Basant inauguration, culmination events to cost Rs300 million

An amount of Rs300 million will be spent on the inauguration and concluding ceremony of Basant Festival 2026, which will be celebrated in Lahore, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday.

The opening ceremony of the Basant Festival will be held in Shahi Qila, Lahore, and the concluding ceremony will take place in Asif Jah Haveli.

More than 500 guests will attend the ceremonies. Vendor of the event, Jalal Salahuddin and Production, presented its expenditure report to the Punjab government.

Moreover, Commissioner Maryam Khan constituted joint teams comprising assistant commissioners and XENs to ensure the implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

She directed all assistant commissioners to ensure safety measures in their areas. The commissioner said the LESCO teams will be available in all areas who will ensure interrupted power supply in the area.

The Commissioner said that Lahore Development Authority (LDA) will issue a safety certificate for the buildings in its area.

Punjab government has announced that the Basant festival will take place from February 6 to 8, but kite flying will only be permitted under strict safety regulations

The law explicitly bans the use of metallic strings, notorious for causing such gruesome injuries. Authorities have warned that anyone caught violating the rules will face harsh penalties and heavy fines, as the state cracks down on unsafe kite-flying practices.

Reporter: Tahir Jamil Khan