Rain washes out spring festival in twin cities

Event moved to next month at F-9 Park

ISLAMABAD: With the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi being lashed by rains for the past two days, it claimed at least one casualty in the form of the Islamabad Family Spring and Basant Festival 2020, which was postponed.

Organisers said that the festival was scheduled to have kicked off on Saturday, but the heavy downpour and an advisory issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) meant that the event had to push back.

Now, the festival will be held from March 20 to March 22 at Fatima Jinnah Park in Sector F-9. The theme of the festival will be slightly altered as well to coincide with March 23, Pakistan Day.

Islamabad Family Festival Chief Organiser Dr Abdullah Tabassum in a news conference on Saturday said that they will put up posters and banners to pay tribute to the heroes of the country.

He informed that all arrangements have been made for the Family Spring Festival, which is going to be held at F-9 Park from March 20 to 22. He added that Sahar Ali Baga, Sara Raza Khan, Sahar Gul Khan, Faiza Mujahid, and Malko will showcase their art at this festival. There will be several attractions at the festival such as the Clean and Green Cycle Race, the Marathon Race, while Salman Gilani, Shahbaz Chauhan, Khalid Masood Khan, and Dr Aammat-ul-Haq Javed will recite their humorous poetry.

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat said the government, police, traffic police, Capital Development Authority (CDA), Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) will all collaborate to ensure that the event is a successful one.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2020.