Punjab to end ban on Basant

LAHORE: Very soon the city will be echoing with the sounds of Bo-Kaata as the Punjab government has finally decided to celebrate the festival across the province in February next year.

Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Fayyazul Hassan Chohan on Tuesday said the event would be celebrated in the second week of February next year. He said a special eight-member committee is preparing recommendations for safe kite-flying, which would present its report in eight days.

The minister was addressing a press conference at the Alhamra Arts Council on Tuesday. During the last several years, Basant had become a dangerous event due to a number of deaths, caused by kite-twine. Eventually, the government imposed a complete ban on it, which remained in place for years.

"This historical cultural festival of Lahore will be revived, and InshaAllah we will celebrate Basant in the second week of February," Chohan said. He said Basant was an enormous economic activity that could promote tourism. He said the celebrations should remain within the rules and regulations keeping in view the public safety.

The festival was banned in 2005 after several incidents of kite flyers' sharp glass and chemical coated strings slitting throats of citizens, including children. Negligence of safety rules and regulations also led to several deaths as a result of celebratory gunshots and fatal falls from rooftops during the festival.

The Supreme Court subsequently ruled on a public interest petition and banned kite-flying. Sources in the district government said that DC Lahore had received recommendations from many stakeholders and would announce the festival following a formal order by the Punjab government. Sources said strict monitoring of the event was also planned to avoid injuries and loss of life and property at hands of kite-lovers.