CHITRAL: The four-day Qaqlasht festival concluded here on Sunday attended by tens of thousands of people from across the Chitral district and a good number of tourists.

A tent village was established in the vast expanse of the plateau in upper Chitral situated on the confluence of Mulkhow, Torkhow and Mastuj valleys at an altitude of 10,000 feet, giving it a unique look.

Organised jointly by the district administration and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tourism department, the festival featured events like local sports apart from football, cricket and volleyball competitions, while adventure sports like rock climbing, skate-shooting, paragliding and jeep rally were also introduced for the first time.

Polo match played under floodlights was yet another addition to the festival this year followed by musical concerts.

Extensive arrangements had been made to showcase the cultural traits of the area, pertaining to local cuisine, costumes, ornaments, kitchen ware, agricultural instruments and musical tools.

Two noted folk singers — Abdul Ghani alias Dool Mama and Mir Wali known as Kuragho Meshter — had been picked by the administration to inaugurate the festival.

Due to the public holiday and pleasant weather, the concluding ceremony attracted huge number of visitors.

Commissioner Malakand division Syed Zaheerul Islam and Chitral Deputy Commissioner Irshad Sodhar gave away prizes to the players of different teams and participants. In the polo competition, Reshun team beat its rival Booni by three goals, while Ayun, Drosh and Chitral Scouts emerged as victorious in football, cricket and volleyball competitions.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2018