PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court on Wednesday issued notice to provincial secretary culture and tourism, seeking his reply to a petition challenging the postponement of Shandur Polo Festival by provincial government.

A bench consisting of Justice Mohammad Naeem Anwar and Justice Shahid Khan issued the order after preliminary hearing of the petition filed by a social worker of Upper Chitral district, Mukhtar Nabi, seeking directives for the respondents including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary and its tourism secretary to re-schedule the festival in the current summer season so that the tourist activity might be activated not only for the benefit of locals but also to portray positive image of the country in the world.

Advocate Sher Haider Khan appeared for the petitioner and stated that Shandur Polo Festival had annually been held from July 7 to 9 at Shandur Top in Upper Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but this time the festival was scheduled from June 28 to 30.

Petitioner wants festival rescheduled in current summer season

He said that during the festival polo matches were held between the teams of Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan, under the auspices of provincial tourism department. He said that Shandur Top was the world’s highest polo ground located at an altitude of around 12,000 feet above sea level.

The counsel stated that the unique location of the polo ground made it a popular destination for national and international tourists and polo enthusiasts. He claimed that the festival as one of the oldest polo festivals on earth as it had been taking place since 1936.

Mr Sher Haider said that upon issuance of the schedule of the festival, investors and other local businessmen planned investments at Shandur Top in the form of restaurants, camping huts and local embroidery stalls for the visitors and tourists to enjoy the tournament and their stay there.

He stated that tourism secretary without any legal justification and plausible explanation postponed the festival through a notification on June 24, citing weather conditions there.

He said that the reason advanced in the notification was without any foundation as the meteorological department and provincial disaster management authority negated the same.

The counsel stated that the petitioner had approached the respondents including the government for re-scheduling the festival but to no avail. He added that the impugned notification was issued unilaterally without any consultation with the government of Gilgit-Baltistan that was also a stakeholder in the festival.

He argued that the respondents including tourism department were bound to take steps for promotion of tourism in the area, but the notification spoke otherwise.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2024