Key Takeaways
- Jhang will host its first Desert Rally 2026 from October 16 to 18.
- The event includes a three-day cultural festival with traditional sports and adventure activities.
- Renowned racer Nadir Magsi and Team Sultan will participate in the desert racing competition.
Jhang is set to host its first-ever Desert Rally 2026, alongside a three-day cultural festival, from October 16 to 18 in the Thal Desert at Rehmat Abad, Tehsil 18-Hazari.
The event is being organized under the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif to promote tourism and highlight regional culture.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Jhang, Babar Sahib Din, announced the event during a press conference in Lahore, emphasizing its potential to introduce Jhang’s attractions to national and international audiences.
The rally will feature a 95-kilometer off-road racing track, with around 100 drivers and riders from across Pakistan expected to participate, including female jeep racers.
Renowned racer Nadir Magsi is among the leading competitors expected to take part in the event, alongside the off-road racing team Team Sultan, founded by Sahibzada Sultan Muhammad Ali.
The event’s main sponsor, Mukarram Waheed Sheikh, encouraged tourists and sports enthusiasts to visit Jhang and experience its landscape, hospitality, and cultural heritage.
Alongside the desert racing competition, the three-day festival will feature traditional sports, adventure activities, and family entertainment, including tent pegging, horseback archery, kabaddi, volleyball, and paragliding.
Sheikh particularly highlighted tent pegging and horseback archery as major attractions expected to generate public interest.
Organizers expect between 50,000 and 100,000 visitors during the three-day event, although actual attendance will depend on public response and event arrangements.
