Cancellation of Kaghan bike race: Government’s move draws mixed reaction from participants

Organisers evade disclosing loss; police sources say decision taken for security of foreign participants.


Muhammad Sadaqat September 25, 2012

KAGHAN:


The cancellation of a much-trumpeted international bike race in Kaghan at the eleventh hour has left many disappointed: the cyclists from over seven countries who had spent months training for the race, the organisers who invested countless hours coordinating the international event, and the children studying in schools of the Kaghan Memorial Trust (KMT) for whom books were to be provided and classrooms built from funds to be raised from the event, to name a few.


The three-day event “Tour of Himalayas 2012” was cancelled by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government on September 20 to mark solidarity with Youm-e-Ishq-e-Rasool [Love of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) Day].

After Minister for Sports Syed Aqil Shah broke the news to a dejected, irked group of participants in Kaghan, they were whisked to a guesthouse in Abbottabad under heavy police escort by Mansehra Police.

Police sources told The Express Tribune that the event was cancelled not just to show solidarity but due to threats to the lives of the foreign participants. An official said that the foreigners were taken to Abbottabad after the Punjab and Islamabad police said they would be unable to ensure them security.

Eight international teams - from England, Scotland, Netherlands, Denmark, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary and one mixed team - alongside three Pakistani teams with three men and two women each had arrived in Shogran  for the event.

Participants resent decision

“If there was any threat to the cyclists or those wanting to attend the event, the government should have told the organisers earlier to call off the event,” said Laura, a cyclist from Netherlands. “I trained for three months to participate in the race, and it quite disappointing that it has been cancelled just 12 hours before its start,” he added.

Another cyclist, John Smith from Great Britain, expressed his resentment over the cancellation of the race, but added the move might just be in the participant’s best interest. He said he was concerned over the events that have ensued in response to an anti-Islam film “Innocence of Muslims”.

Pakistani cyclists participating in the race have similar sentiments.

One local player, requesting not to be named, said one of the aims of the event was to project a positive image of Pakistan to the international community, but the cancellation of the race has accomplished just the opposite. “Calling off the race has deepened the security concerns of foreign tourists wanting to come to Pakistan,” he added.

No loss to industry?

When contacted, the general manger of K-P Tourism Corporation, Muhammad Ali Syed, dispelled the notion that cancellation of the event at the eleventh hour has caused a loss to the tourism industry. He said that numerous tourists visited the area this year from May till August, adding that the season for tourism was already at its end. However, he said the move might have affected businesses of local traders and the organisers who aimed to raise funds from the event.

When contacted, KMT Programme Officer Marion evaded the question of how much loss the trust incurred due to cancellation of the event, which was aimed to raise funds exclusive for schools operating under the Kaghan School Project.

Another official, Khurram, said the trust raised “millions” of rupees in a similar bike race it organised last year. He, however, supported the government’s move to cancel the event due to security concerns. “In case of any untoward incident, the entire country would have had to face the stigma that Pakistan cannot provide security to foreign nationals,” he added.

Anwar Shah, a local hotelier, said during last year’s race, his hotel had a hundred per cent occupancy, which was below 10 per cent this time around. “Very few tourists showed up initially, and then the event got cancelled; we had prepared avidly but all in vain,” he lamented.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2012.

COMMENTS (1)

LuvPak | 11 years ago | Reply

Well, in that case they should have just changed the name of the race to something religious.

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