General Officer Commanding (GOC) Army engineering Battalion, Major General Akhtar Salim Rao has said the 'Broghul Festival' will serve as mile stone for development of the backward area where people are still leading lives in period of stone age as the festival attracted a large number of local and non-local tourists. Tourism Corporation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in collaboration with Chitral scouts jointly organised a colourful event.
Major General Akhtar Salim Rao said this event would be the first step for development of the area. Major items of the festival were yak polo, horse polo (free style), donkey polo, Buz Kashi(completing of round circle carrying a goat carcass by a man who riding a horse depending the goat who catch it from the opponent rider), horse race, donkey race, yak race, cattle show and exhibition of local handicrafts and traditional foods.
GOC, Major General Javed Mehmood Bukhari of Malakand Division was the chief guest on the occasion. While GOC Major General Akhtar Salim Rao of 104 Engineering Battalion also attended the colourful event in the scenic valley of Broghul. Talking to local journalists General Akhtar Salim Rao said that he was very excited when he visited Broghul valley. He said he really impressed by local games and traditional events like Yak polo which is playing only in this valley.
Local people thanked to Lieutenant Colonel Sarfaraz Awan wing commander of 146 Wing of Chitral Scouts, Pakistan Army, TCKP, Thrive CIADP (Chitral Integrated Area development programme) Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) and other Non-Government Organisations for supporting the organising committee for celebrating the event.
Educationist and chairman of PUNAR LSO Sher Wali Khan Aseer demanded from the federal, provincial governments as well as international donors for focusing on the valley to bring positive changes in their lives who still passing through the stone period and there is no development in this modern era. At last the chief guest including Major General Rao, chief executive officer of SRSP distributed prizes among the players. The buz kasha trophy was given to Anwar Baig of Garamchishma (employee of CIADP).