LAHORE, Pakistan – Hundreds of kites filled the skies of Pakistan’s cultural capital on Saturday, the opening day of a traditional spring festival, despite a ban that followed the deaths of seven people killed by glass-coated or wire kite strings.
The two-day festival of Basant has been celebrated in the eastern city of Lahore for centuries, culminating with thousands of kites soaring into the night and boisterous rooftop parties. Basant means “yellow” in the Hindi language, a reference to the fields of blooming yellow flowers that grace the area as spring approaches.
On Saturday, police swiftly raided homes where kites were seen flying from back yards in scattered parts of the city. Some people cut the strings as police approached and denied they had defied the ban, witnesses said.
The provincial government banned kite-flying throughout the Punjab province on Thursday after seven deaths in the past two weeks caused by sharp kite strings.
Kite fliers reinforce strings with wire or ground glass for dueling other kites and betting on who wins. When strings cross in the congested sky, the winner cuts loose the opponent’s kite.
A 4-year-old boy died on Tuesday after his throat was slit by a low-flying kite string coated with glass.
Despite the Basant tradition, Chaudhry Pervez Ekahi, the province’s top elected official, said there would be no tolerance for kites.
“We took a decision to impose the ban on kite-flying because we don’t want to see people dying,” he said. “Dangerous strings have killed innocent children here and we cannot tolerate it.”
Altaf Hussain said he had come from the southern city of Karachi for Basant and was disappointed by the lack of kites in his part of town.
“I am disappointed that there are no kites in the sky, but I am happy that there will be no deaths because of deadly strings,” he said.
Lahore police chief Khawaja Khalid Farooq suspended some officers for failing to keep the skies clear of kites over their precincts, a police official said.
Police spokesman Nayab Haider said officers on Saturday arrested 44 people for flying kites, and “more arrests are being made.”
“It is our firm resolve to stop people from violating the ban on selling or flying kites,” he said.
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