Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz praised the people of Lahore for following safety rules during the three-day Basant kite festival. The festival, banned for 19 years due to safety issues, returned with strong precautions in place. "Lahore is happy today, I am happy, too. The residents of Lahore played a vital role in making this Basant successful by following all the rules and regulations," Maryam said in a statement on PML-N’s official X account. Bright kites filled the skies this weekend as families and friends gathered on rooftops and parks to celebrate. Shahzaib, a kite flyer, told AFP, "Everyone is excited — all of Punjab, all of Pakistan. It has become hard to find kites and strings because they sold out." The Basant festival was banned in 2007 due to deadly accidents caused by sharp, glass-coated kite strings and aerial gunfire. This year, Punjab lifted the ban for three days but enforced strict safety measures, including police patrols, hospital alerts, kite tracking with QR codes, and banning dangerous materials. Tariq, a kite maker, shared, "People had lost businesses when the ban happened. After the ban lifted, I sold 20,000 to 25,000 kites." Motorcycle riders fitted protective rods to avoid kite string injuries, and local workshops buzzed with activity. Chand Ustad, a string maker, said, "Buying and flying kites should not be a one-time thing. Keep buying them, keep flying them, this helps our business as well." The festival ended on a high note with joyful kite fighting and hopes to spread safe Basant celebrations to other cities.