BATKHELA: The Jashn-e-Pakhtunkhwa Festival was celebrated in Malakand with great enthusiasm, featuring traditional Pashtun sports, a variety of local foods, books, and stalls showcasing cultural artifacts.
The event was organized by the Yousafzai Nariwala Jirga Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and was attended by several of people, including tribal elders, sitting and former MNAs, MPAs, ministers, senators, and youth from various districts such as Malakand, Mardan, Swabi, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Dir, Charsadda, Peshawar, and others.
The festivities began with prayers and the laying of floral wreaths at the shrines of Yousafzai tribal elder Malik Ahmad Baba and Utmankhel elder Attaullah, also known as Atta Baba.
Elders of the Yousafzai tribe inaugurated various stalls and participated in traditional sports competitions, including mokha, kabaddi, spear-throwing, sakhey, horse racing, and chindro. Prizes were awarded to the winning teams.
During the event, elders from different tribes were honoured with traditional turbans and shields. Speakers appreciated the holding of the festival and emphasized that all tribes must remain united and work collectively to ensure lasting peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
At the conclusion, Dr. Abaseen Yousafzai presented a declaration and resolutions stating that all Pakhtun tribes are like one body.
The participants condemned unrest in Pakhtun regions and reaffirmed their belief in resolving issues through the jirga system.
The resolutions called on the government to review its policy on the repatriation of Afghan refugees in light of ongoing international conflicts and to facilitate citizenship for children of refugees born in Pakistan.
They demanded identification and proper utilization of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s resources, financial support for universities, and provision of modern education, including IT, for students.
The participants urged the promotion of tourism, improvement of communication infrastructure, establishment of industries based on local raw materials, and revival of closed factories.
They demanded payment of outstanding dues under the NFC Award, provision of gas, electricity, and oil royalties to the province, and implementation of Pashto as a compulsory subject in all educational institutions, along with the introduction of BS classes and recruitment of teachers at the college level.
The declaration stressed that the province should be officially referred to as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa instead of “KP,” and called for the establishment of playgrounds in all districts to protect youth from the harmful effects of drugs.
