dizzle
February 27th 2007, 08:48 AM
For as long as anyone can remember, Basant has been celebrated with kites.
But not just any kites. Using glass-encrusted string, kite flyers battle each other high above the city streets. As they say, what goes up must come down -- each year, dozens are killed by the falling string or celebratory gunfire shot into the air. For safety's sake, Pakistanšs Supreme Court imposed a nationwide ban on all kite flying in 2005. But like most Pakistanis, Musharaf is an avid kite flyer. At his request, the local Punjabi government lifted the ban but only for this weekend. At least 11 people died and 100 were hurt during the two celebrations, according to the Associated Press.
http://blog.wired.com/wiredphotos50/
But not just any kites. Using glass-encrusted string, kite flyers battle each other high above the city streets. As they say, what goes up must come down -- each year, dozens are killed by the falling string or celebratory gunfire shot into the air. For safety's sake, Pakistanšs Supreme Court imposed a nationwide ban on all kite flying in 2005. But like most Pakistanis, Musharaf is an avid kite flyer. At his request, the local Punjabi government lifted the ban but only for this weekend. At least 11 people died and 100 were hurt during the two celebrations, according to the Associated Press.
http://blog.wired.com/wiredphotos50/