March 8, 2006	Wednesday	Safar 7, 1427

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BAHAWALPUR, March 7: Elaborate arrangements are afoot to organise the second Cholistan (desert) jeep rally at historic Derawar Fort from March 10 to 12th. The event is being sponsored by the district government in collaboration with the Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab (TDCP).

Festivities will begin on 10th as this time the organizers have opened this historic event, aimed at projecting Cholistan and its civilisation, to the general public.

To start with, the registration of vehicles, their checking, registration and allotment of numbers in addition to the draws will be completed at the Bahawalpur circuit house on 10th.

The participants, drivers and navigators will be briefed about the rules and regulations there the same day. Afterwards, a flag march of all the participating vehicles will be organised in the afternoon from circuit house to Sadiq Public School.

Next morning (on 11th), the participants will leave for the Derawar Fort which is about 70 km from here in Cholistan where they will set up their respective camps for an overnight stay there. At night a cultural show will be organised near the fort.

Organising committee chief Ikramullah Khan, who is also the Bahawalpur EDO(revenue), told Dawn that 80 to 90 participants from all over the country were expected.

The flag-off ceremony will be held in the morning of March 12 near the fort. As it will be the day event, total distance of the jeep rally will be 226 kilometres. Each participant will depart at a three minutes distance and the total duration of this rally has been estimated from four to four and a half hours.

The finishing point is near the fort where a prize distribution ceremony will be held the same evening.

The EDO(R) said that the vehicles will be divided into three categories on the basis of diesel and petrol engines and their power.

The winners of each category will be given Rs100,000 (first), Rs 75,000 (second) and 50,000 (third), respectively.

Mr Ikramullah Khan said that an exhibition of Cholistani handicrafts and dresses would also be organised at the fort which would be the focal point of this mega event.