In Pakistan, a Kite Festival Returns to Troubled Skies

Lahore dispatchThe vibrant celebration, banned for two decades, brightened the eastern city of Lahore, where residents face alarming levels of air pollution and political restrictions.The skies over Lahore, Pakistan, morphed into a glittering tapestry of kites for the Basant festival.Lahore dispatchIn Pakistan, a Kite Festival Returns to Troubled SkiesThe vibrant celebration, banned for two decades, brightened the eastern city of Lahore, where residents face alarming levels of air pollution and political restrictions.The skies over Lahore, Pakistan, morphed into a glittering tapestry of kites for the Basant festival.Credit...SKIP Elian Peltier and Zia ur-RehmanVisuals by Saiyna BashirReporting from the crowded rooftops of Lahore, Pakistan, after crashing a kite or two.Feb. 9, 2026For months, a relentless shroud of toxic smog weighed on Lahore, a seemingly endless gray that reduced it to one of the world’s most polluted cities.But as winter gave way to sunnier days, the skies over the city in eastern Pakistan turned cloudless over the weekend and morphed into a glittering tapestry of kites. Residents and visitors poured into the expansive parks, narrow streets and towering rooftops for the Basant festival celebrating the return of spring.The century-old festival, renowned for the competitive dogfights of kites flying over Mughal-era landmarks, had been banned for nearly two decades after a series of deaths and injuries caused by the glass-coated strings that cut through rivals’ lines and, occasionally, the throats of unsuspecting commuters.The sudden return of the festival this year came with a litany of restrictions, including limits on string material and kite dimensions, as well as a ban of political messages. Still, it brought a brief outburst of colorful celebration and public elation to Pakistanis reeling from alarming levels of air pollution, growing insecurity and tightening military rule.“Kite flying is in the blood of Lahoris,” said Yousaf Salahuddin, a prominent cultural figure in Lahore who over the weekend welcomed hundreds of guests to his family’s haveli, a sumptuous traditional mansion.ImageGuests in the heart of Lahore celebrating the Basant festival in a haveli, a traditional mansion.“For a weekend,” he said, “the whole city is on Lahore’s roofs.”Basant takes its name from the Sanskrit word for spring, Vasant, with roots stretching back centuries. Over time, the festival evolved into a secular hallmark of Punjab Province, of which Lahore is the capital, celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and Christians alike.The weekend’s crowds offered at first sight a display of public communion in a country where religious discrimination remains entrenched and violence over accusations of blasphemy widespread, with sectarian tensions simmering in the background.As Lahoris celebrated Basant over the weekend, hundreds of miles away worshipers mourned the victims of a suicide bombing on a Shiite mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad, the capital. The Sunni jihadist group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the blast, which killed 31 people and injured 169.Local officials canceled public events in Lahore because of the bombing, but private celebrations went on, to the delight of young Lahoris experiencing Basant for the first time.Feroz Ali Butt, 15, a high school student, stood on a crowded rooftop in the old city and held the string steady with his father’s help as cheers erupted from nearby terraces.“I grew up hearing my grandfather and other elders talk about Basant like it was a dream,” he said. “Sometimes I felt like I was born too late.”ImageFeroz Ali Butt, left, flying a kite on Friday on a crowded rooftop in Lahore’s old city.ImageThe century-old festival brought a brief outburst of colorful celebration to Pakistanis reeling from air pollution, insecurity and tightening military rule.Home to roughly 14 million people, Lahore is a sprawling metropolis where UNESCO-listed Mughal monuments and colonial-era architecture collide with modern urban decay.Long considered Pakistan’s cultural heart, with Basant once playing a central role in that heritage, Lahore now ranks in the top five of the world’s most polluted cities. Its air quality often reaches hazardous levels.The kite festival has brought respite from these troubles.“Basant brings us together,” said Meher Tareen, an entrepreneur. “Same kites, same feelings for everyone, no matter our economic status.”Other Lahoris did not share her view. They said that the prices of kites made them a luxury out of reach of the working class. A kite can start at $2, but a roll of string costs $30.“You cannot buy one kite or a pack of string with a monthly salary of around $125 and enjoy Basant,” said Muhammad Hafeez, 44, a textile worker.ImageA vendor selling kites in Lahore. Some complain that the prices of kites make them a luxury out of reach of the working class.Affluent families and businesses booked rooftops of upscale hotels or other prime locations for up to $10,000 for the three-day festival.Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the chief minister for Punjab Province, scheduled the festival to coincide with the two-year anniversary of the February 2024 national elections — officially won by her party, but still shrouded in allegations of vote rigging.Some Lahoris questioned whether the date had been picked to pre-empt demonstrations for Imran Khan, the former prime minister who has been jailed since 2023 on charges of corruption that he denies. His party is widely seen as the winner of the 2024 elections.“The government was afraid that Lahore’s residents might put Mr. Khan’s photos on kites and fly them in the sky,” Munir Arain, a baker, said about the ban on political messages on kites.As the sun set and white kites glowed in the darkening sky, celebrations swept away worries late into the night.Noor Ul Haram, 17, snapped selfies with her siblings and cousins on a brightly lit terrace her family had rented for the festival.“It feels so vibrant, but it’s our first time and we’re not really good at it,” Ms. Ul Haram said.ImageMeher Tareen, a cultural entrepreneur (center, arms raised) and her friends celebrated the festival on a rooftop. “Basant brings us together,” she said.VideoAs the sun set and kites glowed in the darkening sky, celebrations swept away worries late into the night.CreditCredit...Saiyna Bashir for The New York TimesMr. Salahuddin, the cultural figure and a longtime friend of the imprisoned prime minister, Mr. Khan, said that despite the politics, Basant was bringing Lahore back to life.“The government has taken a lot of bold steps to bring back Basant, but it should have made it happen years ago,” he said. “You don’t stop something like Basant.”Elian Peltier is an international correspondent for The Times, covering Afghanistan and Pakistan.SKIP