Three people died from electrocution, while 14 others lost their lives after falling from trees or roofs.
LAHORE:
The Punjab government has informed the Lahore High Court that at least 17 people lost their lives during the Basant festival in Lahore.
According to a report submitted by the provincial Interior Ministry, three people died from electrocution, while two others fell from trees during the celebrations. The majority of deaths, 12 in total, were due to falls from roofs.
During the hearing, the court also sought complete details of the people injured by the kite strings during the festival. The petitioner’s lawyer Azhar Siddique pointed out that no data had been provided on people injured by kite strings.
Justice Awais Khalid was hearing petitions filed by the Judicial Activism Committee and others, asking the court to order the authorities to provide full details of the deaths and injuries during the Basant celebrations.
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The petitioners also challenged the Kite Flying Act of 2025, asking the court to declare the law illegal, and sought details of injuries and expenses related to the festival.
The petitioners, including PTI MP Sheikh Imtiaz, asked the court for a record of those injured during Basant and sought a response from the Punjab Home Minister on a miscellaneous query on the official expenses of the event.
Advocate Siddique urged the court to ask the Punjab government to provide complete data of the injured. The applicants’ lawyers have been summoned to present their arguments at the next hearing.
Basant was celebrated in Lahore from February 6 to 8. Despite the establishment of an extensive network of legal, administrative and security controls, several people lost their lives during the event, prompting citizens to approach the court to file criminal charges against the authorities.
