Claim: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif approved a 10-day Basant festival across Punjab from 29 January to 7 February 2027.
Fact: The 10-day festival is scheduled for Lahore, not across Punjab.
Several social media posts, including a Facebook post by Business Bytes Pakistan, claims Punjab’s CM Maryam approved a 10-day Basant festival across the province to mark the arrival of 2027.
The accompanying graphic says the chief minister approved the festival from 29 January to 7 February, but makes no mention of the festival taking place throughout Punjab. Its caption, however, states that festivities are planned “across the province” and describing the announcement as the return of a “province-wide Basant celebration.”
Screenshot of the Business Bytes Pakistan post. The caption misleadingly extends the announced Lahore festival to the entire province.
Fact or Fiction?
An announcement shared by Punjab Information Minister Azma Zahid Bokhari on X on 30 September 2026 states, ‘لاہور میں 10 دن بسنت منائی جائے گی,’ meaning, ‘Basant will be celebrated for 10 days in Lahore.’ The post was also reproduced by The Express Tribune.
Screenshot of Punjab Information Minister Azma Zahid Bokhari’s 30 September X post announcing a 10-day Basant celebration in Lahore.
Geo News also reported that the chief minister approved the festival in Lahore from 29 January to 7 February 2027, with celebrations paused on 5 February for Kashmir Day. Dawn similarly reported that the Punjab capital would host the festival and that the CM described it as a gift for the people of Lahore.
The announcement also refers to promoting Punjab’s cultural heritage and Lahore’s historic traditions. This reference to Punjab’s culture does not indicate that the 10-day festival was approved throughout the province. The Express Tribune makes the same distinction, stating that the celebrations are in Lahore while quoting the chief minister as saying they would “promote Punjab’s cultural colours and Lahore’s ancient historical tradition.”
Conflicting reports about geographical scope
Soch Fact Check found inconsistent reporting about the geographical scope of the announcement. ARY News’s English report on 30 September stated that the festival would take place “across the province.” However, the outlet’s Urdu report published the same day states that the festival was approved for Lahore’s residents and would take place in Lahore from 29 January to 7 February 2027.
Screenshot of an ARY News Facebook post promoting its English report, which states the 10-day Basant festival will take place across Punjab.
Earlier reporting also created uncertainty about the geographical scope of Basant 2027. On 17 August, ProPakistani reported, citing unnamed sources, that the government had decided in principle to hold Basant across Punjab. However, the following day, the outlet reported that the Punjab Home Department had rejected a circulating notification claiming that Basant 2027 would be held across the province as “fake and fabricated.”
The chief minister subsequently announced a three-day Basant festival in Lahore for March 2027 before the revised 10-day Lahore schedule was announced on 30 September. Geo News also reported on this earlier Lahore schedule. These earlier reports do not establish that the specific 30 September approval covered Punjab as a whole.
Schedule may change
There is also uncertainty over whether the announced dates will remain unchanged. On 4 October, 24NewsHD reported, citing government sources, that authorities were considering reducing the festival to three days and moving it to March 2027. ProPakistani reported the same development on 5 October but noted that authorities had not issued a final confirmation. This possible schedule change does not alter the geographical scope of the 30 September announcement, which names Lahore.
While the festival itself and its dates are confirmed for now, the caption from Business Bytes Pakistan regarding its geographical scope is misleading.
Virality
Soch Fact Check found the claim circulating in at least 15 unique Facebook posts, including photo posts and a reel. The posts variously described the 10-day Basant festival as taking place “across Punjab”, “across the province”, or as a province-wide celebration.
Conclusion: The claim is misleading. The 30 September announcement stated that Basant celebrations would be held in Lahore specifically from 29 January to 7 February 2027, with a pause on 5 February. It made no reference to a province-wide festival.
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