Rebranding K-P: Youth carnival to dispel stereotypes

Universities from across country to participate in event

PESHAWAR: In an attempt to dispel common stereotypes about Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the provincial government is organising a Mega Challenge Youth Carnival, starting March 16 at Qayyum Sports Complex in the city.

This was shared by Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mehmood Khan during a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday. He said people from across the country, particularly students, have been invited. “They can come, and observe the peace and tranquillity in K-P,” he said.

Mega Carnival 16 (MC16) is expected to see hundreds of students from across the country demonstrate their talent in different fields. “The carnival will help promote the talent of the youth in our country and provide them a platform to hone their skills,” the minister added.

Hosting talent

Mehmood said the sports and youth department contacted almost 153 universities across the country, including those in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan for the event, out of which 38 universities confirmed their participation. “Students from seminaries have also been invited,” he said.

The sports minister told the media over 300 men and 117 women are participating in the event from K-P. “About 128 men and 36 women from Punjab, and 35 men and 18 women from Sindh have confirmed their participation. At least 63 men and 10 women from Islamabad and Fata will also be there while the rest have not confirmed as yet,” he added.

The sports minister said 26 competitions will be held at the carnival. These include qirat, English and Urdu declamation and essay writing, short film, calligraphy, photography, music contests, among others. The jury comprises 50 people hailing from various parts of the country.

Logistics

“Over Rs15 million has been allocated to make the event a success,” he said. Twelve guest houses and two hotels have been booked to accommodate the participants. Security will be tightened to make sure guests and participants remain safe.

Responding to a query, the minister said volunteer committees comprising 300 men and women have been constituted. He said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairperson Imran Khan would inaugurate MC16 on March 5 while Chief Minister Pervez Khattak would be the chief guest to conclude the grand carnival.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2016.