BAHAWALPUR: Thirty-nine drivers covered the distance of 231km in the first round of the main stock category of the 17th Cholistan Jeep Rally on Friday.

The jeep rally was flagged off in the morning near the Dilwash Stadium. The flag-off ceremony was performed by Tourism Development Corporation Punjab chairman Dr Sohail Cheema.

According to unofficial results of Friday’s race provided to Dawn by retired bureaucrat Dr Raheel Siddiqui from the desert, Nadir Magsi (Sindh), Zain Mehmood (Bahawalpur) and Asif were placed in first, second and third positions, respectively.

Magsi covered the distance in one hour, fifty-one minutes twenty-two seconds, Zain took one hour, fifty-two minutes twenty-one seconds while Asif covered the distance in one hour fifty-five minutes and fifty seconds.

The second round will be held on Sunday (tomorrow), the final day of the jeep rally in Cholistan. On Saturday (today), male and female drivers would participate in the stock category race.

According to reports, former champion Sahibzada Muhammad Sultan is now out of jeep rally as his vehicle went out of order even before the mid-point on Friday. As a result, Sultan was not able to continue his competition and abandoned the race.

The Patel family of Karachi, including Tushna Patel, participating in the rally also withdrew from the race and left for Karachi after the death of a relative.

It is reported that Jeham Bux Bamji, the father of Tushna Patel and father-in-law of former champion Ronnie Patel, passed away. On receiving the news, Tushna, the last year’s champion of the jeep rally in women’s category, her daughter Dina Patel and husband Ronnie Patel left for Karachi.

After the departure of the Patels from the competition, the contest is now between three women drivers Palvasha Hayat Khan, Zulaikha Niazi and Jamila Asif in the women’s category.

The inauguration of a food street at Farid Gate in Bahawalpur, tent-pegging competition, a trade fair jointly organised by Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and the Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB) and a motorcycle rally around Dilwash Stadium besides sports events near Derawar Fort in Cholistan were the highlights of the ongoing festivities of the 17th Cholistan jeep rally festival week on Friday.

The food street was inaugurated by Commissioner retired Capt Muhammad Zafar Iqbal and Deputy Commissioner Irfan Ali Kathiya.

The tent-pegging competition was held in connection with the rally for the first time and it was largely participated by the students of the Sadiq Public School (SPS). The food street attracted a large number of local citizens besides the visitors coming from other cities for the jeep rally and the Channan Pir Mela.

According to reports, 30 motorcyclists participated in the rally. The bike rally track was 75km long and the rally started from the Abbasi family’s graveyard.

According to results, Shaukat Parhar, Sabir Shair and Shafiq Mahar were adjudged first, second and third, respectively in the rally.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2022