Punjab CM cancels Basant events after Islamabad blast

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Friday announced the cancellation of all Basant-related activities scheduled for Saturday following a deadly blast in Islamabad that left dozens dead and injured.

In a post on X, the chief minister said the mega Basant show planned at Liberty Square in Lahore also stood cancelled in the wake of what she described as the “Islamabad tragedy.”

“It is imperative that the nation remains united against the Khwarji menace and their sympathisers, shows them no mercy, and stands shoulder to shoulder with our armed forces in defence of the country,” Maryam Nawaz said.

READ MORE: Skies of Lahore come alive as Basant returns after years of hiatus

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari later confirmed that all Basant events had been called off, saying the Punjab government stood with the families of the victims in their time of grief.

She said terrorists wanted to prevent Pakistan’s positive image from being projected to the world, but stressed that the nation would not bow to fear.

The three-day Basant festival began earlier on Friday in Lahore after the Punjab government formally lifted a ban in place for more than two decades, with authorities enforcing strict safety measures to prevent kite-flying-related accidents.

Earlier, the Sindh government also cancelled the musical segment of the Cultural Night organised for the Commonwealth Parliamentarians Association. Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said the dinner in honour of the visiting delegates would be held without music out of respect for the victims.

At least 31 people were martyred and 169 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up inside Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra during Friday prayers in Islamabad’s Tarlai area, officials said.