February 25, 2007	Sunday	Safar 7, 1428

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LAHORE, Feb 24: The kite-flying activity, after remaining subdued throughout the day on Saturday despite lifting of the ban on it, gained momentum in the evening as players and spectators got on their houses’ rooftops to enjoy the traditional sport on the Basant night.

Violations of kite-flying rules were reported from all parts of the city, resulting in about half a dozen incidents in which people were injured.

The activity lacked traditional enthusiasm as nazims of some of the union councils who were against the sport did not issue permits to aspiring revelers required under the law for flying kites. Most of these nazims belonged to the opposition ranks who had also got banners hanged in their respective localities to condemn the sport.

Police raids during the last couple of days against violators kept the enthusiasts without the permits away from game in the day. In the evening, however, the Basant activity picked up as people learnt that no raid had been conducted on Saturday for checking the permit.

Children were spotted flying kites and catching stray ones on various roads and along the railway track in Mughalpura and Cantonment areas in a dangerous way. They vanished in close-by streets when police, in some cases, tried to grab them.

There was also no check on plying of motorcycles without safety wire/antenna. According to a prudent estimate, 60 per cent of the two-wheelers plying on city roads were without the gadget though district authorities claimed that they had distributed more than 50,000 wires free of cost.

Some of the bikers who could not get the free supply innovated by fixing bamboos and plastic pipes in front of their motorcycles to avoid stray twine, while some others were simply wearing scarves around their necks.

The traffic system almost collapsed in the city in the afternoon as a large number of people from other districts reached here to have taste of the festivity. Long queues of vehicles were witnessed at all city entrances in the evening. Because of local holiday, the downtown area remained comparatively free from traffic mess.

Room occupancy in almost all the city hotels was 100 per cent as many of them have made arrangements for Basant night, and some others for balls to celebrate the spring festival.

The Parks and Horticulture Authority, some multinational companies, private educational institutions have also arranged various Basant shows and colourful programmes besides many affluent people. Lahore Fort, Haveli Asif Jah and other big buildings in the Walled City and Racecourse Park and Gaddafi Stadium were the main centres of Basant-related activity.

There was a great rush at the Racecourse where the PHA had organized various cultural shows and book and handicrafts exhibitions.

Eve-teasing was bothering the womenfolk visiting the park as security arrangements there proved insufficient.