PESHAWAR
Secretary Tourism and Culture Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Bakhtiar Khan has said that in the light of the instructions of Tourism and Culture Advisor Zahid Chanzeb, all the arrangements for the Shandur Polo Festival have been finalized which will start as per schedule on Friday, 28th June.
Apart from Pakistan, he said tourists from all over the world are welcome to participate in this 3-day extravaganza, he added.
He expressed these views while presiding over the review meeting held in the conference room of the Department of Tourism and Culture, here on Thursday.
The Secretary Tourism said that the top officials of the administration of both the districts of Chitral, including the Deputy Commissioner of Upper Chitral, are constantly reviewing the highways and security arrangements themselves. The Deputy Commissioner of Upper Chitral has also canceled the holidays of the employees at the local level while he is also in constant contact with local people and leaders of Chitral.
He said that immediately after Eid-ul-Azha, various administrative teams of the Department of Tourism and Culture will be dispatched to the venue of Shandur Polo Festival so that the preparations at the Shandur Ground are not only made fool-proof, but also the best arrangements are made. If necessary, additional facilities would also be provided for tourists, he maintained.
Bakhtiar Khan reiterated that the Shandur Polo Festival will be held on the dates announced by Chief Minister Sardar Ali Amin Gandapur. In the 3-day festival, apart from thrilling competitions by polo teams from Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan, artists and singers from these regions will perform in the musical concerts on local tunes, he added. Similarly, he said that like every year, stalls of local cultural handicrafts and products will be displayed in the festival.
The closing ceremony of the festival will be held on June 30 at the Shandur Polo Ground, which will feature paragliding and other thrilling artistic demonstrations besides colorful cultural programs and artist performances, he concluded.
Meanwhile, Adviser Tourism and Culture Zahid Chanzeb has expressed satisfaction over the ongoing arrangements and preparations in connection with the Shandur Polo Festival, as he is in constant contact with the divisional and district administrations in this regard.
Zahid Chanzeb appreciated the continuous monitoring of highways and security arrangements by the Deputy Commissioners of both the districts of Chitral in this regard.
He directed the authorities concerned to send teams of senior admin officers of tourism department to Shandur immediately after Eid-ul-Azha and ensure to make all arrangements fool-proof in all respects. He expressed the confidence that this three-day festival will be made a successful and memorable tourism festival in all respects according to international standards, which will echo at the international level for longer, he maintained.
