GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan administration has protested to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the latter’s “unilateral decision” to postpone the Shandur polo festival.

The three-day festival was scheduled to begin on Friday (tomorrow).

On Monday, the KP government announced the postponement of the event due to “inclement weather”.

Criticising the move, the deputy commissioner of Ghizer, a district in Gilgit-Baltistan, said in a letter to his Chitral counterpart that it was “extremely disappointing and shocking for us in GB” to learn that the Shandur polo festival had been postponed.

“This event is a cornerstone of our cultural heritage and a symbol of our districts’ friendship and cooperation. It is astonishing that the tourism department of KP has taken a decision without consultation, despite the fact that Shandur is a historic area of Gilgit-Baltistan,” said Habibur Rehman, the deputy commissioner.

He said such decisions were always taken after consultations between the two administrations.

“Since we had invested considerable resources and efforts in preparing for the Shandur event, I record protest, on behalf of the GB government, over the unilateral decision.

“The postponement will not only lead to waste of resources but also cause inconvenience to the thousands of fans who were looking forward to watching the contests.”

The festival is held once a year at the world’s highest polo ground in Shandur, at 12,000 feet above sea level. It has been organised jointly by the governments of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the last several years.

Freestyle matches between Gilgit and Chitral are the event’s major attraction.

Shandur Pass strad-dles Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Ghizer district of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2024