ISLAMABAD, July 7 (Xinhua) -- A three-day colourful polo festival has started Saturday at a polo ground in Pakistan's northern Shandur aera, and will be continued till Monday, local media reported.
A traditional polo tournament between various teams of Chitral and Gilgit will be played during the festival. The tournament is being held at the polo ground of Shandur, located at 3,700 meters from the sea level.
Thousands of local and foreign tourists will attend the festival this year, reported local media, adding that the number of tourists is expected to be the highest in history.
Khurshid Alam Mehsud, Deputy Commissioner Chitral, told local media that they were excited to celebrate the event with great zeal and fervor as they wanted to portray the positive image of Pakistan for the world to see.
"It is a great way to promote the Pakistani tourism industry and attract foreign and national tourists to Chitral," Mehsud said.
During the event, the visitors will enjoy traditional dance and music performances by different groups, trout fishing, mountaineering, trekking, hiking and horse riding. A tourist tent village with restaurant facilities has been set up to facilitate the tourists.
The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has also arranged special flights to the northern district of Chitral owing to the event. The flights will be operated for five days from the capital of Islamabad to Chitral, according to the PIA.
