07 February 2005	Monday	27 Zilhaj 1425

LAHORE, Feb 6: Lahorites celebrated the Basant with full enthusiasm on Saturday night and Sunday squandering millions of rupees on kite flying, firing, fireworks, music and feasts on rooftops of houses and hotels amid intermittent drizzle.

As many as nine people lost their lives while many sustained injuries after falling from rooftops or meeting with road accidents running after stray kites during the Basant.

Frequent power supply disruption continued on Saturday night and Sunday damaging the home appliances due to unchecked use of metal wire for flying kites. Water supply was also affected due to power breakdown. The teams, headed by UC Nazims, for nabbing those flying kites with metal wire were conspicuous by their absence.

The Basant festivities started with white kites going up in searchlights soon after Saturday evening. Kite flying continued throughout the night amid shouts of 'Bo kata', sounds of fire-crackers, firing, loud music and beating of drums.

The Basant night was celebrated not only on rooftops of houses in Walled City, Shad Bagh, Misri Shah, Shahdara, Mozang, Ichhra, Samanabad, Sabzazar, Gulberg, Garden Town, Model Town, Muslim Town, Johar Town and Allama Iqbal Town but feasts were arranged in hotels, clubs and shopping plazas as well.

The Parks and Horticulture Authority organized three-day kite-flying championships at the Jinali Park and Iqbal Park on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with the assistance of All Pakistan Kite Flying Association. Hotels, restaurants and shopping centres were decorated with colourful kites. Kite-sellers in markets like Mochi Gate, Mori Gate, Ichhra, Mozang and other parts of the provincial metropolis did business running into millions of rupees on Friday and Saturday. More than 50 people were arrested for selling metal wire and prohibited thread.

Scores of people had arrived in the city from different parts of the country and abroad for participation in Basant festivities. The Pakistan Railways operated a special train between Karachi and Lahore to facilitate people. Almost all flights arriving in the city on Friday and Saturday were packed to capacity.

A large number of visitors stayed as paying guests with families as accommodation was not available in any hotel or guest house.