First-Ever Grand Tourism Festival Set for Islamabad on Oct 10

News Desk

Islamabad: For the first time, the Department of Culture and Tourism, Government of Balochistan, is bringing the province’s rich heritage, stunning landscapes, and immense tourism potential to the federal capital through the Balochistan Grand Tourism Festival 2025, scheduled to take place from October 10 to 12 at the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa).

The three-day festival will be a vibrant celebration of Balochistan’s diverse culture, featuring folk music, traditional crafts, regional cuisine, and tourism exhibitions that reflect the province’s eco, coastal, adventure, and archaeological tourism.

Director Culture and Tourism Quetta, Dawood Tareen, said the festival marks a new chapter in promoting Balochistan’s image at the national level.

“For decades, the narrative around Balochistan has been overshadowed by challenges,” he said. “Now it’s time to present the province’s real face — one that reflects culture, beauty, creativity, and opportunity.”

Organized under the vision of Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Tourism and Law Mir Zarain Khan Magsi, the event aims to build cultural bridges between Balochistan and the rest of Pakistan while attracting global attention to its tourism and investment opportunities.

Tareen emphasized that the initiative goes beyond tourism.

“It’s about cultural diplomacy — showing the world that Balochistan is an integral part of Pakistan’s diversity and a symbol of hospitality, art, and peace,” he added.

The festival will feature captivating folk performances, including renditions of the legendary tales of Hani and Sheh Mureed and the poetry of Mast Tawakali, blending storytelling, music, and theatre to portray the soul of Baloch culture.

Adding an intellectual dimension, a series of high-level panel discussions will explore the future of Balochistan’s tourism, economy, and investment landscape.

The opening session on October 10, titled “Tapping the Tourism Potential of Balochistan”, will feature Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti, Parliamentary Secretary Mir Zarain Magsi, Secretary Culture Shakeel Qadir Khan, and Prof. Dr. Zainab Bibi, focusing on sustainable tourism strategies.

On October 11, the session “Blue Economy of Balochistan” will discuss opportunities in the province’s coastal and marine resources, with insights from Lieutenant General Hassan Azhar Hayat, Dr. Zia ur Rehman, and Dr. Hafeez Jamali.

The concluding session, “Investment Opportunities in Balochistan”, on October 12, will be moderated by Faria Farooq and feature Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, Prime Minister’s Tourism Coordinator Yasir Ilyas Khan, and Chenggaiz Hussain Khan, Chairman of the Balochistan Council on Foreign Relations, highlighting the province’s expanding role in national trade and development.

Visitors will also enjoy a culinary showcase featuring authentic Balochi dishes such as Sajji, Kaak bread, and Turbat’s dates, alongside folk performances with dambura and suroz, instruments echoing the rhythms of the desert and sea.

Diplomats, media representatives, students, and art enthusiasts are expected to attend the event, which aims to project a positive, inclusive, and forward-looking image of Balochistan, countering stereotypes and underscoring its vast potential for tourism, investment, and cultural exchange.

Summing up the spirit of the event, Dawood Tareen said, “Balochistan is not just a land of mountains and deserts — it’s a land of stories, songs, flavors, and traditions that deserve to be celebrated. This festival is our way of inviting the world to see the real Balochistan: peaceful, welcoming, and full of life.”

The Balochistan Grand Tourism Festival 2025 stands as a celebration of the province’s heritage and resilience, where culture meets nature, and tradition meets tomorrow.