PESHAWAR: A two-day Jashan-i-Baharan spring festival began in the Kharasha-Khwa Storikhel area of Orakzai tribal district on Saturday.

Director-General (Forests) Tahir Orakzai inaugurated the event during a special ceremony, where deputy commissioner Tayab Abdullah, commandant of the Orakzai Scouts Colonel Mohammad Tasneem Khan, project director Ishtiaq Ahmad and tourism officials were in attendance.

Stalls of food and items from the region and other parts of the country were also set up at the festival, which attracted people, including children, in large numbers.

The event also featured Khattak dance performances, paragliding, motorcycle, marathon and jeep races, tent pegging contest, karate performance, and horse and camel dances.

The KPCTA set up stalls of truck art, cultural dresses, antique jewellery, Charsadda khaddar and chappal, Karakuli caps, and paintings.

Prizes were distributed to the winners of various games.

The event was jointly held by the KP Culture and Authority (KPCTA), Tourism Wing and Pakistan Army with the organisers saying it is meant to introduce the tourism sector as an industry in the tribal district and invite tourists to explore the beauty of the area and experience the local traditions and culture.

Mr Orakzai said the event would project a positive image of the area and open new vistas of development for the local people.

He added that Orakzai had many places of tourist attraction, which needed to be explored by people.

The DG said the KPCTA was doing a tremendous job to promote the tourism industry and had taken steps for the facilitation of tourists.

The organisers said the KPCTA had arranged different events in collaboration with the Pakistan Army and locals to promote tourism and project a soft image of the area worldwide.

They said those events would help invite tourists to the area and create economic opportunities for the locals.

According to the organisers, the KPCTA opened Orakzai tribal district for tourists with the help of Pakistan Army and the district administration before Eidul Fitr, and more than 150,000 tourists have visited various areas of Orakzai. Training sessions have been arranged for local youth, enabling them to work as tourist guides and boost economic activities.

The organisers said the festival would also disseminate the message to the world that peace had been restored in the area with the joint efforts of the Pakistan Army, law- enforcement agencies, police, local elders, and people.

They said the KPCTA had also declared Samana Top, Nanwar Cave and Sampogh Top as tourist destinations, and completed the majority of work on the installation of camping pods.

The organisers said facilitation centres and rest areas had been established and information boards installed for tourists.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2023