LAHORE, Feb 7: National Assembly’s acting speaker Sardar Muhammad Yaqub Nasir inaugurated a procession of colourful buggies from Nasser Bagh here after Friday prayers to mark the formal opening of the three-day Basant festivities in the provincial metropolis.

Punjab Tourism Minister Mian Muhammad Aslam Iqbal later joined the guests from home and abroad in their buggy-ride through Anarkali, Luxmi Chowk and Gowalmandi to Kissan Street on Circular Road where they flew kites at the office of the Pakistan Kite Flying Sport Association till late in the evening.

Banners inscribed with messages calling for the accountability of those flying kites with metal wire were displayed on the buggies. The guests accompanying the tourism minister on the buggy ride had wrapped yellow and green scarfs around their necks.

There was little kite flying in the provincial metropolis on Friday despite having been declared the first day of Basant because of being a working day. There was, however, rush at the kite shops. Power supply disruptions were reported from different parts of the provincial metropolis in the afternoon.

Basant celebrations will pick up with night-long kite flying with searchlights on Saturday (today) and reach their peak on Sunday (tomorrow) when the whole sky will be dotted with colourful kites.