The Kite Flying Association of Rawalpindi and Islamabad has openly defied the government’s strict ban on kite flying by announcing two separate Basant festivals this February. Despite the restrictions, the association is moving ahead with plans, organizing one Basant festival in Rawalpindi Cantonment and another in Rawalpindi City.
The first Basant Night for the Cantonment areas, which include Tench Bhatta, Peoples Colony, Dhok Syedan, Morgah, and Chuhur Harpal, is scheduled for February 20, followed by a full day of celebrations on February 21. The Rawalpindi City event will follow a week later, with festivities planned for February 27 and 28.
Also Read: Basant killed another person in Rawalpindi.
Association Chairman Chaudhry Iqbal has been vocal about resisting the ban, calling for stricter enforcement against hazardous kite materials rather than outlawing the festival altogether. “Even if the punishment for Basant is 14 years in prison or life imprisonment, the festival will go on,” he declared, underscoring the determination to keep the tradition alive.
Authorities have ramped up efforts to curb the illegal sale of kites, but enthusiasts have turned to covert methods, using social media to order supplies and coded language to evade detection. Nonetheless, the festival is expected to proceed with rooftop feasts, barbecues, and nighttime kite flying, adding tension to the ongoing standoff with law enforcement.
