KP govt trapped on Shandur
The Shandur polo festival is again in the news. This time, the provincial government of KP has been trapped in a mire.
After a seminar in Peshawar some irrelevant elements from Peshawar and Gilgit have changed the dates for the Shandur festival. The new schedule is 18 to 20th August 2015. In the month of August, there will be duststorm in Shandur and the scenic beauty will no longer be there. As the holy month of Ramazan starts from 19th June this year, suitable that for the Shandur polo festival will be 6-8th June. As for as the alleged underhand deal between some elements in Gilgit and Peshawar is concerned, this will create unrest among the people.
There will never be sharing of the festival arrangements between two districts. Chitral KP will always be the sole host because it has played host for the last 85 years. Participation of the players of Gilgit was never part of Shandur festival in history. It only started during the rule of General Zia ul Haq.
Shandur festival can be successfully held without the players of Gilgit and we wish this happens. I would like to recall the comments of ANP minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain on July 9, 2012 when he said ” We shall not give up a single inch of our land to anybody else.” Shandur will remain integral part of KP. Irrelevant people from Peshawar and Gilgit have no right to dictate their terms and conditions to the owners of Shandur.
Dr. Inayatullah Faizi
Chitral.]]>
We should not share the managment to others who ever they are. But we should invite the GB team to participate in the event, because jo maza un ki team ko harane ma hy wo shayd kisi aur chiz m nhi. And the tournament should be played in the first week of June because its the time when more and more people can come to Shandoor for the festivel. And our MPAs and MNA should come forward to play their roles.
I think it is better to know the reality. One should read the MOU and then comment here. There is no any point in the MOU regarding sharing of land with GB. Shandur is the property of Chitral and it will remain the property of Chitral.
Who says that we shared the management of our land? First know the ground reality, and then pass your comment.
There is a facts and findings in the statement of Dr. Faizi because a resourceful representation from Chitral (the traditional hosting side of the festival) should be over there to steer the meeting for taking of right decision.
The fact that two of the representatives of Chitral were present on the occasion means they failed to represent Chitral. How can we share the management of our land with a non-local, who is only welcomed to participate as a guest? I, along with many others, appreciate that Dr Faizi has been writing on this topic from historical perspective and hope to read more from him.