Sports gala begins at Khanpur Lake

HARIPUR, April 15: The annual event of Khanpur water sports extravaganza began here on Friday amid tight security for the visiting families. The Tourism Corporation, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, (TCKP) has organised the three-day festival at Khanpur Lake that would conclude on April 17. Located at a 15-minute drive from Taxila bypass on GT Road and about an hour's from Islamabad, the Khanpur Lake was chosen by the then TC NWFP for entertaining the families on the pattern of Shandur Mela in 2009. The event proved a success attracting thousands of picnickers from Peshawar, Abbottabad, Rawalpindi, Wah, Taxila and even Lahore. The visitors crossed the number we had anticipated, said an official of the TCKP, adding, the number would go up as the event progresses. The events of fireworks, paragliding, hang gliding, hot air balloons, air safari, kids play area, fishing and camping, cultural performances like horse dance, camel ride, Khatak, Hazara and Chitrali dance and musical performance by the local artists, traditional food and handicrafts have been included in the festivity to provide the people, fed up with the fragile security situation, an healthy entertainment opportunity. "Kudos to the government for arranging such an event for the people craving for leisure and entertainment," said Irum, a mother of two minors from Islamabad, while talking to this correspondent. Another woman picnicker said that the provincial government must develop Khanpur Lake as picnic spot on permanent basis because it was near to Islamabad and had natural beauty to enthrall the visitors. Children thronging the water sports gala on the first day had more to enjoy from the kids play area. Meanwhile, security was beefed up around the lake with the main entrance being heavily guarded by police. To avoid any untoward incident, the district police have installed walkthrough gates while men and women have to undergo body search at two separate points.