About a month ahead of Basant, an annual festival that marks the spring season and is celebrated by flying colorful kites, authorities on Thursday lifted a ban on kite-flying in Pakistan for a short time after almost a year.

The sport was forbidden last year following a series of deaths caused by reinforced kite strings, but the government now lifted the ban about in the eastern province of Punjab and its capital, Lahore.

According to AP reports, Salman Ghani, chairman of Punjab's planning and development department, said that this year's festival will be celebrated on Feb. 25.

The ban was imposed during Basant last year, when seven people were fatally slashed by glass-coated or metal-reinforced kite strings.

The victims included a 4-year-old boy whose throat was slit by a string coated with glass as he rode on a motorcycle with his father.

The authorities, however, maintained their ban on the glass-coated or metal strings and will issue licenses for selling kites and strings during this year's festival. Also, kites larger than 2 feet by 2 feet will not be allowed to prevent the use of such strings.

The AP also added that the ban will be re-imposed after the festival's final-day celebrations.

People found violating the rule could face up to four years in jail, or a fine of 100,000 rupees ($1,800).