Punjab Government Bans Political and Religious Kites After Imran Khan Images Surface Ahead of Basant

Lahore: The Punjab government has imposed a ban on the manufacturing, sale, transportation, and use of kites bearing political or religious symbols after kites featuring images of former prime minister Imran Khan surfaced ahead of the Basant festival.

To prevent provocation and maintain public order during Basant, Section 144 has been enforced in Lahore. Under the restrictions, kites displaying images of sacred books, religious sites, political figures, national flags, or political party symbols are strictly prohibited.

The ban will remain in force for 30 days and applies to the production, purchase, sale, and use of kites with religious or political designs. However, the use of plain single-color or multi-colored kites without any images will be allowed during Basant.

اس وقت پنجاب حکومت کو یہ خوف لاحق ہے کہ کہیں عوام بسنت کے دنوں میں پتنگوں پر 804 اور عمران خان کی تصویر نہ لگا دیں۔

عوام اپنی امنگوں اور پسند کا اظہار ہر ممکن طریقے سے کرتے ہیں۔ جعلی اور مسلط حکومتیں عوام کے جذبات سے نہیں لڑ سکتیں۔

عمران کو روکو گے؟ عمران تو ہو کر رہے گا۔ pic.twitter.com/qy28RyYghT

— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) January 26, 2026

Authorities have declared the preparation, storage, transportation, sale, and use of prohibited kites a punishable offense. Officials feared that extremist or provocative elements could exploit Basant by using religious or political symbols to incite unrest.

Orders under Section 144 have taken immediate effect, and law enforcement agencies have been directed to take strict action against violators. The Punjab government has granted conditional permission for a “safe Basant” in Lahore from February 6 to 8. The Deputy Commissioner Lahore issued the Basant 2026 notification under the Punjab Kite Flying Act 2025.

According to a spokesperson for the Punjab Home Department, Basant has been permitted strictly as a recreational festival, and no violations of law will be tolerated. The restrictions aim to maintain public order and respect religious sentiments during the event.

بسنت کے دوران عمران خان کی تصویر اور پی ٹی آئی کے جھنڈے کی تصویر والی پتنگوں پر پابندی عائد pic.twitter.com/LODNBIRjcO

— The Power Of PTI (@ThePowerOfPTI) January 27, 2026

Under the Punjab Kite Flying Act 2025, the use of metallic wire, nylon string, or glass-coated string is completely banned. The government has also prohibited the manufacturing, transportation, storage, sale, and use of dangerous strings and kites.

Violators may face up to five years in prison and fines of up to Rs2 million for kite flying before the approved dates. Those involved in the manufacture or sale of banned materials may face up to seven years in prison and fines of up to Rs5 million.