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7/1/2006 - Brand Games: Polo and Privatization in the Hindu Kush Mountains by Nicholas Schmidle

Brand Games Polo Privatization Hindu Kush Mountains By Nicholas Schmidle July ON THURSDAY EVENING THE night before official opening Shandur Polo Festival merchants already pitching tents either footpath sliced through middle barren campground By Friday night transformed frenetic bazaar Ten rupees Ten rupees called moved upturned black digital wristwatches Everywhere I turned fluorescent lights swayed displays clocks flashlights saltish biscuits dusty children sized overalls Haallo Come another merchant barked I walked stack plastic wrapped Chitrali doppis floppy woolen ubiquitous mountainous areas northern Pakistan Further bazaar shops stalls freshly Tandoori ovens blazing bright orange stood holding bills hollering Five rupees Five rupees His shtick however hardly needed vertisement The A dozen overeager gamblers crowded around white plastic spread ground picnic blanket divided forty sections In middle board teenage manned metal arrow Five Rupee Money secured everyone I threw rupees slice number If arrow landed I dusty bottle shampoo Other prizes included package D Cell batteries Nobody everyone anteed another I turned spectators asked Urdu What He stared equal parts suspicion disbelief unsure respond looking terribly confused How foreigner Does think West invented gambling Finally answered matter factly Lo ttery Over arrow Lottery board never stopped spinning In I think bazaar stayed hours nights Photo Rikki Schmidle A popular Lottery I suggested dealer practical prizes shampoo better turnout But I couldn I stayed other valley where another beyond earshot Main Camping Area built house dozen employees corporations Ministry Tourism officials short VIPs To VIPCamping Area camping would stretch aluminum structure couple blankets working electricity vanity mirror sprig plastic decoration I still exactly I wound traveling VIPs Shandur Polo Festival But brief I someone Ministry Tourism Wednesday night regarding I earlier The tioned I writer United States spending years Pakistan great opportunity write positive story Taliban Qaeda I written The Washington Post Apparently letter elicited interest Ministry The phone invited behalf Minister Tourism chartered VIP flight leaving Islamabad Thursday morning Meet tomorrow morning Rawal Lounge And camouflage pants JUST BESIDE THE MAIN terminal Islam International Airport terminal fronted strip trimmed hedges plush shrubbery parking battalion security guards This terminal better known Rawal Lounge caters VIPs government officials foreign diplomats businessmen their jetting Islamabad The morning after I received Ministry Tourism I approached cluster people mostly newly pressed slacks crooked designer knock sunglasses women bright colored shalwar kameezes sprinkled throughout waiting front Rawal Lounge I tried I belonged A carrying camouflage wearing matching pants cargo pockets goldfish bowls stepped forward Are Nicholas asked I smiled nodded reached Salmaan Shehzad Welcome along Salmaan shielded scanned parking His whole nervous twitch He rubbed stroked shock charcoal colored I waiting people inside So column The Washington Post Salmaan Shehzad owner Lahore based event planning coordination spends organizing tournaments occasional cricket match This teamed Ministry Tour together Shandur Polo Festival annual three played highest NES field world above level The something Ministry Tourism money people Salmaan because Soft Image Pakistan campaign pitched Prime Minister before corporate sponsors asked thought could arrange roughly million rupees about US needed event happen They arrange everything confidence nonchalance particular jewelry salesmen So I looked couple pictures posters I Shandur could branded By event Salmaan raised million rupees Getting money according Salmaan Now sponsors That meant transporting comfort style three dozen slicking fearing corporate types Shandur Pass nearest airport event cloud cover which automati cally grounded flights Islamabad The VIPs board Personal Secretaries Federal Ministers Assistants Managing Directors Assistants Personal Secretaries Fed Ministers By measure qualified VIPs meaningful sense besides dispatched VIPs follow their efforts importantly money being spent Such assignment default travel companions executives weekend At point Shandur Salmaan deliberating which VIPs would which vehicles important slipped mouth Everyone important middle managers Pakistan State Oil PSO Corporate Sponsor screamed Find A C everyone EVERY JUNE AFEW mountain North West Frontier Province NWFP Northern Ar abutting provinces northern Pakistan converge Shandur Pass watch three Pakistanis never stopped reminding highest field world The tradition dates British Political Agent named Captain Cobb suggested feuding walis Chitral Gilgit field their strongest sides channel their animosities rough tumble version Game Kings Cobb proposed alpine valley middle nowhere known Shandur chosen argue utter inaccessibility mutual inconvenience people Chitral Gilgit These Very Very Important People helicopter Regardless walis local rulers agreed every summer since S handur Polo Festival hosted local enthusiasts rawest fastest world played thinnest Referees umpires officials invited rules which casual spectator conspicuously absent borrowed version played ancestor Genghis Khan On Thursday Islamabad Chitral On Friday morning fleet Land Rovers Corporate Spon idling parking outside hotel Chitral waiting shuttle VIPs Shandur Eventually hourspastour EstimatedTimeofDeparture Salmaan chased everyone vehicle When finally arrived Shandur Pass after hours bumping thumping along unpaved roads covered talcum powderesque VIPs looking haggard Naseem haired middle photographer advertising Servis Corporate Sponsor looked rolled flour waiting hrown frying He ranted about water portable showers What I going stammered If I shower least I human He turned pointed caked Land Rover riding This inhumane treatment continued I wouldn subject parakeet I replied after mountains You obviously understand responded sassy voice perfectly straight Before I travel anywhere I always ahead confirm hosts water relatives water I Meanwhile Salmaan running around VIPcamp trying water flowing Muslim showers Port Johns working AMuslim shower toilet flushing yourself clean He clutched Thuraya satellite phone called reinforcements towels bathr trinkets He twitched whole Afew hours later victim altitude sickness evacuated The backdrop VIPsquabbling valley rounded craggy striped mountain peaks nestled middle burqa The Main Camping Area housing thousands stood The VIP CampingArea outfitted running water restaurant wearing chaiwallahs Minutes after hearing Naseem about water portable bathrooms I hitched Main Camping Area melee VIPs called During minute MCA I despaired original story featuring Salmaan unreported class entrepreneurs Pakistan tired their India counterparts getting attention The complainers VIPCAin tended destroy Salmaan chances doing event One VIP pissed about overcooke kebab scene exclaimed I million Rupees He pledged thereafter Salmaan bottom mountain Herein problem Most VIPs calculated their corporation spent certain amount money sponsor Shandur deserved equally proportion amount special treatment Which couldn enough water pressure couldn enough selections restaurant above level couldn expansive enough A number tooted their philanthropic horns while simultaneously wondering taking chaiwallah bring their Consider festival itself branded The prominent advertisements entrance Islamabad Interna tional Airport around VIP Camping Area Rather targeting person audience Shandur Polo Festival ostensibly wanted recogniz personal level having coughed The result people VIPCA congratulatory while those Main Camping Area Where those million Rupees ON SATURDAY I SPENT morning afternoon looking VIP friends I stumbled local journalists insisted I lunch Twenty circle blanket greasy spilled Asingle pitcher water passed around drank metal Afterwards I university student Chitral named Adnan He wandering MCA trying location afternoon concert Nothing program being followed Adnan sported fashionable goatee impossibly sunglasses Stars Stripes Du Rag He turned degrees talked about government ignoring Shandur making country backwards I thought about National Parks United States suggested development would perhaps spoil Pakistanis compulsive litterers I imagined trail wrappers saltish biscuits covering Chitral Shandur Avoiding development might sound NES people Traders Gilgit Chitral driving every But would Billboards Hotels Shandur Pass Adnan brushed comment aside No would problem billboard paved could One hotels Shandur would better people better He continued But biggest complaint security sucks There VIPs Just pointing soldier monitoring crowd large earth Adnan everyone abundance security guards could thing VV VVIPs Presi Pervez Musharraf Sunday We president means hassle Adnan This security coming watch Who Shandur The people Army Shortly after conversa Adnan I retreated village VIPCAto escape It blazed breakfast until dinnertime scorching necks noses scalps The towners because their faces either color lobster shell globbed white suntan lotion Likewise altitude sickness claiming victims right For event three Salmaan ridden small drive Shandur Others similar I managed stave symptoms eating Excedrin Tic Tacs THE MAIN POLO EVENT happened Sunday morning Security guards combed premises sticks Because Musharraf expected arrive spectators their seats almost hours before match The tween Chitral Gilgit closed One roadblock stranded squad police officers wrong The foreigners VIPs chair sliver shade Depending level importance received proportionate amount shade padding My chair rusting metal outside shade The locals dustier leave their cigarettes water bottles At around Army helicopters began descending droves amidst light breeze Each landed kicked cloud nearly swallowed Local Side field before drifting towards cigarette water bottle touting INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Photo Rikki Schmidle The stampede partially tented Foreigners VIP Side To audience attention before Musharr arrived couple dozen gliders leapt craggy striped mountain circled overhead landed amidst parachute middle field As unlucky glider coasted choppers creating blast knocked ground fifty A rescue rushed scene until VVIPs helicopter Musharraf helicopter arrived He Chi trali doppi feathers stuck front greeted cheering idolatrous crowd salute When General entourage VVIPs reached their seats commenced At regulation match As advertised followed apparent rules Play swung their mallets recklessly other players their heads their horses With about minutes disturbance Local Side control Apparently crumbled underneath someone EARTH QUAKE BOMB scares precipitated panic People dashed crumbled creating looked ripple being trampled spread Musharraf security detail smothered flies The frenzy poster featuring President Chitral Welcomes You The stampede eventually petered match never recovered Already amped security guards itched restore control When finally ended Musharraf chaired brief trophy ceremony During speech promised widen bridge Mastuj Chitral Shandur I looked Adnan crowd Local Side people cleared during stampede I doubted stayed watch Musharraf While President passed NES trophies handful dancers perform traditional Musharraf joined everyone cheer If Pakistan Soft Im moment But suddenly security guards rushed towards press waving their wildly warning photographers photos Turn cameras Put commanded Armed guards paged through press gallery pushing video cameras their lenses pointed shaking fists defiant journalists None sense What wrong Musharraf dancing I asked local journalist Nothing locals But footage explained religious types dancing Islamic political against Mush arraf It could destroy ON SUNDAY MORNING WHILE everyone MCA watching match eight Land Rover For three VIPs treated VIPs In other words drivers The Land Rover decided disrespected enough justify their sudden departure T meant returned VIPCA start packing heading vehicles mountain already Fortunately Salmaan drafted worst scenario Backup Plan which called armada jeeps weather Land Cruis gassed waiting A little later second string transports arrived They Land Rov VIPs pining comforts looked quickest there Salmaan assigned seats everyone I bench topless Naseem tickled amusement walked You laughed reciting known aphorism And laughing For protection against potential sting speeding insects I wrapped scarf around sunglasses behind To everyone surprise driver possessed Jedi Driv Skills zipped dozens trucks crammed local wrapped mummies Their glowed excitement headed holding satchels shampoo clothes their wives children after weekend The behind sharp facing Photo Rikki Schmidle Security ready apprehend anyone sneezes INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS descended towards shaded valley All trucks jeeps raced bottom trail I recall calming drive That night World Cup final played Everyone excited watch Chitral Bar reling towards Mastuj record setting Salmaan I commended Jedi Driver debated better disembarkation Chitral Shower Eat Watch Soccer Eat Watch Soccer Shower I seconds winning tearing around blind curve Our brakes locked skidded sideways nearly tapping bumper endless stalled trucks would surely initiated destructive domino effects traffic accident history Instantly I watching World Cup The stretched nearly No moved After undoing Unabomber shaking sandbox worth I headed towards beside which snack stand where I I Mountain Dew ultimately direction bottleneck cause Mastuj Bridge As I weaved between everyone I passed sunburned beaten expression A named Shams dressed sneakers khakis obligatory doppi called He stood ruminating hashing weekend I Shandur veteran prefaced marked sixth consecutive What think about Musharraf visit I asked What worth hassle He answered lifting hundreds waiting cross Mastuj Bridge The President whatever Shams continued praise Musharraf several minutes until I could request leave Dew On stroll brain through weekend still frames serene valley Army helicopters their tornados VIP gallery Naseem covered unsatisfied shower facilities horses their Genghis Khan inspired riders fluorescent lights bazaar Salmaan shuffling about clunky Thuraya I wondered everything meant But nothing particularly insightful All I Salmaan might contract Servis probably wouldn anteing flock VIPs would likely staying everyone would meant being covered coming waiting bumper bumper traffic coming Institute Fellows chosen ICWA Letters ISSN published Institute Current World Af basis character previous experi fairs Inc exempt operating foundation incorporated New York State offices located West Wheelock Street Hanover NH 03755 The letters promise They young provided charge members ICWA available libraries professionals funded spend professional researchers subscription minimum years carry designed programs Phone E Mail valley study writing outside Fax Web address United States The Fellows quired report their findings Executive Director Steven Butler experiences field month They write Program Assista Publications Manager Ellen Kozak formally informally The result unique Institute Current World Affairs The Crane Rogers Foundation reporting analysis riodic assessment international The Information contained publication reprinted republished events issues without express written consent Institute Current World Affairs