After a gap of 18 years, the Punjab government on Tuesday lifted the ban on kite flying and allowed celebration of Basant with strict norms.
The festival was banned in 2007 due to the increasing number of deaths and serious injuries caused by sharp ropes, especially to motorcyclists and passengers, as well as by celebratory gunshots.
According to the Punjab Kite Flying Rules 2025, promulgated by Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan, teenagers below 18 years of age are prohibited from flying kites. A fine of Rs 50,000 will be imposed for the first violation and Rs 100,000 for subsequent violations. In case of non-payment of the fine, proceedings will be taken against the parent or guardian.
Kite flying associations will be registered with the concerned deputy commissioner of the district, and traders will also be registered, who will be linked to a QR code. To identify a seller or manufacturer, each kite will have a QR code.
Violators will be jailed for three to five years and pay a fine of up to Rs 2 million per violation of the rules.
According to the ordinance, only the manufacture of kite strings based on threads will be permitted. The use of metallic, chemically coated or sharpened ropes has been strictly prohibited, and anyone using them will face serious legal consequences.
The Punjab government dramatically ended the festival in 2007 following deaths caused by sharp ropes.
Motorcyclists were particularly vulnerable to injuries or even fatal accidents while driving at high speed through the narrow streets of the Walled City, where almost invisible stray kite strings could appear out of nowhere. The ropes, allegedly intertwined with glass and metal, caused multiple serious injuries to the motorcyclists.
