Punjab govt retracts decision to lift Basant ban

LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to take back its decision to lift a 12-year old ban on celebrating Basant festival in the province.

Geo quoted senior Punjab minister Abdul Aleem Khan as saying that preparations could be made to celebrate the festival in future after proper preparations and legislation.

“We need four to six months of working to make Basant a safe festival,” he said, adding such festivities could be allowed given all government agencies did their job.

To a question, he said that there should be strong laws against the use of glass-coated strings.

The move came weeks after the Punjab government announced that it was withdrawing the longstanding ban on celebrating Basant.

The move was challenged by citizens in the Lahore High Court. 

The ban on Basant was imposed by the Supreme Court in 2007 after deaths of several people due to kite's strings.