PESHAWAR: Shandur Lake in Pakistan’s northern region hosted an ice hockey match on Saturday, with Gilgit-Baltistan defeating Chitral 4-3 in a penalty shootout, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Authority said.
The match concluded the Shandur Ice Sports Challenge, organized by the tourism authority, which was held from December 24 to 28 and featured competitions in ice hockey and speed skating.
While ice hockey remains a developing sport in Pakistan, it has gained traction in the northern regions, where freezing temperatures and frozen lakes create natural rinks.
“A large number of locals participated in the ice hockey event,” said Tashfeen Haider, Director General of the tourism authority. “The match at Shandur Lake demonstrates the region’s potential to host winter sports.”
Shandur is widely known for its annual polo festival, a tradition dating back to 1936, when British officials set up a polo ground at the Shandur Pass, located at approximately 3,700 meters above sea level.
The festival attracts teams from Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan and has become a significant cultural and sporting event.
The tourism authority informed that the ice hockey match at Shandur was tied 2-2 in regular time before being decided on penalty shootouts.
The match highlighted the growing interest in winter sports in Pakistan’s northern regions, which can help boost local tourism and community engagement.
Gilgit-Baltistan defeats Chitral in ice hockey match at Shandur Lake
https://arab.news/z5raq
Gilgit-Baltistan defeats Chitral in ice hockey match at Shandur Lake
- The match was part of Shandur Ice Sports Challenge held from December 24 to 28
- The ice hockey match was tied 2-2 before Gilgit-Baltistan won on penalty shootouts
Pakistan raises India's suspension of water-sharing treaty with UNGA president, seeks action
- New Delhi said in April last year it was holding the treaty in abeyance after a gun attack in Indian-administered Kashmir
- Official says such actions threaten lives of 240 million Pakistanis, particularly at a time of climate stress, water scarcity
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has taken up India’s suspension of a decades-old water-sharing treaty with the president of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), urging action over the move that Islamabad said sets "dangerous precedents."
The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) divides control of the Indus basin rivers between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. India said in April last year it would hold the treaty “in abeyance” after a gun attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed more than 26 tourists. New Delhi blamed the assault on Pakistan, Islamabad denied it.
The attack led to a four-day military conflict between the neighbors last May that say them attack each other with fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery before the United States-brokered a ceasefire. Tensions have remained high between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
During a meeting on the sidelines of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) annual hearing, Pakistan Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani told UNGA President Annalena Baerbock that India's unlawful action constituted a blatant violation of the treaty’s provisions and principles of customary international law.
"Such actions threaten the lives and livelihoods of over 240 million Pakistanis and set dangerous precedents, particularly at a time when climate stress and water scarcity demand cooperation and strict respect for international agreements," he was quoted as saying by the Pakistani information ministry.
The treaty, mediated by the World Bank, grants Pakistan rights to the Indus basin’s western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — for irrigation, drinking, and non-consumptive uses like hydropower, while India controls the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — for unrestricted use but must not significantly alter their flow.
Highlighting the adverse impacts of climate change, Gilani said countries like Pakistan remain among the most severely affected and underscored the urgency of collective action, climate justice and strengthened international cooperation.
"The United Nations provides an indispensable platform for addressing these interconnected challenges," he said at the meeting.
Gilani, who was leading a six-member parliamentary delegation, this week delivered the national statement at the IPU annual hearing at the UN headquarters, calling for democratic, transparent, and accountable decision-making in order to enhance the UN’s credibility, according to the Senate of Pakistan.
“Parliaments are indispensable partners in ensuring national ownership of international commitments,” he was quoted as saying by the Senate. “Reform is essential. But it must be ‘Reform for All, Privilege for None’.”
The Senate chairman highlighted the continuing importance of the United Nations as the cornerstone of multilateral cooperation, stressing that the organization’s universal membership and Charter-based mandate remain central to promoting global peace and security.
