First ever jeep rally in March 20 ‘grand Dera mela’ on CPEC route

Islamabad, February 18: The first ever jeep rally in Dera Ismail Khan along with China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) route will be held from March 20 as part of a ‘grand Dera mela (fair).

The mela will be held for 10 days, ruling Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI)’s Member Provincial, Assembly (MPA) Faisal Amin Khan Gandapur said on Wednesday afternoon.

“The unique feature of this mela is holding the first ever jeep rally in Dera Ismail Khan along CPEC route. It would be held at the Sports Stadium of the city with an objective to promote the cultural and traditional values of Dera Ismail Khan and its inhabitants,” he said.

He said the mela was aimed at promoting local culture and traditional art and sports. Faisal Amin said that the festival was being organized at the national level under the name of ‘Dera-jat mela’ to create a feeling of love and affection in youth for their local culture and tradition besides talent hunting.

He said that the festivals would not only attract the locals and guests from across the country but also boost the soft image of the country through media coverage.

Faisal Amin said the event would promote peace and harmony in society and encourage youth to be involved in healthy activities.

He said cultural dance, tent pegging, horse and cattle show, pet show, wrestling, gymnastics and other local sports would be part of this festival.

He expressed the hope that this mela would attract a large number of people as many famous artists would perform in this show.

The lawmaker said students from schools, colleges and universities would also participate besides lovers of art and craft from various cities, including neighboring districts of Bakhar, Mianwali and Tank.