Basant tragedy sparks court petition after 6 deaths and 124 injuries, challenging government claims of safe celebrations.

A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court seeking criminal proceedings against government officials over fatalities and injuries during the recent Basant festival. The plea claims the celebrations resulted in serious human losses despite official assurances of safety.

The petition was submitted by Judicial Activism Panel Chairman Azhar Siddique. It states that official data from the Punjab Home Department confirms six people died and 124 others were injured during the festival. The petitioner argued that these figures contradict the Punjab government’s claim that Basant was celebrated without major incidents.

Basant celebrations were held in Lahore from February 6 to 8 under strict security arrangements. Authorities had permitted the festival only within the city and claimed extensive safety measures were in place to prevent accidents that had previously led to bans.

However, the petition described Basant as a growing threat to public safety. It said several children were injured after falling from rooftops or climbing electricity poles while flying kites, raising serious concerns about safety enforcement.

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The petitioner also accused authorities of failing to stop the production and sale of dangerous kite strings, commonly known as “killer string.” This failure, the plea argued, showed negligence by state institutions responsible for public protection.

The court has been requested to order criminal and departmental action against responsible officials and form a judicial commission to investigate the incident.