LAHORE (MNN); The Punjab government on Monday approved the manufacture of permissible kite-flying material in four additional districts in view of rising demand and escalating prices ahead of the much-anticipated Basant festival in Lahore.
Basant will be celebrated in Lahore from February 6 to 8 under strict regulations, following the lifting of an 18-year ban on the festival. However, celebrations will remain limited to the provincial capital. Until now, Lahore was the only district permitted to manufacture approved kite-flying material.
According to a February 1 letter issued by the Punjab Home Department to the relevant deputy commissioners, the provincial cabinet has allowed manufacturing of permissible kite-flying material in Faisalabad, Kasur, Multan and Sheikhupura as well.
The letter stated that manufacturers must register themselves with the concerned deputy commissioners and through the Punjab government’s e-Biz digital portal. Only approved kite-flying material may be manufactured.
Under government instructions, only cotton string is permitted for kite-flying, while the production of metallic string and oversized kites has been strictly banned. The code of conduct fixes kite sizes, allowing only a 1.5 Tawa Gudda with a width of 40 inches and length of 34 inches, and a 4.5 Guddi Kite with a width of 35 inches and length of 30 inches. Any kite larger than these dimensions is prohibited.
The provincial government has also banned the manufacture of kites bearing images of individuals, holy scriptures, religious places, the national flag or flags of political parties.
The Home Department further directed that registered manufacturers in Faisalabad, Kasur, Multan and Sheikhupura may sell their products only to traders and sellers registered with the Lahore deputy commissioner, strictly for use in Lahore during February 6, 7 and 8. Sale to any other person or district has been prohibited.
Punjab Home Secretary Dr Ahmad Javed Qazi said the cabinet approved the move to address soaring prices and bridge the demand-supply gap. He added that traders and sellers in Lahore have also been allowed to procure permissible kite-flying material from other provinces, including Peshawar, Haripur and Abbottabad, subject to prior permission from the Lahore DC.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, in a post on X, said each pinna would be QR-coded to enable tracking from manufacturer to seller and finally to the buyer. She said all manufacturers were registered and fully compliant with safety regulations, adding that supplies from outside Punjab had been allowed strictly for products meeting prescribed standards.
Ban Around Lahore Airport
Dr Qazi also said the provincial cabinet approved the exclusion of several areas identified by the Pakistan Airports Authority from kite-flying during Basant. He said the Lahore DC would impose Section 144 in these areas under the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Act 2025.
The PAA had requested a complete ban on kite-flying in areas falling under aircraft approach and take-off paths at Allama Iqbal International Airport. These include Nadrabad, Gulshan Ali Colony, Nishat, Bhatta Chowk and DHA’s R, S, P and Q blocks, as well as Al-Faisal Town, Joray Pul, Canal Bank Road and Tajpura.
The PAA warned that kites and strings could be ingested into aircraft engines or strike critical surfaces, posing serious risks to flight safety.
