JHANG – Jhang is gearing up for major tourism and cultural attraction as district administration prepares to host first-ever Jhang Desert Rally alongside a three-day festival celebrating the region’s heritage, traditions and natural beauty.
Organised under vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the event will combine high-speed desert racing with cultural performances, traditional sports, folk entertainment and tourism activities, offering visitors a broader experience of the Thal region. Deputy Commissioner Jhang Babar Sahib Din said the rally would feature Women’s, Stock and Veterans categories, along with bike racing and other competitive activities.
He said the event was being designed not simply as a racing competition but as a major platform to introduce Jhang’s distinctive identity, desert landscape, historical attractions, folk traditions and cultural heritage to tourists from across Pakistan and abroad.
The centrepiece of the event will be an exciting 95-kilometre desert track, where experienced drivers and riders will compete across the challenging terrain of the Thal region. Around 100 skilled drivers and riders from different parts of Pakistan are expected to participate, while tourists from various countries are also expected to attend.
To facilitate visitors and participants, the administration will establish a food court and residential camping facilities at the event venue.
The rally will be accompanied by a wide-ranging cultural programme featuring horse riding, traditional dancing, folk music, kabaddi, volleyball and other traditional sports. A musical night and several recreational activities will further add to the festival atmosphere, giving spectators opportunities to experience the region’s folk traditions and local artistic heritage.
The programme is also expected to provide a platform for showcasing Jhang’s traditional hospitality, customs and cultural identity while exposing visitors to its distinctive desert environment.
Babar Sahib Din highlighted the district’s geographical and cultural significance, noting that Jhang encompasses around 6,000 square kilometres of the Thal region. The district is also home to the confluence of the Chenab and Jhelum rivers, along with historical sites, natural attractions and deeply rooted folk traditions.
The administration aims to use the rally and festival to bring these attractions to national and international attention and promote Jhang as an emerging tourism destination. The initiative is expected to create a vibrant meeting point for motorsport enthusiasts, tourists, cultural performers and local communities while giving Jhang an opportunity to present its heritage on a major public platform.
Former MPAs Faisal Hayat Jaboana, Sultan Sikandar Bharwana, Rashida Yaqoob Sheikh and Khalid Ghani, along with Sahibzada Maulana Muhammad Asif Mavia, Ameer Abbas Sial and Mukarram Waheed Sheikh, district administration officials and civil society representatives also attended the press conference.
