Spring festival starts tomorrow

LAHORE:Commissioner Lahore Division Muhammad Ali Randhawa announced on Friday that spring festival celebrations would kick off in the provincial capital from March 5 (tomorrow) to 12.

Talking to the media at Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) headquarters at Jilani Park along with PHA Director General Zeeshan Javed, he said that the festival would be celebrated with the coordination of Information & Culture Department, District Administration, PHA, Walled City Lahore Authority (WCLA), Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and Sports Board Punjab (SBP). The district administration would supervise activities of the festival including security of different events, he said and added that Jashan-e-Baharan is being celebrated at the divisional level, in which sports, cultural activities, tourism, music, bird and pet shows and fireworks would be organised.

The canal bank and other main roads in the provincial capital would be illuminated, he added. The commissioner said that Punjabi folk music performances, Sufi festival, lights and sound show, ghazal festival, painting exhibition, women’s mushaira, classical music programme, comedy mushaira, musical gala, flower exhibition, sports mela, painting competition, lucky Irani circus and mehfil-e-sama programmes will also be held to provide an opportunity to people to enjoy healthy indoor and outdoor recreational activities.

These events would be held in Jilani Park, Greater Iqbal Park, national museum, hockey stadium, Lahore Fort and other tourism points of the city. The citizen’s entry to the shows of Jashan-e-Baharan would be free, he added.

Randhawa encouraged citizens to fully enjoy the activities and said that a marathon race and cycling competition would also be held. Children, women, differently-abled persons and athletes would participate in the marathon race, he added.

Famous singers would present music shows in Hockey Stadium Lahore from March 5 to 12 while food and cultural mela would be organised in Jilani Park during the same period. There would be special events on March 8 related to International Women's Day while a laser light and sound show will also be arranged by the WCLA.