'Previously, I used to oppose the ban but now I support it until there is safe and healthy kite-flying,' Ali said, adding that the growing number of people and vehicles, mostly motorbikes, have made kite-flying further risky. Zilfiqar Ali, a former organiser of the Lahore Basant festival, holds 'Lahoris' - a term to designate citizens of Lahore - responsible for the ban by continuously violating the rules. In 2018, the Punjab government had announced to lift the ban from kite-flying during the Basant festival, however, it was forced to back out due to pressure from citizens, especially the victims' families. The last casualty was reported at midnight as revellers nowadays fly kites at night to avoid being spotted and arrested. Police have arrested over 10,000 people for violating the kite-flying ban in Lahore alone this year, according to a Lahore police spokesperson.

The event promoted Lahore as the country's cultural hub and prompted citizens to rent out the roofs of their homes for use in kite-flying events throughout the month. The deaths coincided with a period when the festival had become increasingly popular in Pakistan, spreading from its historical home in Lahore to other parts of the country.īut the sharp, often metal, strings used to detach kites during kite fights killed several children by cutting their throats, sparking countrywide anger that forced the government to ban the festival from taking place in main cities.īasant was taken to its zenith by former military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf, who made it an international event between 2004 to 2008. The first ban came in 2007 following the deaths of hundreds of people - mostly children.ĭespite the official ban, kite-flying could not be fully controlled by the authorities as kite-lovers continued celebrating the festival amid arrests and deaths. In recent years, the game has suffered bans in Pakistan as the government deems it dangerous. Kite-flying is the centerpiece of a popular festival known as Basant, celebrated in both Indian and Pakistani Punjab provinces, to welcome Spring every year. The deaths and injuries are caused by the use of sharp glass-coated strings used specifically for kite-flying. Asadullah, 23, was riding a motorbike in Lahore when a stray kite string slit his throat open, killing him on the spot.Ī fresh graduate from university, who had joined his maiden job just three days before his death, was the latest victim of the throat-slitting incidents, which have already claimed hundreds of lives and injured as many over the past few decades.Īccording to police, 25 people, mainly children, lost their lives, and 47 others were injured in similar incidents last year in Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan.

Kite fighting pakistan