The Lahore High Court dismissed as withdrawn a petition challenging Punjab’s proposed 10-day Basant festival in 2027 after the petitioner failed to establish that the case was maintainable.
Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry heard the petition filed by citizen Shahid Islam against the government’s announced plan to hold the festival from January 29 to February 7, 2027.
At the start of proceedings, the judge questioned how the proposed celebrations could be challenged without a formal government notification. The petitioner’s lawyer said the information came from the government’s website and newspaper reports.
Justice Chaudhry observed that a petition could not rely on unverified information and directed the lawyer to obtain the official notification before challenging the decision. He noted that a certified copy could be sought under the right to information law.
The judge also summoned the additional registrar (judicial) to explain why the missing notification had not prompted an objection during scrutiny of the petition.
When the lawyer referred to an earlier Basant ban and alleged festival-related deaths last year, the judge directed him to confine his arguments to legal grounds.
The court also expressed concern over the petitioner repeatedly interrupting proceedings despite having legal representation. The petition was subsequently dismissed as withdrawn, without a ruling on the merits of the proposed festival.
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