Pakistan's Punjab province Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has imposed a complete ban on Basant, a seasonal festival celebrated by Punjabis of all faiths to mark the commencement of the spring season. <br/><br/>In a message posted on his official Twitter account last night, he said that none would be allowed to play with the lives of people. <br/><br/>Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah had said that the provincial government could not permit a "throat-cutting kite flying festival". There is a long established tradition of flying kites and holding fairs on the occasion. <br/><br/>However, many analysts said the festival was banned due to pressure from hardline religious and extremist groups like the Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud Dawah, which claimed the festival had "Hindu origins" and was "un-Islamic".