad Javed Qazi. Owners of buildings from whose roofs kites are planned to be flown must complete repairs and implement safety measures by December 31, 2026.
Kite flying will be prohibited from dangerous or structurally unsound roofs. The Lahore deputy commissioner was instructed to inspect old structures. Building owners will be responsible for safety on rooftops and, together with organizers, for accidents, deaths or injuries and violations of the law during the festival. The official will have the authority to seal a building where requirements are not met.
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According to Qazi, rooftop barriers and grilles must be at least 3.5 feet high and structurally sound. Permits for the production, transportation and sale of kites and kite strings are planned to be issued during the current month.
Penalties and participant protection
Outside the three officially designated days of Basant, kite flying will remain illegal throughout Punjab. The penalty is up to five years in prison and a fine of up to 2 million Pakistani rupees.
Producing, transporting or selling kites and strings without government permission will be punishable by up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to 5 million rupees. The Lahore traffic police chief was instructed to arrange the free installation of protective rods on more than 2 million motorcycles, while the Lahore Electric Supply Company is to protect electrical equipment with special nets. Responsibility for children’s safety during kite flying was assigned to parents, guardians and event organizers.
