Three people died from electrocution, while 14 others lost their lives after falling from trees and roofs.
LAHORE:
The Punjab government has informed the Lahore High Court that at least 17 people lost their lives during the Basant festival in Lahore.
According to a report presented by the provincial Ministry of the Interior, three people died from electrocution, while two others fell from trees during the celebrations. Most of the deaths, 12 in total, were due to falls from roofs.
During the hearing, the court also sought complete details about people injured by kite strings during the festival. The petitioner’s lawyer Azhar Siddique pointed out that no details had been provided about the people injured by the kite strings.
Justice Awais Khalid heard petitions filed by the Judicial Activism Panel and others, requesting that the court order the authorities to provide full details of the deaths and injuries during the Basant celebrations.
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The petitioners also challenged the Kite Flying Act, 2025, seeking a declaration from the court that the law was illegal and sought details of injuries and expenses related to the festival.
The petitioners, including PTI MPA Sheikh Imtiaz, asked the court for a record of those injured during Basant and sought a response from the Punjab home minister regarding a miscellaneous request regarding official expenses for the event.
Advocate Siddique urged the court to direct the Punjab government to provide complete details of the injured. The petitioners’ lawyers have been summoned to present arguments at the next hearing.
Basant was celebrated in Lahore from February 6 to 8. Despite the introduction of an extensive network of legal, administrative and security controls, several people lost their lives during the event, prompting citizens to turn to court seeking criminal action against the authorities.
