The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday referred a petition seeking permission to celebrate the Basant festival across Punjab to the provincial chief secretary, directing him to review the matter and make a decision within 60 days.
Justice Malik Muhammad Awais Khalid announced the reserved verdict while deciding a petition filed by citizen Ashba Kamran.
The court had reserved its verdict a day earlier, after hearing arguments of the parties.
The court directed the Chief Secretary Punjab to conduct a detailed review of the matter and determine whether allowing Basant celebrations only in Lahore while denying the same permission to other districts amounts to discriminatory treatment.
The judge observed that the decision should be made in light of Articles 25 and 4 of the Constitution, ensuring equality before the law and fair treatment of all citizens.
The court further directed that the petitioner, Ashba Kamran, be given an opportunity to be heard before any final decision is made.
It also ordered that a report on the decision taken by the Chief Secretary be submitted within two months to the Deputy Registrar (Judicial) of the Lahore High Court.
In her petition, Ashba Kamran contended that the Punjab government had enacted legislation regarding Basant celebrations but allowed kite flying only in Lahore, depriving citizens of other districts of the same opportunity. She argued that instead of restricting the festival to Lahore, Basant should be allowed to be celebrated uniformly across the province.