Govt plans int'l standard Basant

LAHORE:

The Punjab government has begun preparations to organise Basant Lahore 2027 as an international-standard event, with officials reviewing plans for city-wide decoration and other arrangements ahead of the three-day festival.

In a meeting on the preparations chaired by Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Additional Director Rao Tasleem Akhtar, the participants reviewed arrangements for the celebrations, including the decoration of major roads across Lahore.

The process of applying for manufacturing licences to produce sufficient stocks of kites and strings ahead of next year's festival has also been started.

Kite-flyers' representatives said early issuance of the licences would help prevent shortage of kites and strings that citizens had faced this yeat. A leader, Khawaja Nadeem Wain said kite manufacturers would require at least four months to produce sufficient stocks.

They representatives also called for safety measures, particularly for children, during the festival.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had announced that the city would host Basant Lahore 2027 from March 12 to 14. In an online post, she said the dates had been finalised following a successful Basant 2026 and invited people from across Pakistan, overseas Pakistanis and international visitors to attend.