First Jhang Desert Rally Roars Through the Thal as Three-Day Cultural Festival Continues
Jhang: The dunes of the Thal are echoing with engines this weekend. The district’s first-ever Jhang desert rally, held alongside a three-day cultural festival at Rehmat Abad in Athara Hazari tehsil, is under way and runs through Sunday, October 18.
A 95-kilometre track and about 100 drivers
The district administration says the rally course stretches 95 kilometres, with around 100 drivers and riders from across Pakistan taking part, including women jeep drivers. Leading racer Nadir Magsi is expected on the start line, and Sahibzada Sultan Muhammad Ali of Team Sultan has confirmed he will compete himself. Deputy Commissioner Babar Sahib Din says the point of the exercise is to put Jhang’s desert identity, culture and tourist sites in front of a national and international audience, and to give the local economy a lift. The event is being staged under Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s push to promote tourism and regional culture.
More than a race
Around the racing, the festival programme runs to tent pegging, kabaddi, volleyball and paragliding, with horse racing, horse dance and folk music on the bill as well. Food courts and accommodation camps have been set up for the spectators travelling in from other districts.
The administration is keen to remind visitors what the district holds: a Thal region spread over roughly 6,000 square kilometres and the confluence of the Chenab and Jhelum rivers. If this first edition lands well, Jhang may have found itself a permanent fixture on Pakistan’s desert-rally calendar.
