Three-day Shandur polo festival started in Pakistan on Sunday in the Shandur valley of northwestern Pakistan.

Axar.az reports citing Anadolu Agency.

The Shandur polo ground -- called the “roof of the world” -- hosts the annual event in the first or second week of July since 1936.

The ground is considered the highest polo field in the world with its around 12,500 feet altitude.

Held between the Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Ghizer district of Gilgit Baltistan, the festival was inaugurated by KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and Inspector General of frontier corps Maj. Gen. Rahat Naseem Khan.

"We welcome all the tourists who came here to enjoy the natural beauty and pleasant weather of the Shandur valley and spend good time here," Khan addressed the inauguration ceremony.

The festival opened with folk music and local traditional dance, followed by colorful paragliding and long jumps.