The Lahore High Court declined to grant a stay on the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Ordinance 2025, the new law that permits the revival of the Basant festival.
The court directed the provincial government, the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA), and other respondents to submit formal replies.
The case was taken up by Justice Malik Awais Khalid on a petition filed by the Judicial Activism Panel (JAP), a public interest group. Advocate Azhar Siddique, representing the petitioner, argued that the ordinance had been issued in undue haste.
During the proceedings, an assistant advocate general opposed the petition, noting that the petitioner had bypassed relevant administrative forums before approaching the court.
Justice Khalid observed that kite flying is an ancient cultural activity, dating back more than 2,500 years to China, and practiced across the world, but he stressed that public safety must remain the foremost concern. Advocate Siddique countered that countries like China and Japan do not use metallic or hazardous kite strings.
He questioned the government’s decision to promulgate an ordinance while the provincial assembly was in session, and urged the court to suspend the law as an interim measure. The judge asked the government’s counsel to explain what safeguards were being put in place to prevent injuries and fatalities, prompting the state’s law officer to request more time to file a comprehensive response.
Justice Khalid refused to issue interim relief and adjourned the hearing until December 22.
The petition argues that kite-flying incidents have previously resulted in numerous deaths across Punjab and that even the Supreme Court had once imposed restrictions on the activity. It warns that reintroducing kite flying could again endanger lives, despite constitutional protections guaranteeing the safety of citizens.
The petitioner has asked the court to declare the ordinance void, asserting that its promulgation under Article 128 of the Constitution was neither justified nor based on any genuine emergency, and amounted to misuse of the governor’s authority.
