LAHORE : Finally, the provincial metropolis will witness colourful kites in its skies after almost two decades as a formal permission was granted to celebrate Basant in the city on February 6, 7 and 8, 2026. In this regard, a notification was issued by the DC Lahore Syed Musa Raza here Monday.
According to the notification, only approved and standard kite flying equipment will be allowed to be used during Basant. The manufacturing and trade of kite flying equipment has been allowed from December 30, 2025 to February 8, 2026 while the sale of kite flying equipment to the public will be allowed from February 1 to February 8, 2026.
The notification said only registered shopkeepers will be able to sell kite flying equipment and the registration process of manufacturers, traders and sellers has started on December 29, 2025, which can be completed through the e-Biz app or basant.punjab.gov.pk.
The notification maintained a complete ban on the use of Charkhi while metal wire, nylon, plastic or sharp manjha was also completely banned. Only cotton strings will be allowed under specific standards and in addition, the sizes and the limits of kites have also been fixed.
According to the notification, “Patang shall not exceed four and half githi and 35 inches in width and 30 inches in length while Gudda shall not exceed one and half tawa and 40 inches in width and 34 inches in length. Dor (string) shall be made of cotton with not more than nine taars (threads) and not less than twenty-eight counts, coated with manjha having minimum sheesha of 350 mash. Dor shall only be wound in the shape of ‘Pinna’ and use of Charkhi is strictly prohibited.” The administration has directed that all registered shopkeepers should display their certificates on a prominent place and it will be mandatory to keep complete records of stock, sales and movement of goods.
The district administration said that the aim of these measures is to celebrate Basant in a safe manner and ensure the safety of lives and property of citizens.
The notification also stated that all motorcycles operating within District Lahore shall comply with the safety specifications as set forth in Chapter III of the Punjab Kite Flying Regulations, 2025.
It stated that any violation of this notification shall render the offender liable to action under the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Ordinance, 2025, the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Rules, 2025 and the Punjab Kite Flying Regulations, 2025 including cancellation of permission or registration, seizure of material and prosecution in accordance with law. However, kite flyers demanded the govt to allow use of Charkhi during the festival as handling old and traditional Pinna was difficult for the present day generation.
