DERA ISMAIL KHAN: The Derajat Festival kicked off with colourful activities in Dera Ismail Khan on Saturday.
The opening ceremony, held at Ratta Kulachi Stadium, featured cultural games, traditional music, food items, art exhibitions, fireworks, puppet shows, Taekwondo competitions, information on provincial tourism and cultural heritage sites, and various other recreational activities.
The Mina Bazaar was also part of the gala that showcased products for women and children, musical performances, Saraiki Jhoomer, magic performances, and children’s games beside parades, cattle shows, PT shows, tent pegging, livestock exhibitions, horse riding and march pasts.
To provide information and raise awareness among visitors, a Tourism Information Desk was set up by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA) and the Department of Archaeology.
The desk displayed brochures about the province’s tourist destinations and 3D maps of Hazara and Malakand divisions. The archaeology desk offered brochures and books about historical sites.
At the inaugural ceremony, Member National Assembly Faisal Amin Gandapur visited the tourism and archaeology desks.
Deputy manager for Tourist Information Centres at the KPCTA Saeed Khan welcomed the guests and briefed them on various tourist destinations and ongoing projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Appreciating the KPCTA efforts, Faisal Amin Gandapur said that the province held immense potential for tourism and that the authority was doing an excellent job.
About the Tirich Mir summit, he said that a summary had been sent for the waiver of royalty fees for mountaineers for two years.
This initiative, he said, was expected to significantly boost international-level tourism in Chitral and attract a large number of international climbers to the province. The festival aims not only to preserve local traditions but also to connect the younger generation with their cultural heritage.