After Lahore, Basant festival expected in Karachi in coming weeks

After Lahore, Karachi could soon host a Basant festival, as Mayor Murtaza Wahab announced plans to organise a kite-flying event to mark the arrival of spring.

Speaking to the media, Wahab said a Basant mela is being planned in Karachi in the coming weeks, with Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim and Benazir Bhutto Park under consideration as possible venues.

He said the city administration aims to channel public interest in Basant into an organised cultural event.

The mayor clarified that his remarks referred strictly to the traditional spring festival and not to any political symbolism associated with the “kite”.

He said he was not referring to any political party’s election symbol, stressing the need to separate cultural activities from political interpretations.

Wahab also urged what he described as elements creating unnecessary controversy to refrain from obstructing the event, saying citizens should be allowed to celebrate cultural traditions and make the city more vibrant.

During the interaction, the Karachi mayor also commented on development spending in the city, criticising the federal government for what he described as a lack of financial contribution.

He said the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) was spending Rs46 billion, adding that total development spending in the city would reach around Rs80 billion this year.

He further claimed that the Sindh government, under the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), was allocating approximately Rs300 billion for development projects in Karachi.