You are here

  • Home
  • Marathon polo tournament draws huge crowds in Pakistan’s picturesque north

Marathon polo tournament draws huge crowds in Pakistan’s picturesque north

Special Marathon polo tournament draws huge crowds in Pakistan’s picturesque north
Polo players ride their horses as they compete during a polo game in Skardu, in Pakistan's northeastern Gilgit-Baltistan region on November 21, 2024. (Photo courtesy: ISPR)
Short Url

https://arab.news/mwk5h

Updated 22 November 2024
Follow

Marathon polo tournament draws huge crowds in Pakistan’s picturesque north

Marathon polo tournament draws huge crowds in Pakistan’s picturesque north
  • Ten-day tournament played among 17 teams of Gilgit-Baltistan as part of independence day celebrations 
  • GB Independence Day celebrated on Nov. 1 every year to mark region’s independence in 1947 from Dogra Raj
Updated 22 November 2024
Nisar Ali
Follow

KHAPLU, Gilgit-Baltistan: Large crowds have been gathering daily in the northern mountain town of Gilgit for a 10-day polo tournament being held to mark Gilgit-Baltistan’s Independence Day, the military’s media wing and government officials said on Thursday, the last day of the event. 
GB is administered by Pakistan as an administrative territory and consists of the northern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947. The impoverished, remote and rugged mountainous territory borders Afghanistan and China and is the gateway of the $65 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) infrastructure plan. 
The Gilgit-Baltistan Independence Day is celebrated on Nov. 1 every year to mark the region’s independence in 1947 from Dogra Raj, the erstwhile rulers of the now disputed Jammu and Kashmir region.
“The big event of Jashan Azadi Polo Tournament was held at Wahab Shaheed Polo Ground in Gilgit, a remote area of the northern region under the management of Pak Army,” the military’s media wing said in a statement, saying Force Command Northern Areas, Maj. Gen. Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gillani, was the chief guest at the closing ceremony of the event in which 17 teams participated.




A Pakistani tribal polo team member chases the ball as the crowd watches the match during a polo game in Skardu, in Pakistan's northeastern Gilgit-Baltistan region on November 21, 2024. (Photo courtesy: ISPR)

“The final match was won by Chilas in civil and NLI teams in departmental categories respectively,” the statement added. 
Gilgit-Baltistan is also known for the annual polo festival at Shandur, an area between the northern Pakistani towns of Gilgit and Chitral, and at over 12,000 feet (3,700 meters) the world’s highest polo ground. 
Polo in GB is played without rules and at a blistering pace, suggesting more of a clash of cavalry than a sport. Locals believe polo was born in their land and Gilgit is home to the famous polo inscription: “Let other people play at other things, the King of Games is still the Game of Kings.”




A Pakistani tribalmen perform traditional dance during a polo game in Skardu, in Pakistan's northeastern Gilgit-Baltistan region on November 21, 2024. (Photo courtesy: ISPR)

Faizullah Faraq, the spokesperson for the G-B government, said thousands had come to watch the matches and celebrate the Gilgit-Baltistan Independence Day.
“Polo is the national game of Gilgit-Baltistan. And thousands of people reached Gilgit’s playground to watch the polo matches daily,” he told Arab News on Thursday. 
“Such kinds of activities unite the youth and they play their role to create harmony in the society. The promotion of polo is a need of time to maintain peace in society.”




Crowd watches the match during a polo game in Skardu, in Pakistan's northeastern Gilgit-Baltistan region on November 21, 2024. (Photo courtesy: ISPR)

Afrad Gul, the team captain of the winning Chilas team, appreciated locals who supported the tournament. 
“I have been playing polo for the last 15 years, my son was also part of my team,” Gul said in a phone interview. “We have left no stone unturned to keep this regional game alive.”

Topics: polo Gilgit-Baltistan

WWF says Pakistan’s pangolin population down 80 percent, urging immediate action

WWF says Pakistan’s pangolin population down 80 percent, urging immediate action
Updated 6 sec ago
Follow

WWF says Pakistan’s pangolin population down 80 percent, urging immediate action

WWF says Pakistan’s pangolin population down 80 percent, urging immediate action
  • Population of pangolin has “drastically declined” due to poaching, illegal trade, habitat loss, retaliatory killings, climate change
  • Pakistan is believed to be transit route for international smuggling of pangolin scales primarily to China and Southeast Asia
Updated 6 sec ago
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: The World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) said on Friday Pakistan’s pangolin population was “drastically” declining, saying it was down at least 80 percent from previously recorded numbers.

The Indian pangolin is the only pangolin species found in Pakistan, which is classified as endangered in the IUCN Red List of Species.

“In Pakistan, particularly in the Potohar region, the species has disappeared from 80 percent of its former range,” WWF-Pakistan said in a press release on World Pangolin Day, observed on the third Saturday of February.

“While exact population estimates are challenging to determine, the overall population has drastically declined.”

According to the IUCN, other population models predict that the global Indian pangolin population may decrease by approximately 50 percent over the next 20 years.

The Indian pangolin is protected under both federal and provincial wildlife laws in Pakistan. Since 2016, it has also been listed in Appendix I of CITES, which legally prohibits any international trade of the species and its products, including scales. 

However, the pangolin faces several challenges, especially poaching, retaliatory killing and illegal trade activities. They are heavily hunted for their scales, which are used in traditional medicine and illegal trade. Urbanization, agricultural expansion, and deforestation are also reducing their natural habitat. Further, studies indicate that Pakistan is a transit route for the international smuggling of pangolin scales, primarily to China and Southeast Asia. All these challenges are putting the survival of pangolins at risk.

WWF-Pakistan has proposed that provincial wildlife departments and other law enforcement authorities take immediate actions to halt the illegal trade of the species and increase penalties for poaching and illegal trade. There is also an urgent need to enhance the monitoring of trade routes to prevent the smuggling of pangolin scales.

“As these species play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance, we must combat illegal wildlife trade, protect their habitats, and ensure a future where these unique creatures can thrive,” Muhammad Jamshed Iqbal Chaudhry, Senior Manager Research and Conservation, WWF-Pakistan, said, proposing reforestation projects and protection of pangolin habitats in key regions like the Potohar Plateau, Margalla Hills, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. 

The establishment of community-based pangolin protection zones (PPZs) in priority population hotspots in Rawalpindi (Punjab) and Mirpur (AJK) should be improved, Chaudhry said. 

“Scientific studies to assess pangolin population trends and distribution in Pakistan should be conducted,” he added.

WWF-Pakistan also appreciated efforts taken for the development of the Pangolin Conservation and Management Plan for Pakistan (2018-23). SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) has been implemented in key habitats of the pangolin in Punjab, and a coordination system with Rescue 1122 has been developed to encourage community engagement in reporting illegal pangolin trade to the wildlife authorities. Furthermore, SAFE Systems strategies have also been developed for human-pangolin conflict management.

Currently, WWF-Pakistan is working in collaboration with the KP and Punjab provincial wildlife departments for pangolin conservation. The project “Saving the Pangolin of Pakistan” is being implemented in the KP Province, and surveys for species distribution have been completed in the region. 

Further, a Pangolin Protection Zone, enforced with community-based watch and ward, is being established in the southern districts of the KP province. 

WWF-Pakistan has also planned a joint venture with Tikki Hywood Foundation (Zimbabwe) for radio transmitter installation to study the habitat of the pangolin and help in establishing a rehabilitation center.

Topics: pangolin Pangolin in Pakistan Pakistan wildlife World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

Pakistan win the toss and bat against New Zealand in the tri-nation series final

Pakistan win the toss and bat against New Zealand in the tri-nation series final
Updated 21 min 58 sec ago
AP
Follow

Pakistan win the toss and bat against New Zealand in the tri-nation series final

Pakistan win the toss and bat against New Zealand in the tri-nation series final
  • Final is a dress rehearsal for both teams ahead of next week’s opening game of the Champions Trophy
  • Pakistan eliminated South Africa from final with epic run-chase of 355-4 at same venue on Wednesday
Updated 21 min 58 sec ago
AP

KARACHI: Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat against New Zealand in the tri-nation series final on Friday in a dress rehearsal for both teams ahead of next week’s opening game of the Champions Trophy.
Pakistan eliminated South Africa from the final with its epic run-chase of 355-4 at the same venue on Wednesday with captain Mohammad Rizwan and vice-captain Salman Ali Agha scoring centuries.
Pakistan brought in fast bowling all-rounder Faheem Ashraf for his first ODI since his last appearance against Sri Lanka at the Asia Cup in 2023.
Ashraf replaced fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain, who went wicketless in his eight overs for 72 runs during Pakistan’s highest ever successful run-chase in ODIs two days ago.
“The pitch looks a little dry, and we want to put runs on the board,” Rizwan said at the coin toss.”The ODI win in the last game was massive and it has given us the momentum.”
New Zealand, which beat both Pakistan and South Africa at Lahore last week, made two changes and brought in Nathan Smith and Jacob Duffy. Smith replaced fast bowler Matt Henry while Duffy came in place of Ben Sears, who has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy with a hamstring injury.
“The boys have played here a lot and we had two trainings on similar wickets,” New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said. “In Pakistan, the wickets are good. You always want to win, but there’s a bigger picture.”
Lineups:
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed.
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Will Young, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (captain), Nathan Smith, Jacob Duffy, Will O’Rourke.

Topics: Pakistan vs New Zealand Tri nation series Karachi stadium Pakistan cricket team

Islamabad slams Israeli PM for attempting to undermine Saudi Arabia’s ‘unwavering’ position on Palestine

Islamabad slams Israeli PM for attempting to undermine Saudi Arabia’s ‘unwavering’ position on Palestine
Updated 14 February 2025
Follow

Islamabad slams Israeli PM for attempting to undermine Saudi Arabia’s ‘unwavering’ position on Palestine

Islamabad slams Israeli PM for attempting to undermine Saudi Arabia’s ‘unwavering’ position on Palestine
  • Netanyahu’s remarks about the establishment of a Palestinian state on the Saudi territory drew widespread backlash this month
  • Pakistan has reiterated its call to summon an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on the issue
Updated 14 February 2025
KASHIF IMRAN

Islamabad: Pakistan on Friday slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for attempting to undermine Saudi Arabia’s “unwavering” position on Palestine by calling for the relocation of millions of Palestinians and establishing a Palestinian state in the Kingdom.
Israeli officials have proposed establishing a Palestinian state on the Saudi territory after Netanyahu seemingly joked about the idea during an interview on Israel’s Channel 14 on Feb. 16, according to Reuters.
Netanyahu’s comments came amid a six-week truce announced on Jan. 19 between Hamas and Israel that ended 15 months of war, involving the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from central Gaza and the return of displaced Palestinians to the north.
Shafqat Ali Khan, a spokesperson for the Pakistani foreign office, said Islamabad “condemns in unequivocal terms” the recent statement by the Israeli prime minister, suggesting the Palestinian people should establish their state in Saudi Arabia.
“The remarks by Israel are irresponsible, provocative and thoughtless, and are offending, undermining and disregarding the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, and an independent state on their own, historical and legitimate territory,” he said at a weekly press briefing.
“Pakistan stands in solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and any attempt to undermine Saudi Arabia’s unwavering position and misrepresentation of its commitment to the Palestinian cause is deeply regrettable.”
Pakistan has strong economic, defense and cultural ties with the Kingdom, while Islamabad does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters.”
The remarks by the Israeli PM followed a suggestion last month by US President Donald Trump that Palestinians in Gaza should be resettled in Egypt, Jordan, or other countries — a proposal rejected by Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, and other nations apart from being condemned by international rights groups.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry responded sharply to Netanyahu’s remarks on Sunday, saying it rejected “such statements that aim to divert attention from the continuous crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian brothers in Gaza.”
Speaking further at the briefing, Khan shared Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar had spoken with foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Türkiye, Malaysia and Iran about summoning an extraordinary session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the issue.
“During these calls, the deputy prime minister [and] foreign minister termed the proposal to displace the people of Gaza deeply troubling and unjust,” the foreign office spokesman said.
“He also conveyed Pakistan’s support for convening of an extraordinary OIC meeting of the foreign ministers to deliberate upon this issue.”
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more than 45,000 people, including children and women, according to the Palestinian health ministry, with at least more than 100,000 others wounded. The war began after Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas on Israel.

Topics: pakistan palestine ties Israel-Gaza war Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Foreign Office of Pakistan

Pakistan hits out at India after Trump-Modi meeting 

Pakistan hits out at India after Trump-Modi meeting 
Updated 49 min 39 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan hits out at India after Trump-Modi meeting 

Pakistan hits out at India after Trump-Modi meeting 
  • Washington and New Delhi issue joint statement calling on Pakistan to ensure its territory not used to carry out cross-border attacks
  • Trump said the US will increase military sales to India starting in 2025 and will eventually provide F-35 fighter jets
Updated 49 min 39 sec ago
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad on Friday criticized the United States and India after President Donald Trump met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House and both leaders called on Pakistan to ensure its territory was not used as a base for militant attacks.

Trump rolled out the red carpet for Modi on Thursday, with both leaders touting deals their countries had reached on defense, energy and commerce. Washington and New Delhi also issued a joint statement following the meeting in which they called on Pakistan to bring to justice the perpetrators of two militant attacks and ensure that its territory was not used to carry out cross-border assaults. Later, speaking at a press conference, Trump said the United States will increase military sales to India starting in 2025 and eventually provide F-35 fighter jets.

“We consider the Pakistan specific reference in the Indo-US joint statement on Feb. 13, 2025 as one sided, misleading and contrary to diplomatic norms,” Foreign Office Spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan said at a weekly press briefing. 

“We are surprised that the reference has been added to the joint statement notwithstanding Pakistan’s counterterrorism cooperation with the US.”

Relations between India and Pakistan have been fraught for years. Since independence from Britain in 1947, the two nations have fought three wars, two of them over the Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir, which they both claim in full but rule in part.

New Delhi has for years accused Pakistan of launching militant attacks in India, including the one in 2008 in Mumbai that killed over 165 people. India also says Pakistan has helped militants who have battled Indian security forces in its part of Kashmir since the late 1980s. Pakistan denies the accusation and says it only provides diplomatic and moral support for Kashmiris seeking self-determination.

The joint US-India declaration said: “The leaders further called on Pakistan to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai, and Pathankot attacks and ensure that its territory is not used to carry out cross-border terrorist attacks.”

“Such references cannot cover up India’s sponsorship of terrorism, subversion and extrajudicial assassinations in the region and beyond, nor can they shift international attention from the stark reality of India being a safe haven for the perpetrators of hate crimes against Muslims and other minorities,” the Pakistani foreign office spokesman responded. 

Khan also said Pakistan was “deeply concerned” over the planned transfer of advanced military technology to India. 

“Such steps accentuate military imbalances in the region and undermine strategic stability. They remain unhelpful in achieving the objective of a durable peace in South Asia,” he added. 

“We urge our international partners to take a holistic and objective view of the issues of peace and security in South Asia and refrain from endorsing positions that are one sided and divorce from ground realities.”

India has agreed to buy more than $20 billion of US defense products since 2008. Last year, India agreed to buy 31 MQ-9B SeaGuardian and SkyGuardian drones after deliberations that lasted more than six years.

According to the US Congressional Research Service, New Delhi is expected to spend more than $200 billion over the next decade to modernize its military.

Topics: Modi Trump

Pakistanis, Afghans among 119 migrants deported on US flight to Panama

Pakistanis, Afghans among 119 migrants deported on US flight to Panama
Updated 14 February 2025
AP
Follow

Pakistanis, Afghans among 119 migrants deported on US flight to Panama

Pakistanis, Afghans among 119 migrants deported on US flight to Panama
  • Migrants from China, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan, among others, were aboard
  • Trump administration taking Panama up on offer to act as stopover for expelled migrants
Updated 14 February 2025
AP

PANAMA CITY: Panama has received the first US flight carrying deportees from other nations as the Trump administration takes Panama up on its offer to act as a stopover for expelled migrants, the Central American nation’s president said Thursday.

“Yesterday a flight from the United States Air Force arrived with 119 people from diverse nationalities of the world,” President José Raúl Mulino said Thursday in his weekly press briefing. He said there were migrants from China, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan, among others, aboard.

The president said it was the first of three planned flights that were expected to total about 360 people. “It’s not something massive,” he said.

The migrants were expected to be moved to a shelter in Panama’s Darien region before being returned to their countries, Mulino said.

Asked later Thursday why Panama was acting as a stopover for these deportations, Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Ruiz Hernández said that it was something the US government had requested. He also said the US government was paying for the repatriations through UN immigration agencies.

The migrants who arrived Wednesday, had been detained after crossing the US border and did not have criminal records, he said.
Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Mulino in Panama. While US President Donald Trump’s demands to retake control of the Panama Canal dominated the visit, Mulino also discussed Panama’s efforts to slow migration through the Darien Gap and he offered Panama as a bridge to send US deportees back to their countries.

Rubio secured agreements on the trip with Guatemala and El Salvador as well, to accept migrants from other nations in what was seen as the laying groundwork for expanding US capacity to speedily deport migrants.

Migration through the Darien Gap connecting Panama and Colombia was down about 90 percent in January compared to the same month a year earlier.

Since Mulino entered office last year, Panama has made dozens of deportation flights, most funded by the US government.

Ruiz said Thursday that Panama “has been completely willing to participate and cooperate in this request they have made of us.”

Topics: Panama

Latest updates

Inside the AlMuqtani Gallery at the Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah
Inside the AlMuqtani Gallery at the Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah
Fourteen Gaza children flown to Italy for treatment
Fourteen Gaza children flown to Italy for treatment
Review: Experience luxury living at Shebara on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Review: Experience luxury living at Shebara on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Russian drone ‘struck’ Chernobyl cover, no radiation increase: Zelensky
Russian drone ‘struck’ Chernobyl cover, no radiation increase: Zelensky
‘Inside Ittihad’: From regional powerhouse to global household name
‘Inside Ittihad’: From regional powerhouse to global household name

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2025 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.