Info slide: Basant is a historic kite-flying festival celebrated in Punjab in February to mark the beginning of Spring. The festival was banned in 2007 due to deaths and injuries caused by kite string ano celebratory gunfire The Punjab government has lifted the ban on Basant celebrations

in Lahore for 2026

Deaths and injuries due to faulty infrastructure, absence of safety measures (fire safety, seismic safety etc), and poor emergency response (from police, ambulance services and fire departments) are alarmingly frequent, especially in developing countries such as Pakistan. A spate of deaths due to children falling into open sewers in Karachi is but one of many examples. The recent fire in Gul Plaza is another. 

At the same time, while government departments may be subject to civil suits, currently politicians and public officials cannot be held personally liable via civil suits or criminal penalties for such injuries and deaths. Some countries are now considering legislation to introduce personal liability, but there is no consensus on the matter.

Australia has banned under-16s from using major social media platforms, including Tik Tok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and Threads. New accounts cannot be created and existing ones are being deactivated. Children and parents will not face penalties; instead, platforms risk fines of up to AUD$49.5 million for serious or repeated violations. Age verification must rely on methods such as government ID, facial or voice recognition, or behavioral "age inference," rather than self-certification or parental consent. The UK parliament is also considering approving a similar ban.