GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) government has asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government to address concerns in order to organise the Shandur Polo Festival jointly.

The GB government warned that, in the absence of a mutually agreed framework, GB may be forced to abstain from the festival in the future to protect its regional interests and avoid administrative complications.

The Shandur Polo Festival is organised annually in the summers, on the world`s highest polo ground located at 12,000 feet above sea level. Matches between archrivals Gilgit and Chitral teams are considered the major attraction of the event.

Historically, the event has been organised jointly by both sides. However, KP government has been accused of making unilateral decisions regarding the event in recent years. A letter sent by GB Tourism Secretary Zamir Abbas, who is also the Secretary of Sports and Culture, to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Secretary Culture,Tourism, Archaeology and Museums highlighted the importance of the annual Shandur festival. In the letter, Mr Abbas said with regard to collaboration between the governments of GB and KP, some observations and recommendations need to be conveyed to the KP Tourism Department, because the festival is a historically significant occasion for both GB and KP.

The letter stated that it is a fact that the Shandur area is a disputed territory between KP and GB. It added that the ownership claim of both governments is under the consideration of a provincial boundary commission. `The government of GB, on the basis of revenue and other records, considers Shandur and its surrounding areas as its legitimate territories,` said the letter.

It added, however, that considering the shared cultural heritage of the people, the historical significance and the importance of sports for the promotion of harmony, the government of GB had been participating in the event as a modus vivendi.

The letter said it is imperative that any event held at this plateau be organised jointly by the respective authorities of both GB and KP, participating as co-equals.The letter added that failure to do so may not only diminish the utility of the event but also create administrative complications for both sides.

It said the KP Tourism Department had been inviting GB Tourism Department officials for meetings regarding arrangements for the festival 2025.

`Some of these meetings have been attended by me and the Ghizer deputy commissioner, where I reiterated the widely held view in GB that the KP government dominates the event and GBis offered to participate merely as a guest,` the secretary said in the letter.

The letter explained that it is important to mention that last year the event was cancelled unilaterally by the KP Tourism Department, which caused considerable financial loss to the GB government due to pre-arrangements and mobilisation of teams, among other expenses.

It requested the KP government to organise the event in collaboration with the GB and KP tourism departments so that better and befitting arrangements could be made, and the concerns of the GB people regarding the organisation of the eventcould also be addressed.

Moreover, all stakeholders from GB Force Commander Northern Areas (FCNA) and GB Scouts may also be invited to these consultative meetings so that prior arrangements may be discussed in an inclusive manner.

It was also suggested that a bilateral coordination committee be established at the earliest to address logistical, administrative and cultural considerations for the joint organisation of the event.

Last year, the GB administration protested KP`s `unilateral decision` to postpone the Shandur festival. The GB government had boycotted the event in 2011, 2015 and 2016, accusing the KP government of `monopolising the sport`.

KP govt`s response In response to the letter, KP government assured the GB government of addressing the latter`s reservations and organising the event on a co-equals basis.

This year, the Shandur Polo Festival is expected to be held in the last weeks of June before the holy month of Muharram.