Qaqlasht Meadows

Qāqlasht, also spelt Qāq Lasht (Khowar: قاقلشت; lit. 'Dry Plain') is an alpine meadow located near Buni in the Upper Chitral District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The meadows are situated at an altitude of around 2,500 metres (8,200 ft).^[1][2]

Qaqlasht Meadows
A view of Qaqlasht meadows photographed c. 2016
Qaqlasht Meadows Location in Pakistan Show map of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Qaqlasht Meadows Qaqlasht Meadows (Pakistan) Show map of Pakistan
Coordinates: 36.2858°N 72.2337°E / 36.2858; 72.2337
Country	Pakistan
Province	Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
District	Upper Chitral District
Elevation	2,500 m (8,200 ft)

Festival

The four-day spring festival "Jashan-e-Qaqlasht" is held at the meadows annually. The history of festival celebrations dates back to 2,000 years ago.^[3] The festival, a major part of the Kho culture, was revived in 2003 after nearly 35 years, although it was put into a five-year hiatus in 2019–2024. The sport competitions include polo, archery, paragliding, cricket, football, hockey, skeet shooting and marathon race.^[4][5][6] Qaqlasht also hosts a winter sports festival from January 2–5, featuring winter camping, skiing and mountaineering training.^[7]

Gallery

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  A view of a cricket match in the meadows.
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  Qaqlasht meadows during a sunny day.
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  Qaqlasht meadows under clouds.
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  Traversing paths in the meadows.