Event Summary
On 27 January 2026, the Punjab government issued a notification regulating kite-flying during the revival of Basant celebrations, prohibiting kites carrying images of political figures, political party symbols, national flags, or religious symbols. Only plain or multi-coloured kites without pictures or slogans are permitted. The order has been framed as a preventive measure under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, with authorities claiming it is intended to avoid politicisation and maintain public order during a mass cultural event.
However, the restriction has generated significant public debate because it targets political symbolism rather than concrete safety risks. While regulation of hazardous or obscene content can be justified, banning political imagery from a cultural festival raises concerns about excessive control over expression. Basant has traditionally been a social and cultural space where symbolic and personal expression is visible, and this measure marks a shift toward regulating not only conduct but also political identity.
Legal challenges were filed against the notification in the Lahore High Court, most notably by Sheikh Imtiaz Mahmood, a Member of the Punjab Assembly from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The petitioner argued that the ban on political images and symbols is arbitrary, politically motivated, and inconsistent with constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression. Although the petition was returned on procedural grounds, the matter remains part of active legal and public discourse.
In the broader civic-space context, this development reflects a shrinking space for political expression in everyday public life. Cultural platforms are increasingly being regulated to remove visible political sentiment, even though large segments of society particularly youth continue to associate with specific political movements. The restriction appears aimed at disconnecting public sentiment from public visibility by limiting how political choices can be expressed in cultural settings, raising serious concerns about the normalisation of political control over social and cultural expression.