Let’s go fly a kite

Gone are the days when Punjab would welcome the arrival of spring with the Basant festival. The festival was enjoyed by families from across the province. Kite-flying competitions were held with the sky being lit by hundreds of kites. However, the event became a thing of past when the Punjab government placed a ban on kite flying. The authorities claim that kite flying poses danger to the citizens since many people use dangerous metal strings to fly their kite.

There is no denying that the provincial government has taken a good step to ensure the safety of citizens. The point is that Basant was celebrated in the past as well during which citizens used safe string rolls to fly kites. While upholding the ban on the use of metal string, the government can at least allow the use of safe strings so that the much-loved festival is celebrated across the province. In a country that doesn’t have enough reasons to celebrates, the Basant festival held to welcome spring is desperately needed. Otherwise the Pakistani people will completely lose their cultural and traditional festivals that once defined Pakistan.

Mehran Khan ( Islamabad )