LAHORE: A three-day Karakoram Festival kicked off at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Friday.

Gentle breeze added to the thrill of the traditional music of Gilgit-Baltistan at the opening ceremony. The event will conclude on Sunday.

Colourful camping tents, photographs of snowcapped mountains, gems, GB food delicacies and enthralling tunes were part of the carnival which has been organised to mark the 60th anniversary of the K2 first ascent by Italian Expedition in 1954.

The LCCI and the Social, Economic and Environmental Development (SEED) project under the framework of the Pakistan Italian Debt-forDevelopment Swap Agreement (PIDSA) and Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab and World Wide Fund for Nature have collaborated for the promotion of domestic and international tourism and trekking expeditions to different parts of Gilgit-Baltistan especially to the K2 and surrounding areas and the Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP).

Minister for Industries Chaudhry Shafique, while inaugurating the festival, expressed hope that events such as this would boost the economy.

SEED Project Director Raffaele Delcima told Dawn that `the festival aims at promoting local tourism providing a great opportunity to explore different aspects of tourism with a major focus on Gilgit-Baltistan.

There are 40 or so stalls featuring a wide range of products from Gilgit-Baltistan.

From scrumptious food to local crafts to gems and stones to tools for mountaineers each stall has something informative to offer.

The heart-touching tunes of an age-old music instrument mesmerised the audience as a 10-member group performed.