Society

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa hosts National Games amid tight security

The games were last held in Peshawar in 2010, and the return is a sign of improved law and order in the region.

By Javed Khan and Shahbaz Butt

2019-11-12

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan (centre right) attends the inaugural ceremony of the 33rd National Games in Peshawar November 10. [Shahbaz Butt]

Athletes enter the Peshawar Sports Complex November 10. [Shahbaz Butt]

Teams enter the Peshawar Sports Complex November 10. [Shahbaz Butt]

Athletes enter the Peshawar Sports Complex as part of the National Games on November 10. [Shahbaz Butt]

Female athletes wave as they enter Peshawar Sports Complex November 10. [Shahbaz Butt]

Paragliders perform at the inauguration of the National Games in Peshawar on November 10. [Shahbaz Butt]

Female field hockey teams compete in Peshawar November 10. [Shahbaz Butt]

Pakistani singer Salman Ahmad performs in Peshawar November 10. [Shahbaz Butt]

Girls dance during the national anthem before the 33rd National Games in Peshawar on November 10. [Shahbaz Butt]

Female hurdlers compete November 10 in Peshawar. [Shahbaz Butt]

Wrestlers compete in Peshawar on November 10. [Shahbaz Butt]

PESHAWAR -- Pakistan's 33rd National Games kicked off Sunday (November 10) in Peshawar amid tight security.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan inaugurated the games, set to run through November 16, during a colourful ceremony at the Peshawar Sports Complex.

The games are being held in Peshawar for the first time since 2010, Khan noted.

Police, along with other agencies, have laid out a comprehensive security plan for the games.

A fireworks show takes place at the inauguration of the 33rd National Games in Peshawar on November 10. [Shahbaz Butt]

"The games are being held here in Peshawar after a long time as the law-and-order situation has improved to a great extent," said Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Karim Khan.

About 4,700 police officers are performing their duties in and outside five different stadiums, he added.

Elaborate preparations

"Before the event, we completed the security audit for the games and chalked out a comprehensive security plan for the National Games," said Khan, adding that police conducted search-and-strike operations near the stadiums to ensure security.

"Apart from policemen and policewomen, the commandos of the Special Combat Unit are being deployed during the games to maintain law and order," he said. Traffic police wardens will ensure the smooth flow on the main roads around the stadiums.

"We have strengthened security at 40 entry points across the provincial capital during the National Games," said KP Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Zahoor Babar Afridi.

Police beefed up security at hotels and other stadiums, he said, adding that they have a special control room at the Peshawar Sports Complex.

"The nation is in for a treat as KP gets to host the National Games after nine years and is committed to making these the most memorable games ever," Kamran Khan Bangash, a member of the KP cabinet, tweeted after attending the event's torch ceremony.

"The National Games are the biggest sporting event in the country, in which around 10,000 male and female players participate in 32 different sports," said Kashif Uddin, the spokesman for the games.

A large number of male and female players from different cities of the country have already arrived in Peshawar, he said.

"Peshawar could not host the event in the last nine years because of the law-and-order situation, but now peace has returned and sports activities are back in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa," said Uddin.