CHITRAL: Civil society organisations, business community and fans have blasted the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for postponing the three-day Shandur Polo Festival scheduled to be held from June 28 due to inclement weather conditions.

They termed it a flimsy excuse, and said the decision was made at the eleventh hour when all arrangements had been finalised, and players had already reached there from both Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Chitral traders’ union general secretary Hafiz Siraj said the ‘unwise’ decision had inflicted a heavy financial loss on the business community as they had already established a makeshift bazaar at the venue.

He said as per practice, traders reached the venue five days before the commencement of the festival, but this year they would return without earning a penny. They said a mini-truck charged them Rs60,000 for the round trip.

Mr Siraj demanded of the government to compensate the traders.

Chitral polo association’s general secretary Mueezuddin Bahram Advocate said players had reached the venue along with their horses 10 days ago at their own expense to acclimatise themselves and their animals.

He said the players had not received any allowance from the government as in the past. He said the decision had bewildered and shocked the polo players and fans alike as the festival in Shandur was a mega event of its nature for them, for which they waited throughout the year.

Shahzada Sirajul Mulk, the founding chairman of Chitral Association for Mountain Areas Tourism, said postponement of the festival on the grounds of inclement weather wasn’t a wise decision. He regretted the decision would greatly hurt the region’s tourism industry as all arrangements had been made for welcoming the tourists.

Meanwhile, deputy commissioner of Ghizer district in GB has written a letter to his Upper Chitral counterpart, registering his protest for ‘unilaterally’ postponing the event.

“I am writing to express extreme disappointment and concern over the unilateral decision to postpone the festival, which is a collaborative effort between our districts, Ghizer and Upper Chitral, and provincial governments. This event is a cornerstone of our cultural heritage and a symbol of our friendship and cooperation,” read the letter.

The letter urged the government to find a solution that honoured the commitment of both the areas.

Upper Chitral DC Mohammad Irfnauddin could not be contacted to know his version on the letter as he had gone to Shandur ground, while an official at his office did not confirm the receipt of the letter, which is circulating on social media platforms.

“The DC sahib might have received the letter on his WhatsApp,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2024