Desert rally: 70 teams qualify for final round

All set for race to kick off at 8am today.

BAHAWALPUR:

The seventh Cholistan Jeep rally is set to kick off in the desert at 8am on Sunday (today).

As many as 70 of the 80 teams that were registered for the competition will participate in the rally. The remaining had failed to clear the qualifying round of the race held on Saturday.

The teams will drive through a 204 km long track with 15 check posts. The cars will be stopped for a short break after 104 km.

Shehzad Khan, one of the participants, said this was the second time he had qualified for the race. He said he would try to finish first this time. He finished the rally third during his earlier stint, he said.

Tourism Development Corporation of Pakistan coordinator Shahid Mehmood said all arrangements for the event were in place. He said three battalions of Pakistan Rangers and 450 police men would be deployed along the track for security.

Teams of Rescue 1122 will remain on alert to lead with any unwanted incident during the race, he added.

The district government has imposed Section 144 in areas surrounding the track.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Amir, a Cholistan resident, said he was looking forward to the event.

He said besides being a source of entertainment, the rally provided many people a chance to make some extra money by setting up food and handicraft stalls. He said he had setup a makeshift shop where he was selling handicrafts.

Camps have been set up at Derawar Fort for spectators to spend the night ahead of the rally.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2012.