ISLAMABAD: Local and foreign tourists continued to flock northern Pakistan on Sunday to participate in the three-day Shandur polo festival taking place in the picturesque Chitral district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.
The event, which is conducted every year, was inaugurated by KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and Inspector General of frontier corps Maj. Gen. Rahat Naseem Khan.
As part of his address at the ceremony, Khan said that “we welcome all tourists and wish for them to have a good time in Shandur.”
Shandur Pass is positioned between Chitral and Ghizer in Pakistan’s mountainous northern belt. The festival is held at a polo ground considered the highest polo field in the world at approximately 3,800 meters above sea level.
Shandur Polo ground is also called the “Roof of the World,” and the game itself the “Kings Game” held annually since 1936, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s tourist department said. The Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) has made elaborate arrangements for the festival and set up a special village to accommodate domestic and foreign tourists.
The three-day festival will continue till July 9.
Pakistan International Airlines will operate special flights from Islamabad to Chitral to facilitate tourists: “The battle is about to begin, have you geared up for it? Book your flights to the North with PIA now and get ready to witness an amazing game of polo up in the Hindukush Mountains,” PIA said in tweet on Sunday.
KP Tourism Minister Atif Khan said he would himself monitor all the arrangements for the polo tournament.
Shandur festival lures tourists to world’s ‘highest polo ground’
Shandur festival lures tourists to world’s ‘highest polo ground’
- Annual attraction continues to enthrall local and foreign tourists alike
- Three-day event takes place in the Chitral district in July every year
Pakistan offers seaport for global cargo transshipment amid Gulf conflict escalation
- Karachi Port Trust says its services can ensure ‘continuity and stability’ of maritime trade
- The region is currently witnessing significant disruptions to global trade and oil shipments
KARACHI: Pakistan has offered its Karachi seaport for uninterrupted global cargo transshipments as escalating Middle East tensions threaten maritime trade, the country’s largest port operator said on Friday.
Iran has been rocked by joint US and Israeli strikes since Feb. 28 that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on US, Israeli and allied targets across the Gulf, plunging the region into conflict and uncertainty.
The escalation disrupted air travel, heightened military activity, and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route carrying roughly 20 percent of global oil shipments.
The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) said in a statement it was ready to support international shipping lines by offering transshipment services to regional ports, helping ensure the “continuity and stability” of global maritime trade.
“Karachi Port Trust remains fully prepared to support the international maritime community and to provide reliable, efficient, and secure port services in the interest of sustaining regional trade connectivity,” KPT Chairman Shahid Ahmed said, according to a statement circulated by the port authority.
It added the facility could help stabilize maritime trade by offering transshipment services for cargo destined for ports across the region.
The statement said as a demonstration of its capability, international vessels MV TS TACOMA and MV TS SYDNEY arrived in Karachi and discharged large number of containers as transshipment cargo.
“The containers will subsequently be transshipped from Karachi to Jebel Ali in the Middle East,” it continued.
Pakistan Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Thursday highlighted the importance of the Gwadar port city’s transshipment role as major shipping routes face disruption from the ongoing conflict.
The developments come as the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway between Iran and Oman and one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes, has been blocked by Iran which has threatened to attack ships that attempt to transit through it.
US President Donald Trump has assured shipping companies of naval escorts and insurance support to protect vessels.
The escalating tensions have contributed to a sharp rise in energy prices and significant disruptions to tanker traffic through the strategic waterway.
Pakistan has long viewed its seaports as strategic assets that could boost trade with Central Asia and the Gulf region, while helping the country earn valuable foreign exchange.
