SWAT: A jeep rally attracted large crowds of tourists from across the country to Kalam valley here on Saturday.

Thirty-three drivers of the off-road vehicles participated in the rally at the Shahi Ground.

The event was organised by the local youth in collaboration with the Gawri Community Development Programme under the Snow Festival, 2022.

The tourists, who belonged to Peshawar, Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Karachi and other areas of the country, said they were not only fascinated by the beauty of the snow-clad valley but were also thrilled to see four-wheelers race on deep snow tracks.

While cheering the drivers, they called the event an entertainment opportunity.

“It’s a memorable event. I have never seen jeeps race on snow. I am lucky to be here these days to attend the event,” said Ayesha Akbar of Lahore, who showed up with family to enjoy snowfall.

The top three drivers belonged to Kalam valley, who beat their opponents by reaching the two kilometers snow track in the minimum time.

“Luckily, I did not get any mishap in my turn and covered the two kilometers track in just 1 minute and 30 seconds which was the fastest here in Kalam,” said driver Shah Wazir, who won the rally.

Runner-up Fazal Hadi said that he tried his best but came across some challenging hurdles in his track and managed to reach the finishing line in around two minutes.

Third position-holder Amir Khan said that he was excited to grab a position in the rally.

“I am really excited to have got third position in the jeep rally as it is an honour for me. Next time I will try to come on the top,” he told Dawn.

The organisers said the event was meant to promote winter tourism in the country and they’re excited to see an influx of tourists from every part of the country.

“We invited around 35 jeep owners and drivers and 33 of them participated in the event. It is not an easy task to drive on the thick snow tracks but all the drivers were experienced and skillful, so they passed the grueling test of the hardest drive today,” said Aziz Kalami, a member of the event’s organising team.

He added that the organisers would hold such events every year to provide the people with healthy entertainment and promote winter tourism in the region.

According to the organisers, the kabbadi competitions will be held on the second day of the Snow Festival, 2022.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2022