Four Holidays: Punjab to get long weekend

LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz has informed the people of the province about long weekend ahead as they will enjoy four days of holidays starting from February 5, holiday on Kashmir day, ARY News reported.

The CM Punjab on her x handle apprised the people with excitement ” Punjab will enjoy a long weekend with Kashmir Day on February 5, a provincial Basant holiday on the 6th, followed by Saturday and Sunday.”

Punjab will enjoy a long weekend with Kashmir Day on February 5, a provincial Basant holiday on the 6th, followed by Saturday and Sunday.
We hope people across Punjab take this time to relax, recharge, and make the most of the break 🫶🏻

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) February 1, 2026

She further added “We hope people across Punjab take this time to relax, recharge, and make the most of the break.”

The break will be followed by the Saturday and Sunday weekend, allowing citizens to enjoy four consecutive days off. In Lahore, the holiday period is even longer, as a public holiday has been notified for February 4 on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat, resulting in a five-day mega break for the provincial capital.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz stated that the extended break is intended to allow the people of Punjab to spend time with their families, participate in cultural festivities, and recharge.

IG Punjab orders strict enforcement of safety rules

Earlier, the Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) has ordered strict adherence to the code of conduct for Basant 2026 celebrations across the province.

IG Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar in his statement said that only registered kite sellers will be allowed to sell approved kites and threads. Police officers have been directed to ensure compliance with government SOPs and monitor all sales activities, he added.

The Punjab police chief warned of action against aerial firing, display of weapons, obscene behaviour, or any other immoral conduct. “There will be zero tolerance for violations of the Anti-Kite Flying Act across the province.”

From 1 February (today), no motorcycles should be on the road without safety rods, and teams have been formed to monitor compliance using human intelligence and modern technology.

Legal action will be taken against breaches of the Punjab Sound System Act, illegal kite flying, and the use of metallic threads. The CCPO Lahore stressed that enforcement will continue without exception to ensure public safety.

Rooftops of 10 Lahore schools’ allotted for Basant festivities

Besides that the authorities have allotted 10 rooftops of schools in the interior city of Lahore for celebration of traditional Basant Festival.

The Education Authority Lahore has forwarded the report about selected 10 schools to the School Education Department.

The schools that have named for Basant festivities included Government High Schools of Bhati Gate, Dehli Gate, Syed Mitha Bazaar, Shah Alam Gate, Government Victoria Girls High School, Takia Sadhwan, Kabuli Mill and Choona Mandi.

The vigilance staff of schools have been ordered to remain round the clock on duty for three days of Basant Festival.

The deputy commissioner and assistant commissioner will visit the schools to inspect preparations for the festival. In case of unsatisfactory arrangements concerned heads will be held responsible, sources added.

جشنِ بسنت ۔۔۔ ہم سب کی ذمہ داریاں؟
پتنگ اور ڈور کی تیاری و فروخت کے لیے لائسنس لازمی
مکمل تفصیلات کے لیے گورنمنٹ آف پنجاب کا آفیشل یوٹیوب چینل وزٹ کریں 👇🏻https://t.co/I32aAD71dI pic.twitter.com/Bs1vLsgqLF

— Government of Punjab (@GovtofPunjabPK) January 25, 2026

Section 144 in Lahore to celebrate Basant on Feb-6 to 8
The Lahore administration has imposed section 144 in city to ensure celebration of Basant Festival without any untoward incident.

The kites with pictures of holy books, religious places, or any public figure will be prohibited to keep religious and social harmony and maintain law and order during the festival, according to the government order. The kites with the flag of a country, or a political party will also be banned under the law.

The section 144 came into effect forthwith and the law enforcement agencies have been directed to take action under the law.

The government of Punjab has given conditional permission to celebrate a secure Basant festival from February 06 to 08.

Deputy Commissioner Lahore has issued the Basant 2026 notification under the Punjab Kite-Flying Act 2025, recently passed by the Punjab Assembly.

The Punjab government has announced a comprehensive safety plan aimed at providing maximum protection to citizens during the three-day Basant festival. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Faisal Kamran stated that the government has issued strict instructions to the police to ensure public safety during the festivities scheduled for February 6, 7, and 8.

As part of the 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 from 6th to 8th February, 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 in Lahore in accordance with the directions of CM Punjab @MaryamNSharif.
This initiative aims to… pic.twitter.com/8TIWzUHHg5

— Transport & Masstransit Deptt (Punjab), Pakistan (@TransportDeptt) January 26, 2026

Acting on these directives, authorities have distributed one million safety wires to motorcyclists. These wires are to be installed on the front of motorbikes to protect riders from stray kite strings.

Furthermore, the Punjab police have arranged 6,000 specially equipped rickshaws, 500 buses and 60000 car rides to assist the public over the three-day period.

In a significant move to ease commuting and enhance safety, the government has announced that all public transport, including app-based taxi services and government-run transport, will be free of charge throughout the festival.