By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: The Punjab government’s move to revive Basant after nearly two decades has encountered its first legal hurdle, as a petition was filed in the Lahore High Court on Thursday challenging the ordinance used to lift the longstanding ban on the festival.
Read also: Basant returns after 25 years as Punjab lifts ban with tough new rules
The Judicial Activism Panel (JAP), a public interest litigation group, approached the court through Advocate Azhar Siddique, arguing that the provincial government promulgated the Basant ordinance despite the Punjab Assembly being in session — a move the petition calls unconstitutional and mala fide.
The petition highlights the deadly history associated with kite flying, noting that numerous people, including children and motorcyclists, have lost their lives due to hazardous kite strings. It recalls that last year PML-N President Mian Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz visited the home of Asif Ashfaq, a Faisalabad resident who died after a kite string slit his throat. At the time, the chief minister had called Basant a “bloody sport.”
The petition urges the court to strike down the ordinance and the subsequent notification allowing kite flying, insisting that reviving the festival without addressing past safety failures could endanger lives once again. It stresses that the Constitution guarantees every citizen’s right to life and property and warns that reintroducing the activity may lead to further casualties.
Government defends decision
Meanwhile, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari defended the revival of the iconic spring festival, insisting it would be a “safe, regulated, and strictly monitored” event. She said the government had permanently eliminated the production and sale of metallic and chemically coated strings — the primary cause of past fatalities.
According to the minister, anyone using or selling prohibited string will face three to five years in prison and fines of up to Rs2 million. Vendors of kite string must now be registered and use QR-coded identification on every roll for strict tracking.
Violations of the Kite Flying Act by children will trigger fines of Rs50,000 for the first offence and Rs100,000 for the second. She added that new traffic regulations have also been introduced to protect motorcyclists, who are often victims of stray kite strings. Repeated traffic offences may even result in the auction of the vehicle.
Azma Bokhari emphasised that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has banned the handcuffing of minors, ensuring underage violators will face penalties but not arrest. Legislation is also being drafted to create legal cover for underage motorcyclists.
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