Drone ban in Punjab for 30 days from 29 September: what is allowed at weddings

Flying a drone outdoors anywhere in Punjab is banned for 30 days from 29 September 2026, which runs the ban to about 28 October. The Punjab Home Department imposed it under Section 144-VI of the Code of Criminal Procedure, citing security concerns, ARY News reported.

What is allowed and what is not

• Outdoors: a complete ban on flying drones, in every district of Punjab, from Lahore and Rawalpindi to Multan, Faisalabad and Bahawalpur.
• Indoors at events: small drones may still be used inside halls and marquees, for example to film a wedding or a function. The event organiser is responsible for safe use.
• Exempt: law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies.
• Permissions: "safe drone usage" committees are being set up in each district to issue permissions, so a commercial operator with a real need should apply through the deputy commissioner's office rather than fly and hope.

District administrations and police have been told to enforce the order.

What it means for wedding photographers and YouTubers

This is peak wedding season, and outdoor drone shots of baraat processions, farmhouse venues and open-air mehndis are now off the table in Punjab unless a district committee grants permission. Photographers should tell clients now, before an event, and plan indoor coverage instead. Vloggers filming city skylines, motorways or tourist spots such as Murree fall under the same ban.

The penalty

A breach of a Section 144 order is an offence under Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which carries imprisonment of up to one month or a fine, and up to six months where the breach causes danger to life or safety.

What to do

1. Do not fly outdoors in Punjab before the ban lapses, even over your own house or farm.
2. For paid work, ask the deputy commissioner's office in your district how the safe drone usage committee takes applications.
3. At indoor events, keep the drone small and let the venue or organiser know, since they carry responsibility.

If you are booking a photographer for a function, our directory lists photographers in Lahore and wedding halls in Lahore.