Millions Wasted on Failed Balochistan Cultural Festival in Islamabad — Who Will Be Held Accountable?
Islamabad: The three-day **“Balochistan Grand Tourism Festival”**, organized at Lok Virsa to promote the province’s culture and tourism, ended in failure after drawing little to no public or media attention — raising serious questions about the **wastage of millions of rupees** from the already impoverished province’s budget.
The event, held from **October 10 to 12**, was organized by the **Balochistan Department of Culture and Tourism**. It was inaugurated by **Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti**, while **Governor Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail** attended the closing ceremony. Despite the high-profile participation, the festival largely failed to attract visitors.
Sources said that attendance was negligible, with most stalls and exhibition areas remaining empty throughout the festival. Poor planning, weak coordination, and inadequate facilities further disappointed the few attendees who did show up.
What drew even more criticism was the **complete absence of national media coverage**. Observers noted that while much smaller cultural events from other provinces often receive extensive television and social media coverage, the Balochistan festival went largely unnoticed due to ineffective publicity and outreach strategies.
Critics have condemned the event as a **waste of public funds**, arguing that a province struggling with poverty, unemployment, and lack of basic infrastructure cannot afford to spend millions on poorly managed shows in the federal capital.
They added that the money could have been far better utilized for **reviving local tourist sites**, **supporting Baloch artists**, or **improving community-level cultural programs** within the province.
As the controversy grows, calls for accountability are intensifying. Many are demanding an investigation into **who authorized such extravagant spending** and how the province’s scarce resources were allowed to be squandered.
The key question now being asked: **Who will hold the organizers accountable for wasting the hard-earned money of Balochistan’s people?
