Families and friends gathered on rooftops and in other areas throughout the night, flying kites and beating drums. Abdul Aziz, 57, who describes himself as an avid kite enthusiast, said yesterday that he felt deprived during the ban. 'Today, when I flew my first kite, I felt as if there was a void in my life that has now been filled,' he said. Sharmeen Mahmood, 55, who has been a kite lover since she was ten, explained that the excitement peaked during the night hours before slowing down at dawn as celebrants on rooftops sought some rest and the winds died down, though she expected the excitement to return later. Colorful kites competed in the Lahore sky, with shouts of joy and celebration rising from rooftops as the city celebrated the lifting of an 18-year ban on a traditional three-day Punjabi festival. The Basant festival, which celebrates the arrival of spring, was banned in 2008 after deaths and injuries among motorcyclists and pedestrians caused by stray kite strings, which are sometimes coated in metal. The ban was lifted last year following public demands, and this year's festival began at midnight with the Information Minister of Punjab province, Amina Bukhari, flying the first kite.
