ISLAMABAD: While the longstanding boundary dispute between Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) over an area located between Ghizer valley and Chitral remains unresolved, the two provinces have decided to jointly hold the internationally famed event “Shandur Polo Festival”.
The festival, which attracts a large number of foreigners as well as domestic tourists, is now scheduled to be held in the last week of next month. The polo tournament gives a boost to a local economy which devoid of industries depends mostly on tourism. The concluding ceremony of the annual event is attended by the head of state or a prominent dignitary designated by the president or prime minister.
The Shandur area has remained disputed between GB and KP. In 2012, GB had called back its polo team to lodge a protest against the province’s control over the area and accused the KP government of monopolising the event. However, last year, the two governments decided to jointly organise the event.
According to Minister Tourism for GB Fida Khan, Shandur Polo Festival will be organised in a befitting manner. Matches between archrivals Gilgit and Chitral teams are considered the major attraction of the event held at Shandur, located at 12,000 feet above the sea level. Fida Khan said thousands of national and international tourists were expected to attend the event. Replying a question, he said GB did not wish to perpetuate the controversy over the event.
The minister said that till the resolution of disputed territory between KP and GP, the event will be jointly organised. He said that the event not only promoted local culture and tradition but also attracted foreign and national tourists in droves.
He said that people of Chitral in KP and Ghizer in GB had blood relations, so the event went a long way in promoting common culture, tradition, and language.
On the other hand, the Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has forwarded a summary to the Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to get his nod for holding the three-day annual mega Shandur Polo Festival from July 21 to 23.
This was announced in a meeting held with Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Tourism Abdul Munim Khan in the chair, said an official statement on Tuesday. Abdul Munim Khan said directives have been issued to the concerned departments to take steps for the renovation of polo ground, water supply, transport, holding meetings with stakeholders and provision of other facilities to the participating teams, fans, and tourists.