ISLAMABAD: The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) has invited the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) to a friendly match between their senior women’s national teams on Dec. 7, the PFF said on Friday.
The SAFF had proposed hosting the match between the two teams during their training camp in Qatar, scheduled within the upcoming FIFA match window from November 25 to December 7, according to the PFF.
“The match will take place on December 7, 2024, in Qatar,” it said in a statement. “The PFF has begun preparations and further details will be shared in due course.”
The development comes as Pakistani authorities seek to diversify athletic interests and skills beyond the nation’s predominant passion for cricket, promoting sports like futsal to broaden the athletic landscape.
Despite the cultural and social hurdles, these efforts include encouraging more participation among women, who rarely have opportunities to engage in sports and international competitions.
In Dec. last year, the PFF announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) to foster strong ties for the mutual benefit, promotion, growth and success of football in both federations.
This was the first such collaboration in the history of Pakistani football, according to Haroon Malik, a PFF official who signed the MoU with SAFF President Yasser Al-Misehal in Riyadh.
Pakistani, Saudi women’s football teams to play friendly match in Qatar on Dec. 7
https://arab.news/wgx43
Pakistani, Saudi women’s football teams to play friendly match in Qatar on Dec. 7
- The Saudi Arabian Football Federation proposed hosting the match during the teams’ training camp in Qatar
- Pakistan and Saudi Arabia last year signed agreement to foster strong ties for the promotion of football
Pakistan’s Punjab to hold Basant kite festival from Feb. 6-8 after 25-year ban
- Province to start safety antenna installation campaign on all motorbikes from tomorrow
- Basant ban began in the mid-2000s after fatal incidents involving metal-coated kite strings
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province will hold the iconic spring kite-flying Basant festival from Feb. 6-8 next year after the provincial government lifted its long-running 25-year ban earlier this month, a senior minister said on Wednesday.
The ban due to fatal kite-string accidents was lifted after the provincial administration passed the Punjab Kite Flying Ordinance 2025, marking a cautious comeback for a festival that once symbolized the arrival of spring in the region.
Basant, one of Punjab’s most celebrated cultural festivals, used to draw thousands to rooftops across Lahore and other cities. However, from 2005 onward, it was repeatedly banned after dozens of people were killed or injured by dangerous metal and chemically coated kite strings that could slash motorcyclists and pedestrians, many of them children.
Courts and provincial administrations upheld these prohibitions for years, making the revival of Basant one of Punjab’s most politically sensitive cultural decisions.
“[Chief Minister] Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved the revival of our beloved Heritage Basant Festival on February 6th, 7th and 8th celebrated across Lahore after 25 years, a tradition rooted in history and admired worldwide,” Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said in a post on X.
“The Basant Ordinance 2025 will be fully enforced and implemented. Every kite string and seller registered, QR coded and monitored. Basant belongs to the people, its success is our collective responsibility.”
Aurangzeb added that a citywide campaign to install safety antennas on all motorbikes will begin tomorrow.
“Every motorbike in Lahore will have Antenna for safety before and during Basant Inshallah,” Aurangzeb added. “Safety is CM Punjab’s priority. Let every kite soar and every ride be safe together, we’ll make Lahore happy historic and secure!“
Under new regulations, the government has made it mandatory for anyone making or selling kites to register. Each kite must carry a QR code linking to the seller’s identity.
The rules also prohibit children under the age of 18 from flying kites, making their guardians responsible for any violations. Fines for minors are set at Rs 50,000 ($179) for a first offense and Rs 100,000 ($358) for a second offense. Kite flying will only be allowed with formal authorization.
In Punjab, kite flying will require permission from the deputy commissioners, and kites may only be purchased from registered vendors.
The ordinance introduces strict penalties for adults as well, including three to five years in prison and a fine of Rs 2 million ($7,160) for violations.
The government has said the new regulatory framework was intended to revive the Basant festival in a controlled and safe manner, balancing public enthusiasm for the celebration with longstanding concerns over fatal injuries caused by unsafe kite strings.
Officials say that the ordinance also aims to formalize the small but extensive economy surrounding Basant, which includes kite manufacturing, string production, dyes, paper supply, bamboo cutting, wholesalers and thousands of seasonal vendors.
For decades, this value chain has operated informally, with no licensing, safety regulations, or tax registration, generating minimal direct revenue for the provincial government.
By bringing manufacturers and sellers into a documented system through mandatory registration and QR-coded products, officials argue that the government can expand its tax base, ensure safer production standards and create more predictable business opportunities for cottage-industry workshops that rely on the Basant season for income.
