Zoya Nasir Urges Responsible Basant Celebrations Amid Festival Revival

As Basant celebrations return to Pakistan after nearly two decades, actor and media personality Zoya Nasir is using her platform to remind people that festivity must go hand in hand with responsibility.

While rooftops across Lahore and other cities are once again glowing with colorful kites, yellow outfits, music, and nostalgic cheer, Zoya chose a different approach this Basant. Instead of sharing only celebratory moments, she amplified an important public awareness message focused on animal and human safety.

The actor reshared a public service announcement on her Instagram story created by @bnuanimalclub, the animal welfare society of Beaconhouse National University. The message carried a firm warning directed at kite flyers: “Do not leave your strings behind.” It urged people to cut, collect, and safely dispose of kite strings rather than leaving them on rooftops, streets, trees, or power lines.

The message ended on a sobering note, reminding viewers not to let discarded strings become “an animal’s last meal.” By resharing it, Zoya highlighted a reality often ignored during Basant festivities the serious dangers caused by leftover kite strings, especially chemical-coated manjha.

Over the years, such strings have led to countless injuries and fatalities. Birds are frequently injured mid-flight, stray animals ingest the sharp threads, and loose strings stretched across roads have caused tragic accidents involving motorcyclists. Animal welfare groups have long raised concerns, urging people to celebrate consciously rather than carelessly.

Zoya’s message stands out at a time when social media is flooded with Basant reels, rooftop dances, and celebrity gatherings. Her stance doesn’t reject celebration instead, it reframes it. The actor’s reminder underscores that cultural revival should not come at the cost of innocent lives.

With Basant visibly making a comeback after years of restrictions, voices like Zoya Nasir’s add much-needed balance to the narrative. Her post serves as a timely reminder that true celebration lies not just in flying kites, but in protecting the lives that share our skies and streets.