Lahore | Pakistan

The US State Department said on Wednesday it had ordered non-emergency personnel from US consulates in the cities of Karachi and Lahore and their families to leave Pakistan due to security concerns. “The Department of State ordered non-emergency US government employees and the family members of US government personnel from US Consulates Lahore and Karachi to leave Pakistan due to safety risks,” the US Mission in Pakistan said in a statement. It said there was no change to the status of its embassy in Islamabad. The advisory noted “an ongoing threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran and significant disruptions to commercial flights” amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. While there is also an additional consulate in Peshawar, the updated travel advisory did not mention anything about it. Following the onset of hostilities between Iran and the US and Israel since February 28, the State Department has issued similar instructions for its staff in multiple regional countries. These include Jordan, Bah...

LAHORE: A judicial magistrate at a district court on Wednesday issued a notice to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) while hearing a bail petition of a Canadian national who was arrested in a cybercrime case. Hamza Ahmed Khan, who was pursuing doctoral research, had reportedly gone missing last week, leading to the registration of a first information report. He turned up in NCCIA’s custody on Monday and was sent to jail on judicial remand. Subsequently, he filed for post-arrest bail. On Wednesday, Advocate Asad Jamal appeared before the magistrate on behalf of Khan. During the hearing, the magistrate directed the NCCIA’s investigating officer to submit a record of the case on Thursday. In his petition, the applicant alleged that he was abducted on the night between Feb 18 and 19, while travelling in a cab in Lahore. The petitioner claimed that the first information report (FIR) against him by the FIA’s cyber crime wing was registered a day later on Feb 21, with “malafide intentions” to conc...

The Punjab home department submitted a report to the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday stating that 17 people died during the recent Basant festival in Lahore. The three-day Basant festival was held in Lahore from February 6-8, following the Punjab government’s decision to lift a ban on the historic event after 18 years, with strict regulations. However, despite the government’s emphasis on safety measures, over 100 accidents were reported in connection with the festival. The petition, heard by Justice Owais Khalid, sought the details of deaths and injuries during Basant. According to the report, three people died of electrocution during the festival, and two died after falling from trees. In addition, 12 people lost their lives falling from roofs, the report added. The LHC also sought details of people injured by kite strings during Basant. According to the petitioner’s lawyer, Advocate Azhar Siddique, the data was not provided. Earlier this month, the court summoned a police report on the deaths and inju...

Classes have been suspended in 133 government schools in Lahore after a structural survey found their buildings to be unsafe, officials said.

LAHORE: Police on Saturday registered a kidnapping case against unidentified suspects after a Canadian national pursuing doctoral research allegedly went missing in Lahore three days ago. A police station in Defence Housing Authority registered the case under kidnapping charges on the complaint of Yousif Rasheed, a friend of the Canadian citizen who has been identified as Hamza Ahmad. According to the first information report (FIR), Ahmad arrived in Pakistan on February 13 to work on his PhD thesis and was staying with his friend in DHA Phase 10. The complainant stated that Ahmad had booked a cab and left the home between 1am and 2am on February 19 but did not return. He said that the friends searched for Ahmad on their own but were unable to trace his whereabouts. The FIR stated that unknown persons may have kidnapped Ahmed, requesting legal action against those responsible. Lahore Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Faisal Kamran confirmed to Dawn that a kidnapping case had been registered against uni...

Light showers swept across several neighborhoods of Lahore in the early hours of Wednesday, causing a noticeable drop in temperature.

LAHORE: The National Cyber Crime Agency (NCCI) on Friday released a journalist a few hours after detaining him for questioning. As per initial reports, Khurram Iqbal, a producer with Hum News, was reportedly picked up by unidentified men from his sister’s home in Lahore around 1pm. Subsequently, there was an uproar on social media, with many demanding information on the journalist’s whereabouts. The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) had called on federal and provincial authorities, including the interior and information ministries, to take urgent action for Iqbal’s safe release. The Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors had also condemned the journalist’s alleged abduction and called for his release. The statement said that, according to Iqbal’s family, armed men in plainclothes whisked him away from his sister’s residence. It also expressed concern over the “growing trend” of harassment of journalists. Meanwhile, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Usman Anwar ...

A meeting between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Pakistan and Bangladesh cricket boards was held at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday to discuss Pakistan’s decision to boycott the T20 World Cup match with India on February 15. The meeting was still in progress until late Sunday night, while the ICC, as well as the two cricket boards, decided not to speak to the media regarding the discussion. After a four-hour meeting, no joint declaration was issued. Per sources, there was a break for a late-night dinner, and a second round of talks was scheduled after that. Sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) earlier told Dawn that the two sides will most likely announce the outcome of the meeting after receiving an endorsement from the Government of Pakistan. They added that the main concern of the PCB expressed during the meeting was related to the “politics rampant at a large-scale level across the ICC affairs and India’s excessive involvement in it.” The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s ...

Amid incredible energy, festivity, unity and joy across Lahore, CM Maryam extends Basant celebrations for 5 more hours Record 900,000 vehicles enter Lahore in 3 days 600,000 passengers travelled free of cost on Orange Train over two days Foreign diplomats, showbiz celebrities grace festivities at Delhi Gate.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Sunday lauded the people of Lahore for abiding by the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the provincial government, as the three-day Basant festival approached its culmination. “Lahore is happy today, I am happy, too. The residents of Lahore played a vital role in making this Basant successful by following all the rules and regulations,” she said in a statement, posted on PML-N’s official X account. Maryam continued: “The idea of safe Basant will also be adopted in other cities.” Brightly coloured kites soared through the skies over Lahore this weekend, marking the return of a festival after a 19-year ban that had been imposed over safety concerns. Families and groups of friends gathered on rooftops, in parks and on streets for the three-day kite-flying festival. “Everyone is excited — all of Punjab, all of Pakistan. It has become hard to find kites and strings because they sold out,” Shahzaib, a kite flyer, told AFP. Punjab authorities banned the festival in 200...

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR/QUETTA: Most of the markets in Lahore and Islamabad were open on Sunday, despite a strike call by opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) in protest of alleged discrepancies in the 2024 general elections. The PTI — a part of the TTAP — had announced a strike today to mark the second anniversary of the Feb 8, 2024 general elections, which it alleges were marred by rigging. The party also said it will observe a day of mourning following Friday’s suicide bombing at an imambargah in Islamabad that claimed at least 36 lives. A partial shutdown was observed in Peshawar, while a complete shutdown strike was reported in Quetta. In Lahore, all major markets remained closed, primarily due to Sunday and the ongoing Basant festival. In the evening, the TTAP could not hold a torch-bearing rally outside Islamabad’s Faisal Mosque as planned, claiming road closures and the arrest of over two dozen workers. Despite the alleged arrests of over two dozen workers — including eight...

Members of the United States and United Kingdom diplomatic missions in Pakistan joined locals in celebrating Basant in Lahore, taking part in kite flying and expressing delight at the revival of the city’s traditional spring festival.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced on Sunday that Basant festivities in Lahore could continue till 5am on Monday, extending the previous deadline that was set to end today. Previously, the Punjab government had given the approval for Basant celebrations in the provincial capital for just three days, from February 6-8. But the provincial chief executive said in a post on social media platform X today: “Looking at the incredible energy, festivity, unity, and joy across Lahore, Punjab and Pakistan … I am pleased to announce that Basant celebrations timings are being extended till 5am tomorrow morning.” She said the extension was a “reward for the people of Lahore” for celebrating Basant with great discipline and for responsibly following all safety standard operating procedures. “Please continue to celebrate safely, stay away from electric wires, secure your rooftops, and follow all guidelines. Let’s make this historic Basant joyful, safe, and memorable for everyone.” she added. The kite-flying festiva...

The vibrant kite-flying fever in Punjab’s capital faded on Sunday as the three-day Basant celebrations drew to a close, marking the final day of the colourful festival with enthusiasm and cheer across Lahore.

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said the revival of Basant under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has reignited public enthusiasm and restored a festive spirit across Lahore.

LAHORE: As Basant festivities kicked off on Friday after an 18-year hiatus, at least six kite-flying-related injuries have been reported in the city so far. In December last year, the Punjab government lifted the ban on kite flying and allowed the celebration of Basant with strict regulations. The kite-flying festival was banned in 2007 in Punjab because of an increasing number of deaths and serious injuries caused by sharp strings, particularly to motorcyclists and pillion riders, as well as by celebratory gunfire. In the first incident, a 21-year-old man sustained injuries around his neck after coming in contact with a stray kite string in Lahore’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA). The young man was returning home from a local market on a bike when the string became entangled around his neck, leaving visible deep wounds. However, a police official claimed that the injured person was riding the bike without a safety rod. Earlier, the government had instructed the motorcyclists to install protective steel wire...

The Punjab government has introduced a complimentary public transport scheme for the Basant Festival 2026 to ensure hassle-free movement for residents and visitors across Lahore during the celebrations.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Tuesday said dry weather with clear skies was expected for the majority of the Basant festival, which is set to be celebrated in Lahore this week. “Mainly dry weather with clear skies is expected on 6th and 7th February, while dry weather with few cloudy conditions on 8th February, 2026 in Lahore during the Basant 2026,” the PMD said in a forecast posted on the social media platform X. It added that light westerly/north-westerly winds were likely to blow at the speed of 10 to 15 kilometres per hour, which was “suitable for safe kite-flying”. The PMD advised the festival participants to “exercise caution while flying kites, especially near electric lines and open roads”. The three-day Basant festival is set to kick off in Lahore from February 6, following the Punjab government’s decision to lift a ban on the historic event after 18 years, with strict regulations. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has announced a “long weekend” in the province, declaring a “provi...

Preparations for Basant have officially begun in Lahore as the sale of kites, spools and kite string started from Saturday.

After a gap of more than 20 years, Lahore is set to celebrate the vibrant festival of Basant from February 6 to 8, with the sale of kites and strings officially starting from Sunday.