After 21 years of ban, while the privileged classes celebrated the event with gusto, grieving households found themselves alone.
A large number of people select and purchase the kites to celebrate the upcoming three-day kite festival (Basant) at the local market in the provincial capital. PHOTO: APPLICATION
LAHORE:
Once a symbol of culture and community, Basant now resembles a kitsch spectacle for the elite. Amid blaring music and flashy displays, the festival has become a social media spectacle rather than a shared celebration. But beneath this surface lies a grim but familiar reality. While the elites pose for reels, it is the poor who pay with their lives.
In the first week of February 2026, a three-day Basant festival was held in Lahore after the government temporarily suspended a 21-year-old ban through an ordinance, allowing kite flying under certain conditions. While official Interior Ministry records reported 17 dead and 160 injured, Express PK Press Club sources revealed that the death toll could reach 21 dead.
Most deaths occurred following falls from roofs, with victims aged between 15 and 30 years old. Some also died from electrocution or falling from trees. Specifically, 12 people died after falling from roofs, while three died due to electric shocks. Despite safety measures such as banning metal ropes and installing crash bars on motorcycles, more than 120 accidents have been reported, injuring more than 160 people.
The family of Zain Malik, who died after falling from a roof, believes that Basant destroyed their house. “No government officials have contacted us and no financial assistance has been provided.” Similarly, Ahmed’s father, who died of electrocution, criticized the government for organizing the festival to please the elite while poor families lost their children, without receiving any compensation or support.
Salman Abid, a public policy advisor and social activist, felt that in reality, the Basant festival, organized by ordinance and limited to three days in Lahore, only benefited the privileged class. “Despite the government’s claims, kite flying continues beyond the permitted period and authorities have failed to enforce the ban. Although 17 deaths have been officially recognized, reports suggest up to 24 deaths, and no compensation has been provided to the affected families,” Abid said.
Meanwhile, the government is said to have generated Rs 3-4 billion in revenue during this period. It is estimated that sales of kites and strings alone generated between Rs2 and Rs2.5 billion. The government has reportedly authorized more than 5,000 vendors to sell kites and strings.
A Punjab government spokesperson assured that the festival was allowed only for three days with defined SOPs, and cases had been registered against the violators. “A committee is considering compensating the families of the 17 victims. Up to Rs3 billion was generated in revenue and people enjoyed the festival. The government is planning to organize a ‘safe Basant’ next year,” the official said.
According to the Punjab Home Department, in 2026 alone, more than 8,000 people were arrested and more than 7,200 cases registered for violations related to kite flying, mainly in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi. A zero tolerance policy is in place.
Records show that kite flying and making was first banned in Punjab in 2005 after more than 25 deaths. The ban was lifted intermittently in 2006 and 2007, but due to increasing deaths, it was reimposed in 2007. By 2024, more than 2,020 people had lost their lives to this deadly activity. More than 90 percent of deaths occurred from chemical-coated ropes cutting the throat or face.
Despite its deadly history, Basant continues to be celebrated every year in cities like Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Multan and others. On an average, at least eight people die every year during a single day of Basant celebration.
