From The News: CHITRAL: The local leaders of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) on Tuesday blasted the party leadership for not announcing any project for the uplift of the district.
"We were expecting a special development package for Chitral but neither the president nor the prime minister bothered to visit Chitral during the Shandur festival. We feel that the PPP has become the party of opportunists and there is no value of committed party workers," Gulzar Shah from Mastuj told The News.
"Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto had a special love for Chitral. Now the people are disappointed due to the apathy of the present leadership and the party is fast losing popularity in the district," he said.
Anisur Rehman also came down hard on the PPP leadership for not announcing district status for the Mastuj subdivision.
"It has been our longstanding demand. We are disappointed that no announcement was made about upgrading the status of Mastuj subdivision to district during the festival," he maintained. An old PPP activist Master Hassan asked the top PPP leaders to visit Chitral or many activists would part ways with the party.
On Monday, the Chitral team lifted the trophy by defeating
the Gilgit-Baltistan team in the final match of the three-day Shandur polo tournament played at the world's highest polo ground.
The Chitral team scored 10 goals against four of the Gilgit-Baltistan team. Shahzada Sikandar-ul-Mulk from Chitral was declared man of the match.
Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Pir Karam Ali Shah was the chief guest at the final. Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Mehdi Shah, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism and Sports Minister Syed Aqil Shah, Argentine's ambassador and his wife and civil and military officials watched the spectacular polo match.
The locals along with visitors from across the country attended the three-day polo festival at picturesque Shandur.
This year the final match began in a novel way. A glider brought the ball down to the ground and gave it to the ruling Awami National Party's Member Provincial Assembly Shagufta Malik, who then handed it over to the Gilgit-Baltistan governor and the game was formally inaugurated.
In the first half, Chitral scored six goals and Gilgit-Baltistan team two only.
During the second half, Chitral added four more goals to raise their tally to 10. The Gilgit team could score two more goals only to take its total to four.
Pir Karam Ali Shah and Syed Aqil Shah distributed the trophies and awards among the winners.
Elaborate security arrangements were put in place to hold the festival in a befitting manner and facilitate the tourists.
The Shandur polo tournament attracts a large number of foreigners as well as domestic tourists and gives a boost to the local economy.