# Jhang Desert Rally 2026: first off-road race in the Thal, 16 to 18 October on a 95 km track

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/auto/jhang-desert-rally-2026-first-off-road-race-in-the-thal-16-to-18-october-on-a-95)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 13 Oct 2026
Updated: 13 Oct 2026
Retrieved: 13 Oct 2026

> About 100 drivers and riders, Nadir Magsi among them, are expected at Rehmat Abad in 18-Hazari tehsil, with tent pegging, kabaddi and paragliding alongside.

The **Jhang Desert Rally 2026**, the district's first off-road race, will be held from **Thursday 16 to Saturday 18 October** in the Thal desert at Rehmat Abad, in 18-Hazari tehsil of Jhang, the district administration announced. The race runs on a **95 km desert track**, and a three-day cultural festival will be held around it.

Deputy Commissioner Jhang Babar Sahib Din announced the event at a press conference in Lahore, ProPakistani reported, saying it is meant to promote tourism, show off the region's culture and put Jhang on the map for visitors from the rest of Pakistan and abroad. The rally is being organised under the Punjab government's tourism push.

## Who is racing

- **About 100 drivers and riders** from across Pakistan are expected, in jeeps and on bikes.
- **Nadir Magsi**, a regular winner on Pakistan's desert rally circuit, is expected to take part.
- **Sahibzada Sultan Muhammad Ali** of Team Sultan has confirmed he will race.
- Women jeep drivers are also expected to race.

## What else is on

The festival programme lists **tent pegging, horseback archery, kabaddi, volleyball and paragliding**, with family entertainment through the three days. Organisers expect **50,000 to 100,000 visitors**, depending on the turnout and arrangements. Mukarram Waheed Sheikh is the main sponsor.

Local MPA Col (R) Ghazanfar Abbas Qureshi, former MPA Faisal Hayat Jaboana and Ameer Abbas Sial attended the launch and backed the event.

## Getting there

Rehmat Abad is in 18-Hazari tehsil of Jhang district. If you are driving in from Faisalabad, Chiniot, Sargodha or further, put your car's average and the distance into our [fuel cost calculator](/tools/cars/fuel-cost-calculator) to see what it costs at today's [petrol price](/data/petrol-price). Desert tracks are soft, so keep to the marked parking and spectator areas.

## Before you go

If you are buying a 4x4 for the sand, our [car prices](/prices/cars) list carries the latest ex-factory figures. The final schedule of stages and timings has not yet been published. We will add it when the district administration releases it.

## Frequently asked questions

**When is the Jhang Desert Rally 2026?**

From 16 to 18 October 2026 at Rehmat Abad in 18-Hazari tehsil, Jhang, in the Thal desert.

**How long is the track?**

95 km, according to the district administration.

## Sources

- Jhang to Host Its First-Ever Desert Rally This Week (ProPakistani): https://propakistani.pk/2026/10/13/jhang-to-host-its-first-ever-desert-rally-this-week/

How to cite: "Jhang Desert Rally 2026: first off-road race in the Thal, 16 to 18 October on a 95 km track", Searchable, 13 Oct 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/auto/jhang-desert-rally-2026-first-off-road-race-in-the-thal-16-to-18-october-on-a-95