GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan government on Thursday announced boycott of the Shandur Polo Festival, accusing the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government of monopolising the event.

The decision was announced by GB Information Minister Sadia Danish at a press conference here at the Gilgit Press Club.

The polo festival is scheduled to start from June 20 on the world's highest polo ground, Shandur, located at 12,000 feet above the sea level. Matches between archrivals Gilgit and Chitral teams are considered the major attraction of the event.

The minister said that historically Shandur was part of GB, but it was not being given due share in the event by the KP government. She said that both the regions should have equal benefits and responsibilities in arranging the event till a decision about the territory.

The information minister regretted that the KP government didn't respond to suggestions made by them about the event. She urged the federal government to intervene and solve the matter on priority. She said that it was not the first time that the GB government was boycotting the event, claiming its territory was illegally dominated by KP.

Ms Sadia said that in 2012 the GB had called back its polo team to lodge a protest against the province’s control on the area. She said that this was a democratic way of registering a protest against the KP’s monopoly on the event.

“The boycott may affect the event that attracts thousands of national and foreign tourists each year, but we cannot compromise on principles,” she said.

The information minister announced that the government would organise a mega polo festival in Gilgit-Baltistan in the near future to entertain polo enthusiasts and local and foreign tourists.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2014