Are There Real Sports in Upper Chitral or Just on Paper? A Closer Look

 

Have you ever wondered if the funds allocated for sports in our country are genuinely being used for the development of sports or if they are just being shown on paper? The 2024-25 report released by the District Sports Office of Upper Chitral raises several questions that need serious attention.

According to the report, Zani Pass Festival, an exciting event, allegedly cost 300,000 rupees, which included activities like a marathon race, tug of war, local sports, and ice hockey. But the question arises: was this large sum justified for just a few events? Moreover, are there any pictures, videos, or reports we can see to verify this expense?

Another curious situation is with the Shandur Ice Hockey event, where only 30,000 rupees were spent. Despite the event being of greater importance compared to other major events, why was such a small budget allocated for it? Similarly, despite expectations of millions being spent on the Paragliding Competition, only 100,000 rupees were spent, and there is no significant coverage or evidence available for this event either.

Now another question arises. The Ice Hockey Culture and Tourism Authority reported spending 2.8 million rupees on the Shandur Ice Hockey event. So why are two separate departments spending on the same event? It is crucial to understand how two departments can allocate such large amounts for the same event simultaneously. If public funds are being used in this manner, how much taxpayers' money is being wasted?

Surprisingly, the Youth Department included the Upper Chitral Symposium 2024 in their report, but did not specify the funds allocated for it. Meanwhile, the same symposium was reported by the Chitral District Sports Office, which listed the associated expenses. Here, two departments are involved with a single event, and their budgets are separate. This contradiction suggests either the departments are working together, or one department's expenses are being included in the other's budget. This raises significant concerns about transparency.

The report claims that a budget of 1.2 million rupees was allocated for promoting sports, but in reality, 1.6 million rupees were spent. If you look closely, most of the funds seem to have been spent on events that either took place in special locations or events whose legitimacy is questionable.

 

Events like the "Cultural Night" and "Musical Night" saw huge expenditures, while far less money was allocated to children's sports and educational institutions, where events are often underfunded.

All of these incidents beg the question: Is real sports development happening? Or is it just a paperwork exercise where public money is being spent simply to show that "something is happening"? If this is the case, serious reconsideration is needed.

These contradictions and suspicious activities force us to ask: Are our funds being used properly? Public funds should be spent on actual sports development, not on fake events and festivals.

Final Thought: It’s time for us all to demand an independent audit of the sports funds and events in Upper Chitral to understand how taxpayers' money is being spent. We deserve to know if these funds are truly being used for the development of sports or if they are simply being misused for show.

#ChitralSports #SportsTransparency #AuditRequired #ChitralEvents #PublicFunds #SportsIntegrity