Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said the revival of Basant in Lahore has restored the city’s cultural identity, praising citizens for following SOPs and rejecting what she called a politically motivated strike call.

Addressing a meeting after three days of Basant celebrations, CM Maryam said the festival proved that not only rooftops but hearts were connected. She said the people of Lahore placed their trust in her leadership, and she felt genuinely happy seeing the joy of Lahoreites after 25 years of subdued celebrations.

She added that Basant is a festival that connects people and holds deep cultural importance in Punjab. Guests came from across the country and even from abroad to take part in the celebrations, reflecting Lahore’s cultural pull.

Safe celebrations, strict SOPs

The chief minister said citizens followed SOPs responsibly, helping ensure a largely safe Basant. She noted that all motorcyclists installed safety rods and that only 10,000 violations were recorded despite massive participation.

Maryam Nawaz confirmed that around one million vehicles entered Lahore during Basant. Clinics on Wheels remained active on city roads, while the administration, police, and other institutions showed what she termed “excellent performance.”

No fatal string-related incidents

Highlighting a key safety milestone, the chief minister said not a single death occurred due to kite string twisting around the neck. She thanked Allah for this outcome, adding that while there were some unpleasant incidents of people falling from rooftops or getting electrocuted, overall safety standards significantly improved.

She congratulated 15 relevant government departments for making Basant safe and acknowledged the cooperation of citizens from other parts of the country who also followed SOPs.

Maryam said the younger generation, particularly Gen Z, had little awareness of Basant or the culture of old Lahore before. She expressed happiness that Gen Z enjoyed Basant to the fullest and discovered Lahore’s cultural roots.

She saluted the people of Lahore for embracing the festival responsibly and said Basant lives in her heart as a symbol of unity.

Grief over Islamabad blast

While celebrating Basant’s success, the chief minister said she was heartbroken over the Islamabad blast. She prayed that Allah grants patience to the bereaved families and reaffirmed that the nation would fight terrorism together.

Following the tragedy in Islamabad's Tarlai area, the Punjab government cancelled all official-level Basant events as a mark of respect.

Maryam Nawaz strongly criticized the strike call given by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on February 8, calling it a pretext driven by personal interests. She said there was a “zero strike” across Punjab, with no public response.

She stated that people rejected the culture of accusations, abusive language, riots, encirclement, burning, and sedition. According to her, billionaires called for the strike to harm poor people, but the public decisively dismissed negative attitudes and verbal abuse.

Public mandate

The chief minister said the people of Punjab clearly rejected protest politics and stood by peace, culture, and stability. She reiterated that Punjab Police would undergo further reforms and vowed that terrorism would be defeated collectively.

Concluding her address, Maryam Nawaz said Basant’s success reflected public support for the government and thanked institutions, citizens, and visitors for making the festival memorable and safe.