View allAll Photos Tagged Ziarat
Depuis 48h ma connexion Internet ne fonctionne pas. J'ignore la raison. Merci pour vos visites que je m'efforcerai de rendre dès que possible.
Les tombeaux de la nécropole s'alignent le long de la ruelle médiévale, formant une voie processionnelle pour accomplir le ziarat (visite) du tombeau du saint Kusam ibn Abbas où familles et pèlerins viennent se recueillir.
With faith, discipline and selfless devotion to duty, there is nothing worthwhile that you cannot achieve - Quaid-i- Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Quaid-e-Azam Residency (Urdu: قائد اعظم ریزڈنسی—Qāʾid-e Aʿẓam Rẹziḋinsī), also known as Ziarat Residency, is located in Ziarat, Balochistan, Pakistan. It is where Quaid-e-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah spent the last two months and ten days of his life. It is the most famous landmark of the city, constructed in 1892 during the British Raj. The building is a wooden structure, originally designed as a sanatorium before being converted into the summer residence of the agent of the Governor General. It is declared a national monument and heritage site and is of great architectural importance.
On 15 June 2013, the Residency was targeted with rockets by terrorists and badly damaged.
However, it has been reconstructed and opened to public since 14 August 2014.
Jinnah is one of my ideals and is a symbol of dedication in the history of Indo-Pak subcontinent, today is his birthday.
Ziarat Yazidi Temple, Aknalich, Armenia
-
More Armenia photos in album
www.flickr.com/photos/116672744@N07/albums/72177720311579755
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) Mosque in Madina, Saudi Arabia.
Canon A620: Hand held ... just before Maghrib (at dusk) prayers
Breed: Nukra - Ziarat
Name: Oqaab
Age : 1 year
Captured at North Karachi
NOTE FOR THE OWNER(S): Thank you for stooping by, for providing a chance to take a few shots of your beautiful horse
Anas - KHI
E Mail: mranasahmad@yahoo.com
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© ANAS AHMAD PHOTOGRAPHY
Ziarat Yazidi Temple, Aknalich, Armenia
-
More Armenia photos in album
www.flickr.com/photos/116672744@N07/albums/72177720311579755
While Liaquat Ali Khan is generally regarded as Jinnah's right hand man, this may not be entirely true. Dr Hamida Khuhro's biography of her father reveals that Jinnah told Mr Khuhro "The prime minister (Liaquat) is average while the remaining cabinet is below average". They are believed to have differning opinions on the issue of minorities. When Mr Jinnah was convalescing in Ziarat, only 2-3 weeks from his death, Liaquat Ali Khan and Chaudhry Muhammed Ali arrived unannounced one evening. "Do you know why they have come" Jinnah asked his sister and dismissing one of her theories replied "They have come to see whether I will live or die". Shortly after the visit Mr Jinnah told his physician that it did not matter whether he lived or died. When Mr Jinnah arrived in Karachi on the last day of his life (11 September 1948), an ambulance sent to him wihout fuel, which hastened his end. The Prime Minister had been adivsed by the Military Secretary of the Governor General not to come to the aerodrome. Indeed the Prime Minister reached the Governor General's house after his soul had departed his frail body. Two pages from Miss Fatima Jinnah's book 'My Brother' were censored out while his physician's book was proscribed in 1948 only to be released in 1976 on Mr Jinah's birth centenary. Here the two are seen easing their tension through nicotine.
After Going through a long split in mountain all zigzag way there is a big chamber and at the end of the chamber there is this big and deep split in mountain Near To Ziarat Balochistan Pakistan.
North of iran - Gorgan city - Ziarat village
The Ziyarat Village is situated at the distance of 12 km. to the south of Gorgan and has damp climate. The Ziyarat River crosses this village in east. The Poshteh Kamar and Sefidab Mountains are situated in the northwest and Khaloudareh is to the east of this village. These rivers, mountains, valleys, plants and wildlifes are attractive and offer natural views around this village and the old mosque and Imamzadeh Abdollah are the religious sites of this place.
Ziarat city, which is quite famous for its juniper trees, is the headquarter of district Ziarat of Balochistan. The city itself lies in a tight valley surrounded by juniper laden mountains and consists of a tiny Bazar, a few administrative offices apart from hotels and guest houses. Pictured here is the Ziarat post office in the middle of the night.iso3200, f2.8, 30sec, the post office building was light painted. I always find ziarat's nightsky stunningly clear and I won't hesitate in calling it 'The City Of Stars'
Taken at an altitude of 10,000 ft in sub zero temperature near Ziarat Pir Kanthi, Bagh. A composite of 100 images of 30 second exposure each. First attempt at Star Trails...
Shot details are
Camera: Nikon D5100
Lens: 18-55mm at 18mm
ISO:1600
Aperture: f/7.1
Ziarat is a hill station town in Ziarat District, Pakistan. Ziarat is situated over 2400 metres above sea level and has one of the largest and oldest Juniper forests in the world, some trees thought to be a 5000 years old. Juniper trees grow an inch every year and the forest is now under threat.
The name Ziarat means 'Shrine'. A local saint, Kharwari Baba, is believed to have rested in the valley and blessed it. After his death he was buried here. People frequently visit the saint's shrine, which is 10 kms from Ziarat.
Pashtu is spoken here. Wildlife is rare but there leopard, the rare balochistan bear, markhor, eagles and falcons.
Ziarat is one of the most serene and peaceful places within Pakistan. Its climate is supposed to be therapeutic and the Father of the Nation, Mohammad Ali Jinnah rested here when ill. Ziarat is an excellent place to enjoy natural beauty and its unique eco-system will give the explorer many suprises.
Loralai like any other district in Balochistan - rugged and beautiful! There are many barren mountains in Loralai but also there are some scrub and juniper forested mountains. It takes 4-hours from Quetta to Loralai and can become a bit tedious but the journey is through stunning landscapes. The flat topped mountain in the background is known as Jinnah's Cap locally. Jinnah was the founding father of Pakistan and the shape of the mountain does resemble his cap.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loralai_District
LoralaiUtmankhel is a district in the centre of Balochistan province of Pakistan. Loralai district was created on October, 1903. Loralai town is the district headquarters. Loralai was further partitioned in 1992 when Musakhel and Barkhan were given the status of separate administrative districts.
Boundary
The present boundaries of Loralai district contain three sub-divisions namely sub-division Duki , sub-division Bori and Tehsil Makhter. Duki sub-division is further divided into Tehsil Duki and Sub-Tehsil Sinjavi. Sub-division Bori consists of tehsil Bori. Sub-tehsil Makhter become tehsil with the great accesses of Tehsil Nazim Bori [Molvi Abdullah Hamzazai].
History
In 1545 Duki, a dependency of the Kandahar province, was conferred upon Mir Sayyid Ali by the Mughal Emperor Humayun. The province of Kandahar continued under Mughals until the year 1559 when it passed into the hands of the Safavids Kings of Persia and remained under their control until 1595. In 1595 it was recaptured by Emperor Akbar the Great, during Akbar's reign the territory of Duki which was generally garrisoned, formed an eastern dependency of the Kandahar Province and provided a contingent of 500 horses and 1,000-foot (300 m) soldiers. In 1622 Kandahar again passed under the Safavids.
In 1653 Emperor Shah Jahan sent a large expedition under his eldest son, Dara-Shikoh, to regain Kandahar but in vain. This was the last attempt on the part of the Mughals to regain Kandahar which was now lost to them for ever. Mir Wais Ghilzai or Khilji established Ghilzai/Khilji power in Kandahar around 1709. After 30 years of supremacy the Ghilzai/Khilji power gave way to Nadir Shah who captured after a severe struggle in 1737. However in 1747 Nadir Shah was assassinated and Ahmad Shah Durrani took over the reign of Government. The Durranis were followed in about 1826 by the Barakzai under Dost Mohammad Khan. Almost the whole of Loralai District remained under this dynasty till 1879, in 1879 Duki and the Thal Chotiali country with other parts of Balochistan passed into the hands of the British.
In 1879 at the close of the first phase of Afghan war a British contingent while returning from Kandahar was opposed by a large body of tribesmen from the Zhob and Bori valley at Baghao under command of Shah Jahan (chief of Zhob). However tribal lashkar was defeated completely. In 1881 Thal Chotiali (Sibi) which included Duki was made Sub district of the Harnai political Agency. In 1881 inhabitants of Sanjavi were brought under British subjugation. In 1883 it was decided to build cantt at Duki and the Garrison of Thal Chotiali (Sibi) leaving a detachment at Gumbaz. In October 1884 a force comprising 4800 men moved in to Bori (Loralai) valley and the mission was completely successful. In the following years it was decided that a frontier road should be constructed from Dera Ghazi Khan to Pishin through Loralai. The cantt from Duki was accordingly moved forward in 1886 to Loralai and Mil posts were stationed at Sanjavi, Mekhtar and Kingri. The Head Quarter of Assistant Political Agent at Duki was also changed to Loralai. In Nov 1887 Duki and Thal Chotiali (Sibi) were declared parts of British India and for the purpose of administration, the designation of the Political Agent was changed to that of Deputy Commissioner. In 1888 Sir Robert Sandeman proceeded with a small force through Musa Khel to Southern Zhob. Ultimately this led to the occupation of the Zhob valley in 1889. Loralai town and cantt remained under the Thal Chotiali Dist until 1894 when it was made over to the Zhob Agency. Famous People:Dr. Malak Jamal Khan Hamzazai, Abdul Wahab Utmankhel عبدلوها ب اوتمانخيل) Malak Habibullah khan kudezai,عبدالرزاق اوتمانخيل جرمنی Malak Fathe Khan Utmankhel,Dr. Syed Jalal Shah Peachi, Shams Utmankhel Sardar Pasta Khan Utmankhel Sardar Ashraf Kakar, Dr. Mohamad Shah kudezai, Akhtar Shah Kudezai, Ubaidullah Babat, Malak Gulzar Khan, Muhibullah Khan London, Haji Soba Khanmusakhail, Malak Jalat Khan musakhail,haji ferooz khan musakhail ,sardar sikander hayat khan jogezai /Malak Noorullah Kudezai Shaheed, Dr.Noorullah Khan kibzai, yaqub Nasar, Gul Muhammad khan Jogezai, Saradr Asmat Ullah Musakhail, Dr. Atta Gul Hmzazai, Haji Thor Utmankhel,Saradar Abdul Latif Jogezai - Risaldar Major, Naik Mohammad Kakar,Rozina Kakar, Dost Mohammad Kakar, Mohammad jameel Zumri, Mohammad Yousaf Rind, Bashir GUl Khatak, Haji Afzal Sherani, Hayat Khan Tajak, Malik Zaheer ud Din Khan Trakai, Mr. S.M.G.Ali Shah Gillani S/o. Maj Mansoor Hussain Shah Gillani(U.A.E Armed Forces).
Politics
In Oct 1903 the Thal Chotali and Zhob Agencies were remodeled and the name of former was changed to Sibi District and thus a new District, Loralai was created. To this were the Musa Khel and Bori Tehsils from Zhob and Duki, Sanjavi and Barkhan Tehsils from the Thal Chotiali Distt.
After the defeat of Kakar Tribesman under the command of Ghazy Arsala Khan Utmankhelغازی ارسلا خان اوتمانخيل , Shah Jahan Jogezai in the Baghao areas near Duki, most of the people in the areas were depressed and were shocked of win of British forces. At the end of this war in 1881-82 the British forces were entered into Loralai city without any resistance and they occupied the mostly areas of Bori, Duki, Sanjavi and Mekhtar. In 1984, the British Forces have declared the mission completely successful and a Platoon of 4800 men were moved into Loralai Bori. The Cantt from Duki was accordingly moved into Bori (Loralai) and proper cantonment areas were defined. In the same time, many people like Zarak Khan Churmai, Wasal Kudezai, Amanullah Khan, Sherjan Khan, Thor Sawan etc. had started guerrilla war against British invasion. There was no concept of political and democratic struggle in the tribal areas of Loralai, Zhob, Barkan etc. In 1936 Baran Khan started a democratic movement against British Empire by the name of "Anjuman-i-Watan". The founder of this movement was Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai. This was first well oraganized democratic movement in the history of Loralai as well whole Zhob division. Baran Khan Kudezai established an office in Loralai city near Paharhi Muhallah (Mountainous part in city). In 1937 the Tehreek was in more spirit and succeeded, a huge number of people joined the Tehreek and they demanded a separate homeland for Pashtoons in Southern and western areas of NWFP. In western areas the Khudai Khidmat Gar (Red-Shirt) movement was on peak for independence from British emperor. Baran Khan invited the Khan Abdul Ghaffar khan in Loralai in 1938 and there held a huge public meeting in city with the help of Anjuman-i-Watan. Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai, the founder of Anjuman-i-Watan also participated in that meeting. At night Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Abdul Samad Khan took dinner in Zangiwal village at Baran Khan's hujra(Guestroom). Baran Khan was remained very close with Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai and accompanied him on every visit of Loralai and Zhob. He was one of the rights hands of Achakzai's in their political journey. In 1939, the Commissionar of Zhob Division started a crakdown against all the political leaders of Anjuman-i-Watan movement and arrested more than hundreds of the leaders. Baran was also arrested and was confined for 6 months Judicial remands in central Jail Quetta. At the time of confinement at the Central Jail Quetta, Allah had given son to Baran Khan. Baran Khan named his new born baby as 'Anjuman'. He wanted to leave alive this name for always. While during prisoned in jail, the Jail Superintendent offered a deal of three shops in Jinnah road and asked Baran Khan Kudezai to take aside from the movement and keep stayed in Quetta. Baran Khan rejected those offers and submitted his life for attaining the rights, dignity and sovereignty of Pashtun. Ghazi Arsala Khan Utmankhel was a graat leder of Pashtoon Kh بداوهاب اتمانخيل مرهوم دلر اوبرپشتون خلق د يووالی غوشتونکی و Abdul Wahab Utmankhel Marhoom Was a Greet leder of pashtoon & one of the best man khalil Ahmed khajjak
Demography
The population of Loralai district was estimated to be over 700,000 in 2005. The vast majority of the population of Loralai district are Pashtun with Kakar and nasar as majority tribes. The district offers a great blend of mixed tribes from all parts of Pakistan. Some major tribes of Loralai have migrated from the parts of Zhob like Batozai, Jogezai, Jalalzai and Musazai & Some Afghan refugees who have permanently settled in the region are Nasar,Sulemankhail,Tarakai,Tokhai,Andar etc.. About one fourth of the population is Baloch. There major tribes are Marri and Buzdar, who mostly dwell on southern and western portions of the district.
==Main Tribes of Loralai==اوتمانخيل قوم دلورالای ترګردوغټ قوم دېې District Loralai is inhabited by pre dominately Pathan tribes. Maj tribes are;-
(1) Kakar Kudezai, Utmakhel, ,shadozai, Kibzai, Malazai, Sargarh, Shabozai, Abdula Zai, Khosti, Jogezai etc.) (2) Tareen (3) Durrani (4) LUNI[SHAMEZAI] (5) Nasar (6) Musa khail (7) Ghilzai (including, Suleimankhail,Tarakai,Hottak,Tokhai,Andar etc.) (8) Syed (9) Khawaja
The Baloch tribes are mostly;- (1) Marri (2) Buzdar (3) Khetran
Duki
(a) kibzai(kakar) (b) tareen (c) LUNI[SHAMEZAI] (d) Haiderzai (Kakar) (e) Zarkoon (f) Khajjak(jafarzai) (g) Sadozai(kakar) (h) seemab malghani (i) syed (peachi) (j) nasar (k) khajjak (kakar) (l) sargari Marri (a) Bijarani (b) Gazzaini (c) Loharani
Buzdar (a) Rustamani (b) Jehanani (c) Dulani (d) Chakrani (e) Ladwani (f) Ghulamani (g) Sihani (h) Shahwani (i) Jalalani (j) Jafirani,Meernani
Musa Khel
(a) kibzai(kakar) (b) Zimri (c) Belkhel (d) Laharzai (e) Syed (Ghar Sheen) (f) Gaffer
Development
Loralai city has its own radio broadcasting station and mobile coverage of three operators. With the completion of the Loralai-Dera Ghazi Khan road, many people see a much more brighter and prosperous future for the district since the travel to DG Khan is important in many ways like the transportation of cash crops and food crops and coal loaded trucks from Chamalang coal mines. The road in under construction between Wagum Rud and khajuri since long. Now the fresh contact has been awarded to FWO and fresh date for its completion is December 2008. All coal loaded trucks heading to Punjab and other areas travel on this road.
Mercy Corps stoped their oprations in Loralai region due to there internal problems. Some other local NGOs are also working in the region like LAFAM,Association For Heath Development(A H D)which is working on malaria and has started its free medical camp in D H Q hospital Duki in collaboration with directorate of malaria control program and remained its camp open as long as malari being controlled in the area.in 2010, the RAHA-RAA-UNDP alos started theire operations in Lralai region, the programe is mostly for refuges affected communities which is located in Kach UC, WRANGA Foundation is a implementing partner in the area with RAHH-RAA-UNDP. Wranga is a pashto language word which means 'beam of light'. now WRANGA is going to open and estiblished their offices in Kohlu, Barakan, Musakhail and ziarat.
Institutions
There are many educational Institutions in District Loralai. These are listed below :- 1. Balochistan University Campas Loralai. 2. Balochistan Residentional College (BRC) Loralai. 3. Govt Degree College Loralai. 4. Govt Degree Girls College Loralai. 5. Balochistan Institute of IT and Mamagement Sciences (BIITMS) Loralai. 6. Govt Inter Science College Duke. 7. Govt Inter Science College Makhter. 8. Pak-Jerman Technical Training Center (TTC) Loralai.
There are many Governmental and Public High, Middle and Primary School at District Loralai.
There are also Many Islamic Institution at Loralai.
Resources
All kinds of fruits and vegetables are cultivated in this district. Loralai is especially famous for its almond and apple production. Loralai is also rich in marble and its marble tiles are gaining popularity throughout the country. A lot of marble trimming factories have been established in the district and it now provides marble tiles to various parts of the country. The major source of income for the common inhabitants is agriculture and farming.and also for marble industries . nasrullah marble and mining co one of the company from area it is working since 1998 .
The town, which is situated 4,700 ft (1,400 m) above the sea level in which the wealth of the inhabitants is derived from their herds of cattle and other animals also. The district is also popular in the business of items especially vehicles smuggled here through Afghan Transit Trade. All types of vehicles are smuggled to Loralai and then to the other parts of the country after being customed or duplicated in papers here.
An aerial view of the spot where Mula River enters plains of Jhal Magsi and Kachi providing water to the 'Breadbasket of Balochistan' along with river Bolan. Back in 1400s Gohram Lashari chose to settle down at Jhal Magsi for the very same reason. Naulong dam is to be constructed on the river at this site and would be an important reservoir of water for the district.
14 years ago, I came here with my friends in winter and I found the valley covered with the blanket of ice, white was predominant and the wind was so hard and strong that we could barely balance ourselves.
Now, I am here with my family in summer, the same valley in contrasting different conditions but I could still get the flashbacks of that tour. Below is the link of my earlier picture that I took at the same point.
www.flickr.com/photos/umasha79/1813873068/in/dateposted-p...
Loralai like any other district in Balochistan - rugged and beautiful! There are many barren mountains in Loralai but also there are some scrub and juniper forested mountains. It takes 4-hours from Quetta to Loralai and can become a bit tedious but the journey is through stunning landscapes. The flat topped mountain in the background is known as Jinnah's Cap locally. Jinnah was the founding father of Pakistan and the shape of the mountain does resemble his cap.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loralai_District
LoralaiUtmankhel is a district in the centre of Balochistan province of Pakistan. Loralai district was created on October, 1903. Loralai town is the district headquarters. Loralai was further partitioned in 1992 when Musakhel and Barkhan were given the status of separate administrative districts.
Boundary
The present boundaries of Loralai district contain three sub-divisions namely sub-division Duki , sub-division Bori and Tehsil Makhter. Duki sub-division is further divided into Tehsil Duki and Sub-Tehsil Sinjavi. Sub-division Bori consists of tehsil Bori. Sub-tehsil Makhter become tehsil with the great accesses of Tehsil Nazim Bori [Molvi Abdullah Hamzazai].
History
In 1545 Duki, a dependency of the Kandahar province, was conferred upon Mir Sayyid Ali by the Mughal Emperor Humayun. The province of Kandahar continued under Mughals until the year 1559 when it passed into the hands of the Safavids Kings of Persia and remained under their control until 1595. In 1595 it was recaptured by Emperor Akbar the Great, during Akbar's reign the territory of Duki which was generally garrisoned, formed an eastern dependency of the Kandahar Province and provided a contingent of 500 horses and 1,000-foot (300 m) soldiers. In 1622 Kandahar again passed under the Safavids.
In 1653 Emperor Shah Jahan sent a large expedition under his eldest son, Dara-Shikoh, to regain Kandahar but in vain. This was the last attempt on the part of the Mughals to regain Kandahar which was now lost to them for ever. Mir Wais Ghilzai or Khilji established Ghilzai/Khilji power in Kandahar around 1709. After 30 years of supremacy the Ghilzai/Khilji power gave way to Nadir Shah who captured after a severe struggle in 1737. However in 1747 Nadir Shah was assassinated and Ahmad Shah Durrani took over the reign of Government. The Durranis were followed in about 1826 by the Barakzai under Dost Mohammad Khan. Almost the whole of Loralai District remained under this dynasty till 1879, in 1879 Duki and the Thal Chotiali country with other parts of Balochistan passed into the hands of the British.
In 1879 at the close of the first phase of Afghan war a British contingent while returning from Kandahar was opposed by a large body of tribesmen from the Zhob and Bori valley at Baghao under command of Shah Jahan (chief of Zhob). However tribal lashkar was defeated completely. In 1881 Thal Chotiali (Sibi) which included Duki was made Sub district of the Harnai political Agency. In 1881 inhabitants of Sanjavi were brought under British subjugation. In 1883 it was decided to build cantt at Duki and the Garrison of Thal Chotiali (Sibi) leaving a detachment at Gumbaz. In October 1884 a force comprising 4800 men moved in to Bori (Loralai) valley and the mission was completely successful. In the following years it was decided that a frontier road should be constructed from Dera Ghazi Khan to Pishin through Loralai. The cantt from Duki was accordingly moved forward in 1886 to Loralai and Mil posts were stationed at Sanjavi, Mekhtar and Kingri. The Head Quarter of Assistant Political Agent at Duki was also changed to Loralai. In Nov 1887 Duki and Thal Chotiali (Sibi) were declared parts of British India and for the purpose of administration, the designation of the Political Agent was changed to that of Deputy Commissioner. In 1888 Sir Robert Sandeman proceeded with a small force through Musa Khel to Southern Zhob. Ultimately this led to the occupation of the Zhob valley in 1889. Loralai town and cantt remained under the Thal Chotiali Dist until 1894 when it was made over to the Zhob Agency. Famous People:Dr. Malak Jamal Khan Hamzazai, Abdul Wahab Utmankhel عبدلوها ب اوتمانخيل) Malak Habibullah khan kudezai,عبدالرزاق اوتمانخيل جرمنی Malak Fathe Khan Utmankhel,Dr. Syed Jalal Shah Peachi, Shams Utmankhel Sardar Pasta Khan Utmankhel Sardar Ashraf Kakar, Dr. Mohamad Shah kudezai, Akhtar Shah Kudezai, Ubaidullah Babat, Malak Gulzar Khan, Muhibullah Khan London, Haji Soba Khanmusakhail, Malak Jalat Khan musakhail,haji ferooz khan musakhail ,sardar sikander hayat khan jogezai /Malak Noorullah Kudezai Shaheed, Dr.Noorullah Khan kibzai, yaqub Nasar, Gul Muhammad khan Jogezai, Saradr Asmat Ullah Musakhail, Dr. Atta Gul Hmzazai, Haji Thor Utmankhel,Saradar Abdul Latif Jogezai - Risaldar Major, Naik Mohammad Kakar,Rozina Kakar, Dost Mohammad Kakar, Mohammad jameel Zumri, Mohammad Yousaf Rind, Bashir GUl Khatak, Haji Afzal Sherani, Hayat Khan Tajak, Malik Zaheer ud Din Khan Trakai, Mr. S.M.G.Ali Shah Gillani S/o. Maj Mansoor Hussain Shah Gillani(U.A.E Armed Forces).
Politics
In Oct 1903 the Thal Chotali and Zhob Agencies were remodeled and the name of former was changed to Sibi District and thus a new District, Loralai was created. To this were the Musa Khel and Bori Tehsils from Zhob and Duki, Sanjavi and Barkhan Tehsils from the Thal Chotiali Distt.
After the defeat of Kakar Tribesman under the command of Ghazy Arsala Khan Utmankhelغازی ارسلا خان اوتمانخيل , Shah Jahan Jogezai in the Baghao areas near Duki, most of the people in the areas were depressed and were shocked of win of British forces. At the end of this war in 1881-82 the British forces were entered into Loralai city without any resistance and they occupied the mostly areas of Bori, Duki, Sanjavi and Mekhtar. In 1984, the British Forces have declared the mission completely successful and a Platoon of 4800 men were moved into Loralai Bori. The Cantt from Duki was accordingly moved into Bori (Loralai) and proper cantonment areas were defined. In the same time, many people like Zarak Khan Churmai, Wasal Kudezai, Amanullah Khan, Sherjan Khan, Thor Sawan etc. had started guerrilla war against British invasion. There was no concept of political and democratic struggle in the tribal areas of Loralai, Zhob, Barkan etc. In 1936 Baran Khan started a democratic movement against British Empire by the name of "Anjuman-i-Watan". The founder of this movement was Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai. This was first well oraganized democratic movement in the history of Loralai as well whole Zhob division. Baran Khan Kudezai established an office in Loralai city near Paharhi Muhallah (Mountainous part in city). In 1937 the Tehreek was in more spirit and succeeded, a huge number of people joined the Tehreek and they demanded a separate homeland for Pashtoons in Southern and western areas of NWFP. In western areas the Khudai Khidmat Gar (Red-Shirt) movement was on peak for independence from British emperor. Baran Khan invited the Khan Abdul Ghaffar khan in Loralai in 1938 and there held a huge public meeting in city with the help of Anjuman-i-Watan. Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai, the founder of Anjuman-i-Watan also participated in that meeting. At night Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Abdul Samad Khan took dinner in Zangiwal village at Baran Khan's hujra(Guestroom). Baran Khan was remained very close with Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai and accompanied him on every visit of Loralai and Zhob. He was one of the rights hands of Achakzai's in their political journey. In 1939, the Commissionar of Zhob Division started a crakdown against all the political leaders of Anjuman-i-Watan movement and arrested more than hundreds of the leaders. Baran was also arrested and was confined for 6 months Judicial remands in central Jail Quetta. At the time of confinement at the Central Jail Quetta, Allah had given son to Baran Khan. Baran Khan named his new born baby as 'Anjuman'. He wanted to leave alive this name for always. While during prisoned in jail, the Jail Superintendent offered a deal of three shops in Jinnah road and asked Baran Khan Kudezai to take aside from the movement and keep stayed in Quetta. Baran Khan rejected those offers and submitted his life for attaining the rights, dignity and sovereignty of Pashtun. Ghazi Arsala Khan Utmankhel was a graat leder of Pashtoon Kh بداوهاب اتمانخيل مرهوم دلر اوبرپشتون خلق د يووالی غوشتونکی و Abdul Wahab Utmankhel Marhoom Was a Greet leder of pashtoon & one of the best man khalil Ahmed khajjak
Demography
The population of Loralai district was estimated to be over 700,000 in 2005. The vast majority of the population of Loralai district are Pashtun with Kakar and nasar as majority tribes. The district offers a great blend of mixed tribes from all parts of Pakistan. Some major tribes of Loralai have migrated from the parts of Zhob like Batozai, Jogezai, Jalalzai and Musazai & Some Afghan refugees who have permanently settled in the region are Nasar,Sulemankhail,Tarakai,Tokhai,Andar etc.. About one fourth of the population is Baloch. There major tribes are Marri and Buzdar, who mostly dwell on southern and western portions of the district.
==Main Tribes of Loralai==اوتمانخيل قوم دلورالای ترګردوغټ قوم دېې District Loralai is inhabited by pre dominately Pathan tribes. Maj tribes are;-
(1) Kakar Kudezai, Utmakhel, ,shadozai, Kibzai, Malazai, Sargarh, Shabozai, Abdula Zai, Khosti, Jogezai etc.) (2) Tareen (3) Durrani (4) LUNI[SHAMEZAI] (5) Nasar (6) Musa khail (7) Ghilzai (including, Suleimankhail,Tarakai,Hottak,Tokhai,Andar etc.) (8) Syed (9) Khawaja
The Baloch tribes are mostly;- (1) Marri (2) Buzdar (3) Khetran
Duki
(a) kibzai(kakar) (b) tareen (c) LUNI[SHAMEZAI] (d) Haiderzai (Kakar) (e) Zarkoon (f) Khajjak(jafarzai) (g) Sadozai(kakar) (h) seemab malghani (i) syed (peachi) (j) nasar (k) khajjak (kakar) (l) sargari Marri (a) Bijarani (b) Gazzaini (c) Loharani
Buzdar (a) Rustamani (b) Jehanani (c) Dulani (d) Chakrani (e) Ladwani (f) Ghulamani (g) Sihani (h) Shahwani (i) Jalalani (j) Jafirani,Meernani
Musa Khel
(a) kibzai(kakar) (b) Zimri (c) Belkhel (d) Laharzai (e) Syed (Ghar Sheen) (f) Gaffer
Development
Loralai city has its own radio broadcasting station and mobile coverage of three operators. With the completion of the Loralai-Dera Ghazi Khan road, many people see a much more brighter and prosperous future for the district since the travel to DG Khan is important in many ways like the transportation of cash crops and food crops and coal loaded trucks from Chamalang coal mines. The road in under construction between Wagum Rud and khajuri since long. Now the fresh contact has been awarded to FWO and fresh date for its completion is December 2008. All coal loaded trucks heading to Punjab and other areas travel on this road.
Mercy Corps stoped their oprations in Loralai region due to there internal problems. Some other local NGOs are also working in the region like LAFAM,Association For Heath Development(A H D)which is working on malaria and has started its free medical camp in D H Q hospital Duki in collaboration with directorate of malaria control program and remained its camp open as long as malari being controlled in the area.in 2010, the RAHA-RAA-UNDP alos started theire operations in Lralai region, the programe is mostly for refuges affected communities which is located in Kach UC, WRANGA Foundation is a implementing partner in the area with RAHH-RAA-UNDP. Wranga is a pashto language word which means 'beam of light'. now WRANGA is going to open and estiblished their offices in Kohlu, Barakan, Musakhail and ziarat.
Institutions
There are many educational Institutions in District Loralai. These are listed below :- 1. Balochistan University Campas Loralai. 2. Balochistan Residentional College (BRC) Loralai. 3. Govt Degree College Loralai. 4. Govt Degree Girls College Loralai. 5. Balochistan Institute of IT and Mamagement Sciences (BIITMS) Loralai. 6. Govt Inter Science College Duke. 7. Govt Inter Science College Makhter. 8. Pak-Jerman Technical Training Center (TTC) Loralai.
There are many Governmental and Public High, Middle and Primary School at District Loralai.
There are also Many Islamic Institution at Loralai.
Resources
All kinds of fruits and vegetables are cultivated in this district. Loralai is especially famous for its almond and apple production. Loralai is also rich in marble and its marble tiles are gaining popularity throughout the country. A lot of marble trimming factories have been established in the district and it now provides marble tiles to various parts of the country. The major source of income for the common inhabitants is agriculture and farming.and also for marble industries . nasrullah marble and mining co one of the company from area it is working since 1998 .
The town, which is situated 4,700 ft (1,400 m) above the sea level in which the wealth of the inhabitants is derived from their herds of cattle and other animals also. The district is also popular in the business of items especially vehicles smuggled here through Afghan Transit Trade. All types of vehicles are smuggled to Loralai and then to the other parts of the country after being customed or duplicated in papers here.
The milkyway arched vertically above me that night, it's head rising from top of a mountain peak, the glittery core right above where I stood, before disappearing through the clouds as you can see
Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.
Lao Tzu
Quetta is one of my favourite cities in Pakistan. It is unique in the sense that it looks well planned and is surrounded by mountains, which are snow-capped in winter. Quetta can be quite cold in winter and hot in summer. The geography and location of Quetta give it a very non-South Asian feel. There is also quite a mix of people belonging to the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia. The majority in the city are the Pashtuns but you also have the Baloch, the Brahvi in good numbers too. There are the Hazaras and also migrants from Punjab and Sindh, some of them Hindus too. Sadly there is a civil war raging in some parts of Balochistan and it is not as safe to visit as it once was. The situation maybe worsened if the Americans feel that the leader of the Taliban, Mullah Omer, is hiding there as they want to conduct drone attacks on what they believe to be aliban training camps. Quetta is a beautiful city and deserves peace and I wish the violence disappears.
Quetta (help•info) (Pashto: کوټه, Urdu: کوئٹہ, Hazaragi: کویته, Brahui: Koŧá) is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. It is known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan", due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife. Situated at an average elevation of 1,654 metres (5,429 ft) above sea level,[3] the city is a major stronghold along the western frontier of the country. The city is also home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the world and to a research institute, the Geological Survey of Pakistan.
Quetta sits near the Durand Line border with Afghanistan and is an important trade and communications centre between the two countries as well as an important military location occupying a vital strategic position for the Pakistani Armed Forces. The city lies on the Bolan Pass route which was once the only gateway to and from South Asia. The city was the closest city to the 1935 and the 2008 earthquakes both of which resulted in a great deal of damage to the city and significant loss of life.
Etymology
Quetta is also spelled Kuwatah which is a variation of Kuatta, a Pashto word,.[4] It is believed the city's name is derived from the four imposing hills (Chiltan, Takatu, Zarghoon and Murdaar) that surround the city.
History
The area was originally inhabited by Kasi (A tribe of Pashtun), the first detailed account of Quetta is from the 11th century when it was captured by Mahmud of Ghazni during one of his invasions of the Indian sub-continent. In 1543, the Mughal emperor Humayun rested in Quetta on his retreat to Persia, leaving his one-year-old son Akbar in the city until his return two years later. The Khan of Kalat ruled Quetta until 1556, when the Persians conquered the city only to have it retaken by Akbar in 1595. In 1828 the first westerner to visit Quetta described it as a mud-walled fort surrounded by three hundred mud houses. Although the city was occupied briefly in 1839 by the British during the First Afghan War, it was not until 1876 that Quetta became part of the British Empire, with Robert Sandeman being made the political leader for Baluchistan. The arrival of British troops led to the establishment of road and rail links and the introduction of schools, mainly for strategic purposes.
The British made the largely Pashtun area part of British Balochistan. In April 1883 it was combined with Pishin into a single administrative unit.
By the time of the earthquake on May 31, 1935 Quetta had developed into a bustling city with a number of multi-story buildings. The epicentre of the earthquake was close to the city and destroyed most of the city's infrastructure and killed an estimated 40,000 people. After many years the city has been rebuilt mainly with local funds. Structures are now generally earthquake resistant comprising of mainly single story structures with bricks and re-inforced concrete. However multi-story buildings are also built, while the number of buildings of three to five floors are being constructed in the city.
On joining Pakistan, Quetta was made the capital city of the newly created province of Balochistan before it was combined with other Balochi states (Kalat, Makran, Lasbela and Kharan) to form the Baloch province. Quetta was supposed to remain the capital of the province until 1971.
Geography and climate
Quetta has a desert climate (Köppen BWk) with a significant variation between summer and winter temperatures. Summer starts in late May and goes on until early September with average temperatures ranging from 24-26 °C (75-78 °F).The highest temperature in Quetta is 42 °C (108 °F) which was recorded on 10 July 1998.[5] Autumn starts in late September and continues until mid-November with average temperatures in the 12-18 °C (55-65 °F) range. Winter starts in late November and ends in late March, with average temperatures near 4-5 °C (39-41 °F).The lowest temperature in Quetta is −18.3 °C (−0.9 °F) which was recorded on 8 January 1970.[5] Spring starts in early April and ends in late May, with average temperatures close to 15 °C (60 °F). Unlike most of Pakistan, Quetta does not have a monsoon season of sustained, heavy rainfall. Highest rainfall during 24 hours in Quetta is 113 millimetres (4.4 in) which was recorded on 17 December 2000.,[5] Highest monthly rainfall is 232.4 millimetres (9.15 in) which was recorded in March, 1982.[5] and the highest annual rainfall is 949.8 millimetres (37.39 in) recorded in 1982.[5] In the winter snow is the principle mode of precipitation with snow falling mostly in the months of December, January and February.
The city saw droughts in the year 2000, and 2001. During these years the city didn't received snowfall and received below normal rains. While in 2003 the city received snowfall after a long period of five years. In 2004, and 2005 Quetta received normal rains with snowfall while in 2006, 2007 and 2009 the city doesn't revived any snow, except 2008 when Quetta received snowfall of four inches in four hours on 29 January 2008.[6] While on 2 February 2008 Quetta received ten inches of snow in just 10 hours.[7] These are the heaviest snowfall for the city in the last ten years. During the winter of 2010 it doesn't received any snowfall and saw below normal rains due to the presence of El-Nino over Pakistan.[8]
Quetta comprises approximately 2,653 km2 (1,036 square miles) and consists of series of valleys which act as a natural fort surrounded on all sides by a number of imposing hills named Chiltan, Takatoo, Murdar and Zarghun. There are no natural boundaries between Quetta and its adjoining districts of Dera Ismail Khan to the northeast, Dera Ghazi Khan and Sibi to the east, Sukkur and Jacobabad to the southeast, Karachi and Gawadar to the south and Ziarat to the southwest. The closest major city is Kandahar in Afghanistan which is located to the west of the Quetta.
Government and politics
Under the latest revision of Pakistan's administrative structure, promulgated in 2001,[10] Quetta was restructured as a City District, and divided into two towns[11][12] Each town in turn consists of a group of union councils (U.C.'s).[13]:
1.Zarghoon Town
2.Chiltan Town
Transport
Quetta is on the western edge of Pakistan and is well connected to the rest of the country by a network of roads, railways and airways.
At an altitude of 1,605 metres (5,260 ft) above sea level, Quetta Airport is the second highest airport in Pakistan. Pakistan International Airlines, Shaheen Air International and Airblue all have regular flights between Quetta and the other major cities of Pakistan including Islamabad, Gwadar, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar while Pakistan International Airlines operates direct flights to Manchester, Dubai, New York and other major international airports.
Quetta Railway Station is one of the highest railway stations in Pakistan at 1,676 metres (5,495 ft) above sea level. The railway track was laid in 1890's during the British era to link Quetta with rest of the country. The extensive network of Pakistan Railways connects Quetta to Karachi in south, by a 863 km (536 miles) track, Lahore in northeast (1,170 km or 727 miles) and Peshawar further northeast (1,587 km or 986 miles). A metalled road runs alongside the railway that connects Quetta to Karachi via Sibi, Jacobabad and Rohri. A track from the Iranian city of Zahedan links to Quetta via Taftan. Service was temporarily discontinued in 2006 due to unrest in Balochistan. Since 2008 railway service has come under attack by the Balochs, especially in the Bolan Pass area resulting in the bomb blast on the railway tracks and firing on trains, creating a sense of insecurity amongst the traveling public.
Recently there has been a proposal to construct a railway track that will link Gawadar to China and Gawadar with Quetta via Kalat. Although the distance from Quetta to Lahore is only 700 km (417 miles), there is no direct track on this route because of the Sulaiman Range that lies in the east of Quetta. All northeast-bound trains for Punjab or the North-West Frontier Province must first go over 350 km (218 miles) south to Rohri, Sindh (near Sukkur) before continuing north to Punjab and North-West Frontier Province.
Quetta is connected by metalled roads to the rest of the country. A recently built road connects it with Karachi through Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar and Lasbela. Other major roads are Quetta to Karachi following the Sibi, Jacobabad, Sukkur and Hyderabad route and two roads from Quetta to Lahore one (the older) via Sibi, Sukkur, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur and Multan the other route via Khanozai, Muslimbagh Loralai, Fort Mondro, Dera Ghazi Khan and Multan. Quetta is also connected with Afghanistan through Chaman and to Iran through Mastung, Nushki, Dalbandin and Taftan.
Educational institutions
Quetta has a number of institutions of higher education. The prestigious military Command and Staff College, which was founded by the British. The city is home to the University of Balochistan which was established in 1974, the Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences, Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University, the Geological Survey of Pakistan, the Sandeman Library and two government colleges affiliated with the University of Peshawar.
Flora and fauna
A wide variety of mammals such as Markhor, Balochi language: مار خور (mounatin goat), leopards, wolves, hyena, rabbits, wild cats and porcupines are to be found in the Quetta region. Local birds species include partridge, warblers, shikra, the blue rock pigeon, rock nuthatch, golden eagle, sparrows, hawks, falcons and bearded vultures. Flora in Quetta is both numerous and rare. A total of 225 species have been identified in the area including; pistachios, juniper, wild olives, wild ash and wild almonds. Also found are a wide range of shrubs including; wild fig, barbery, wild cherry, makhi and herbs such as ephedra intermadia and gerardiana.
Culture
Quetta is a tourist attraction for foreigners to whom it is advertised as a "thrilling location, full of adventure and enjoyment". Among the attractions are the bazaars located on the Shahrah-e-Liaquat (Liaquat Bazaar and Suraj Gang Bazaar and Shahrah-e-Iqbal (Kandahari Bazaar). In bazaars the colourful handicrafts, particularly Balochi mirror work and Pashtun embroidery both of which are admired world-wide. Afghan rugs, fur coats, embroidered jackets, waist-coats, sandals and other traditional Pashtun items are also famous.
Balochi carpets are made by the nomadic tribes of the area. They are generally not nearly as fine or expensive as either the Persian city products or even the Turkoman tribal rugs from further north, but they are generally more authentic than the copies of Turkoman and Persian designs often found in the major cities of Pakistan. The rugs range in price and size, from lower priced crude examples to fine and valuable pieces. Many are small enough to be portable.
For those interested in local cuisine, there are many dishes to try. The famous Pashtun tribal cuisine “Roash” which non-locals call “Namkin” is to be found in both city restaurants as well as in the outlying areas. Some of the finest mutton in the country is raised around Quetta and is a mainstay of local cuisine. The Pashtun tribal dish, “Landhi”, is made of a whole lamb which is dried and kept fresh during the cold winters. "Khadi Kebab" is a lamb barbecue while "Sajji" (leg of lamb) and "Pulao" are other local dishes. The best restaurants are Usmania, Tabaq, Green Hotel, Gulab Hotel, Lal Kabab, and the Abasin Hotel all of which serve both Pakistani and western food while the Cafe China is one of the oldest and most reputable Chinese restaurants. A number of small hotels located along Alamdar road provide accommodation for tourists.
Hanna Lake, which nestles in the hills ten kilometres (six miles) east of the city, is a startling turquoise pool which contrasts markedly with its bare brown surroundings. An attraction for holidaymakers, with facilities for boat hire and a lakeside restaurant it is crowded by hikers and campers in holiday periods. At one end there is an irrigation dam while on the eastern shore line there is Hayat Durrani Water Sports Academy, the only water sports training center in Balochistan Province. The Hana Lake Development Authority, the Hayat Durrani Water Sports Academy and Merck Marker (Pvt.) Ltd have planted a range of trees in the Hanna Lake Mountains both for beautification and the protection of the environment.
The Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, 20 km (13 miles) south-west of Quetta, Markhors is a protected park area. The name of the park, "Hazarganji" literally means "Of a thousand treasures" is spread over 32,500 acres (132 km2) at an altitude ranging from 2,021 to 3,264 metres (5,625 to 10,700 feet). In the folds of the mountains, according to legend, there are over a thousand treasures buried, reminders of the passage over the ages of great armies including the Bactrians, the Scythians, the Muslims, and the Mongols.[citation needed] Pir Ghaib is a waterfall and picnic point located 70 km from the City Center on Sibi Road. Kharkhasa is located 10 km (6 miles) west of Quetta in a 16 km (10 miles) long narrow valley which contains a variety of flora and fauna species. The Chiltan Hill Viewpoint in the park provides a panoramic view over the city. A visit to the nearby cities of Kirani and Ziarat are popular scenic places for tourists traveling to and from Quetta.
The Quetta Geological Museum, located on Sariab Road has a collection of rocks and fossils found in Balochistan. The Command and Staff College Museum is a museum dedicated to British military history. It is housed in the former bungalow of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. The Quetta Archaeological Museum, located on Fifa Road has a collection of rare antique guns, swords, manuscripts and a display of Stone Age tools, prehistoric pottery and articles found in Mehrgarh. There are also coins, manuscripts and photos of Quetta before the 1935 earthquake. The Balochistan Arts Council Library is a newly opened facility which houses a variety of arts and crafts from Balochistan province.
A number of cultural and religious festivals are held in the city every year. The two Eid festivals which mark the end of fasting and the end of the Hajj allow the majority Muslim community to put on musical shows, distribute sweets and presents. Buzkashi is a peculiar festival celebrated by Pashtuns in which two teams on horse-back attempt to snatch a goat from each other.
Demography
Quetta, real name is Shaal (a Balochi word, شال Quetta District ), was historically part of the Khanate of Balochistan, Khan of Kalat, until it was invaded by the British Raj in the mid-19th century, during the First Anglo-Afghan War. The city in general is dominated by Baloch people and Pashtun people followed by Hazaras, Punjabi and others as the minority groups. Most of the Pashtun people in Quetta arrived after 1970s, from Afghanistan due to harsh economic conditions and later Soviet invasion.
Pashto is the main language spoken throughout the city. Other languages include Brahui, Balochi, Urdu, Hazaragi, Sindhi, and Punjabi. The city has expanded from a population of just 11,000 in 1891 to a total of between 565,137 to 676,941 according to the 1998 census which makes it the ninth biggest city in Pakistan.[14][15] Although the majority were repatriated back to Afghanistan through the UNHCR,[16] a small number of registered Afghan refugees are still to be found in and around the city but are not counted in the national census of Pakistan as they are citizens of Afghanistan deemed to be remaining in the country temporarily.
About 99% of the people are Muslims, that includes the majority Sunni sect and the minority Shias most of whom are the Hazaras. Christian, Hindu, and Sikh population are the other people living in the city.
Sports
The residents of the city are avid sports fans. In Quetta, unlike most of Pakistan, football rather than cricket is the most popular sport. Football teams from Quetta include Quetta Zorawar, Afghan Football, Hazara Green Football, Baluch Football and Quetta Bazigars Club. In cricket, Quetta is home to the Quetta Bears.
In field hockey, Quetta has produced Zeeshan Ashraf and Shakeel Abbasi, who are current members of the Pakistan national field hockey team. In mountain climbing and caving, Hayatullah Khan Durrani (Pride of Performance), the chief executive of Hayat Durrani Water Sports Academy at Hanna Lake. In Kayaking, Muhammad Abubakar Durrani, National Junior Champion was selected for the world Junior Canoeing Championship in 2009 in Moscow. In Boxing Olympians from Quetta include: Syed Agha Ibrar Shah,Abdul Salam Khan Kakar, Asghar Ali Changezi and Haider Ali Changezi. Weight lifting Dilawar Khan Khilji, Mohammad Rafiq Khan Khilji and Mohammad Alam Khan Kakar were the famous weightlifters.
In squash, Hiddy Jahan Khan was ranked among the top-6 players in the world from 1970 through to 1986. British Open champion Qamer Zaman also hails from Quetta. Other famous squash players include: Zarak Jahan Khan, Abdul Wali Khan Khilji, Hamayoon Khan Khilji, Zubair Jahan Khan, Shams ul Islam Khan Kakar, Tariq Rahim Khan Kakar and Shaied Zaman Khan. The Ayub National Stadium is the largest stadium in the city and the site of international cricket and football matches.
On eid we did Makra trek in 3 days (Mon-wed). This was our route
Shogran-sari-paye-Makra-Dhari/Kholian/Sanghar wali galli-tehthri-Ziarat-Danna peak-Makri-jhamara-ghena-rajpian-pind-batal-bishash-ghori
To be exact we wanted to go to bheri but our guide mistakenly took here. We did trek to point called pind. Jeep are available on point Jhamara but due to eid none was running, So we had to trek for 3 hours to reach to rajpian, a jeep was standing there but was asking two way fare (rs2000) so we trek further to point pind; luckily one jeep came and we boarded on it (@rs 75 per head).
if someone want to attempt it from muzaffarabad then one can easily reach to Rajpian through bus from muzaffarabad at 80 rs only or through jeep from ghouri at around 100rs (its actually less than 100rs) per head. One can take jeep to Jhamara from rajpian and then its trek possibly with one camp to top of Makra. Water is present at places called makri & tethri Its very steep trek from jhamara onward to Makra but as we were descended so it was comfortable enough.
Only danger is a good 1 hour piece of trek just near makra top. It’s a narrow ridge with over 100m fall on each side, covered with boulders, locals called it as dhari.
Long Version (Its incomplete and has lot grammatical erros, I dont plan to complete it in near future)
In this longer version I will try to make you feel as you would be travelling with us
Thursday 16th August
Ali called our mutual friend and they will be going to Kalam valley on Eid holidays, Ali will be getting booking done.
Friday 17th August 2:55 pm
I received a message from my brother Ali that he has discussed with our mutual friend and they have cancelled their plan to kalam and now if Eid will be on Sunday then they will be going to Makra otherwise to Bairan Galli.
Friday 17th August Evening
Ali asked me to join them I refused as I already had my leaves approved for neelum valley and was not in mood to destroy my Eid holidays.
Saturday 18th August Evening
Moon was not sighted, Eid will be on Monday.
So as per Ali message he will be going to Bheeran Galli to where I was least interested to go so Ali decides to go to Makra. I said I can only join it if you end up in Kashmir side as I have already attempted it twice and has failed both the time to reach summit of Makra so if I go there then I want to finish the whole trek. So I requested our family to let us sacrifice our eid. The immediate answer we got was that people spent lot of money to reach home on eid and you are asking to leave on eid. Then the politician in me aroused and I replied that for guy’s eid remain till the eid prayer after it what else we have to do other then to sleep, sleep & sleep and if we are going that far atleast we should spend proper time otherwise its like race not enjoyment. Any ways our parent agreed to let us go on Chand raat. We immediately messaged to our mutual friend about plan but due to some reason he pulled out. Now the issue was serious as I never had planned a trek outside Lahore of my own. So being the more experienced in trekking as of my brother the responsibility of all the planning came on me. We immediately called Niazi, Rahber, Abdullah travels for booking to manshera but none of them picked our phone. Ali was in favor that we would go to Naizi adda on chand raat and we will find some thing.
After few tries we got connected with skyways and we got our booking done for 11 pm Sunday night but we need to reach till 10 pm to get booking confirmed. Booking with skyways was a blessing in disguise; why so? I will explain it shortly.
After getting booking done I called my friend Nadir Khan in Manshera. I first met Nadir in April 2011 when we joined together to the Paya trek in full snow and later we did Musa ka Musalla.
Nadir these days run a tour operating company (Travel Green Guide & Tours) specializes in trekking. If any body is interested in managing tour to any where in north then he can be reached at www.facebook.com/TGGTours
Any ways my contact with Nadir was as my friend not the owner of Travel Green Guide & Tours. We asked him about the availability of transport & porters on Eid day. And from his contacts he quickly arranged it.
Sunday 19th August, 2012 - 30th Ramdan
I called few of my friends for joining us but all of them refused.
7:30 PM we planned to wear our Eid clothes but they were not ready yet. Some how we got them till 8 pm and left home at sharp 8:30 PM
On way to skyways terminal we stopped at adventure shop to buy a pair of gaiters. Here I called Nadir that we have left home for Manshera and that was the last call on that date as almost all mobile networks were shutdown over some security issues.
We reached Skyways terminal at 9:40 pm. The booking clerk surprising asked for ID card. It was new thing for us that all buses leaving on Motor way must list down the ID cards of each & every passenger as that sheet need to be handed over to motorway police at movie point. If you are travelling in a group then listing the ID card of atleast one member was mandatory.
In waiting room we met a guy from Karachi who works in finance department of PSO. He left Karachi a day before at 10 pm. He told us that with great difficulty and by changing 3-4 vehicles he reached Lahore. His booking was in Rahber but they cancelled their “flight” due to shortage of passengers and then he bought ticket of Niazi and they also cancelled their “flight” due to shortage of passengers and now he has ticket of skyways and passengers seems to be on low on it too. He must want to reach to Abbott abad to celebrate eid with his in-laws. Readers of this blog must be wondering that why I am mentioning about this person. Actually this was the first time I met a person who was injured in a terrorist attack. I do have met person who have lost their dear ones in attacks but this was the first time I met a person who narrowly escaped death with few injuries. He was in the rally of Benazir Bhutto in Karachi on October 18, 2007 when some bomb exploded and 150+ people lost their lives. He mentioned that his arm was injured in that attack. And he could even feel the voice of that blast even after two years. He mentioned that attack and the behavior of the victims have made him fearless. He now a days travel to Quetta for job related activities without any fear. He mentioned of a guy who lost his leg in the blast but he stood on one leg and tried to help the victims in whatever way he could.
Every body was leaving for their home to celebrate eid and it felt me really bad to miss the very first eid not with family.
10:30 pm we asked skyways authorities to load our luggage but they refused and said it will be only done 15 minutes before the departure time.
10:45 pm our ruck sack was loaded.
11:00 pm we boarded on bus ad bus was suppose to leave Lahore at 11:00 pm
11:30 pm still no sign of bus being moving. Bus was around 80 % filled at 11:00 pm and I thought might be they are waiting for it to be get 100 % filled but even when it was 100 % filled it was not leaving. Our Karachi mate was worried the most as he must want to reach to abbotabad. Few passengers went to booking office and told us shocking thing that driver is not available. He went to his home in Lahore but as mobile phones have stopped working so he can’t be contacted.
Booking office told us that two guys have gone to his home on taxi to wake him up and bring him to bus stand. But after few minutes they arrived with empty hands.
They send another guy to his home. Who also came back empty handed. The story which they told us that his room is at third floor the guy climbed up to his room but was not able to wake him up.
Monday 20th august 12:10 am
I was simply intolerable to me. I asked for location of complaint office to lodge my protest and it resulted only in a laugh from co passengers.
I went to the booking office that cancel our ticket and refund our money we will celebrate Eid with our family as it’s no way that you are letting us wait for more than hour and there is no sign that whether driver will come or not. They initially ensured me that driver has arrived and sitting in waiting room that simply fuelled me up and broke that news among passengers which also fuelled them up and most of them moved me to booking office to treat them harshly. They referred me to contact their manager. I simply asked him to cancel our ticket and refund our money as this is high un professional way for such a big name. Manger mentioned that driver is still not here. Here the manager told me a secret that skyways have agreement with individual owners of busses. The bus owners hare name of skyways and share profit with skyways. And that bus whose number was probably 5411 was also having its driver as its owner who according to the manager is a very responsible person but he was unable to explain why he is not coming. He said he don’t have any spare driver and he is trying every thing that you could celebrate Eid with your families. I was already feeling a little guilty of not celebrating Eid at home and his statement added more to it. Any ways I asked him that we cant wait here all the night to wait for the driver to come back and you must define a cut off time after which you will take the tickets back. He said a third team has gone to wake him up so give him 15 minutes. In the meantime few passengers went to other bus stands but no bus was leaving for manshera. Only option was to leave for Islamabad. Some passengers went further to book a private van but I was not interested in that and had already started to think that how happy our family will be to know that we have returned back to celebrate Eid with them.
The Karachi guy said to us that we say bad about MQM but if any bus would have done that in Karachi then they would have surely have burned the bus to ashes till now. According to him they are extremely good in that. I avoid any sort of political discussion on travel so I ignored his statement with a smile & nod of head in agreeing to him.
12:35 am Driver arrived and bus started.
We were about to enter to motorway when a guy in police uniform asked to board on but driver assistant refuse to board him saying that we don’t take passengers who drop on way. Just after 20meters we were stopped by police at check post, who were apparently angry for not giving lift to police man. They asked to open the bus they will check each and every thing. Driver assistant simply refused to do so and said bus is already checked at bus stand and he will not open the bus to be checked again. On it police got fuelled up and closed check post and said ok then they won’t let us go and forced to stand the bus on side of the road.
Driver assistant was forced to stop the bus and open it for checking. If police would have tried to check it thoroughly it could easily have taken an hour. Police gave an argument that on bus pass it was written that departure time is 11 pm then why the bus is leaving at 12:45 am.
All the passengers who were already quite angry got down from bus and a clash was expected between police & the passengers. On seeing passengers getting down, police cleared the bus with in 2 minutes. And we crossed check post.
Before we could enter the motor way the driver stopped the bus to fill diesel. Complete 123 liters was filled in the bus and we entered motorway at around 1 am.
At movie point we again stopped for movie and to handover sheet of id card number of passengers. Now a day it’s extremely important for all of us to carry their NIC on travelling outside Lahore. As some passenger didn’t showed their ID card at time of booking so it took further 10 minutes to fill the list.
Journey finally started. The limit on motorway for bus is 110kph but our driver was driving at 135 kph to cover up the time. And considering that he was forced to wake up from sleep it could have turned to be fatal but Alhamdulillah no damage done.
Just after few minutes we left movie point the passengers started shouting “ooye TV la ooye”. I uttered lightly for God sake let us sleep but naqar khanay main 'totti' ki awaz kaun sunay ga.
So a movie was played. Movie name was Badal and cast included booby deol and rani mukher jee. The movie was made in 2000 and its print quality was also showing that it too old. Surprisingly that movie have has remarkable resemblance to our situation in Waziristan & Baluchistan, where people are killed either by government support or by government silence which has led a rebellion to arise among our own people whose family member were killed in drone attacks or kidnapped by unknown people. Any ways Allah Allah ker k movie ended at around 4:30 am. I do tried to sleep during the movie but as I mentioned that movie has very old print and was played on VCR so after certain time the irritating high volume voice start appearing from it. These voices were so annoying that it was impossible for any human to remain sleep. Bus stopped at hasan abdal for fajar prayer. Driver told us that he has covered a lot of time by moving fast.
As the bus started I smelled some one smoking. Thankfully driver assistant was vigilant and asked the passengers to throw away the cigarette but passenger simply refused by saying k “mainy yeh muft nahi liya”. It was probably not a normal cigarette. Any ways on protest of other passengers he throwed it away and I was finally able to take a nap. I awaked up after an hour when we have crossed abottabad. I quickly messaged nadir that we are near.
7:10 am we reached Manshera. Niazi has created a bus stand, skyways busses also stands there. We were supposed to offer Eid prayer with Nadir but we got late to reach manshera. I called nadir he was already in masjid for Eid. So we have to find some masjid on our own for Eid prayer but issue was that we were carrying ruck sacks, gas cylinders with us. With them we can’t offer a prayer or with them police would not have allowed us to enter any masjid. Skyways offered us that we could place our stuff in waiting room but we were not confident that it will be safe or not. In short it was getting obvious that we won’t be able to offer Eid prayer. I chalked out a plan that one of us should stay with the luggage and other person should offer Eid. In this way atleast one of us will get that opportunity of Eid prayer which has lot of blessings according various ahadees Sharifs.
The driver of our bus who belongs to Lahore changed his cloths to Eid dress which he carried all the way. He was going to offer Eid prayer. We requested him to please place our luggage in the bus and lock it, which he happily did and we moved with him for Eid prayer.
On ablution area a lot of Lotas were present. For a person living in Lahore that’s kindly a strange & uncomfortable way of doing ablution but every area has its own ways.
8:00 am Eid namaz was offered.
8:15 am Imam sb started post namaz dua and that was such a long dua that we literally started praying k ya allahi yeh dua khatam kerwa dey. Imam sb was repeating every dua with all past, present & future tense. Any ways after 17 minutes the longest dua of my life time ended and we were freed to greet Eid.
That greeting started in a strange fashion as in Lahore we use to hug three times and make the chest meet but in manshera they hug for only once and that hug only include touching of shoulders mainly. Now we were trying to take three hugs but people were going away with one. That was looking so much funny but we quickly understand their custom so started to ‘do at Rome as the Romans do’ but we were not enjoying much until we met the bus driver and then we hugged in lahori style to really feel like meeting Eid.
Nevertheless it was the most rememberable Eid for us, as we moved to masjid where no body knows us. To whom ever we met & greeted it was probably our first and last greetings with them and we may never be able meet them. It does help us realize the global nature of Islam.
8:45 am we reached back to bus stand and got connected with Nadir.
9:20 am Nadir arrived, It was good to know that his office is present in front of that stand. It was indeed very kind of him that he came to us on Eid day. He invited us for tea, breakfast at his home but we were already late. Heavy rain also arrived there.
Nadir arranged a taxi for us for rs 2000 till shogran. On normal days they take around 1500 rs but on Eid day that was the best we could bargain.
Our driver Haji nazeer took us to tire workshop he said his reserve tires are punctured. He took around 30 mins to get tired punctured. We took gourmet pizza with us. We started eating it but it was gone bad. So have to through it away.
Our driver haji nazeer
A man in his early forties, small beard, applied colored on beard to look black, lean face, height around 5 feet 7 inch, wheetish color, head covered with a cap, runs a green alto with bigger tires and I wish to never ever meet him again.
He talks & talks & talks as he was born only to talk & talk. To be exact he had a map of northern areas of Pakistan. And whether he know the way or not, it’s was like mandatory for him to tell us about it. We were not willing to stop on the way as were already late but he has to stop to force us to take pictures at exact same spot where we have taken pics on almost every trip. Secondly he was of “big heart” so he need to stop to help his fellow taxi driver whose cars were stopped in heavy rain regardless of considering that we were getting late.
He mentioned that it was all water on road due to heavy rain and a Suzuki cabin car went into river due hay rain and a person ahs lost his live. We do believe him on this as damage on road was quite obvious.
We wanted to take some items from the balakot but on reaching balakot not a single shop were open due to Eid. So we carried on. He was also a great fan of Lahore hotel in shogran and it was his utmost desire to let us stay there and he was not ready to listen that we are here for camping and trekking. In past I have seen Lahore hotel. It’s a small descent hotel with affordable price but we were not going there for hotelling. To our bad luck that our host Mustaq didn’t picked our phone and some mist also came over. It haji sb another point weather is very bad, you wont find you way, you will get yourself killed, I am elder, you must respect opinion of elder. So stay in Lahore hotel today, go for hike tomorrow. We refused and he was like Lahore hotel, Lahore hotel, and Lahore hotel. It was like he will get us a cheap room for good sake stay for one night at Lahore hotel.
We stopped at kawai. I asked a hotel to cook 15 roti for us which we would pack and carry with us for our camping ahead. Thankfully we got connected to Mustaq and he said porter is waiting for us at hotel Pine Park. Despite of telling all that to haji sb he was again on the same tune of Lahore hotel.
Those who know me know that very well that I use to remain quite most of the time but that man ahhhhhhh!
1:00 pm
As soon as we were dropped at shogran we gave him his 2000 rs and ran away.
Regardless of his talkative nature and his strong desire to force us to stay at Lahore hotel, I must admit that he was a super excellent driver who know about each and every pit on the road. And his car was better then many.
Safi
Our porter was safi ud din. Our first look was a very bad one as his one hand was broken and was heavily strapped so he could only use one hand. His hand was broken in some fight. As we have already have booked him in advance and were extremely late and he was waiting for us for atleast 1 hour so we were in no position to refuse him.
We quickly changed our clothes and decided to use hotel pine park washrooms but they were extremely dirty so we just went without using toilet or washrooms.
Richard
We met Richard at shogran, He hails from UK and had recently done the shimshal pass and was now willing to do darkhot pass but his flight to chitral was cancelled due to bad weather and as a plan b he came to shogran. Unfortunately he didn’t know any thing about that area and when we asked him that what he will be looking in that area he mentioned he will go to near by villages and will see the life of villagers. Despite of the fact we were getting late we do gave him a short summary of the area and the main things to visit in shogran & naran region. We invited him to do Makra with us and descend on to Kashmir side but as he was on car parked at shogran, so we atleast invited him to Makra. He was staying at pine park hotel. We mentioned him that we will be on trek by sun rise so he should reach to Paya at that time on jeep. As a precaution that he may not be able to catch us, we explained his guide that to take him to Makra next day.
We started our trek. I intend to do camping at Paya. Ali decided to carry his own ruck sack whereas I gave me rucksack to the safi. Some local kids met us. They also showed willingness to join us to makra tomorrow.
Within 20 minutes after body start complaining about the lack of exercise. We went straight after Ramadan and doing trek quickly after the Ramadan was expected to create issues. After nearly 45 minutes into the trek; the body reduced complaining. I always believe that treks are done more with mental fitness than physical fitness so that’s why we went on it without any exercise. In normal days whenever we plan a trek we do start a gentle walk few days before start of trek but this time we were not able to do so. Any ways the local kids who met us showed gesture to carry our water bottles to some midway point on sari. Here we did two mistakes.
1- Our daypacks + dates were in the ruck sack which was with the porter and he was going through the shortcuts and was so much far away that even our full voice can’t be heard by him.
2- Our water bottles were with the local kids and they were also fond of shortcuts so they also left us. Now they also left us.
In my previous visits to sari, there use to be 2-3 water sources on way up but at this time of the year their was not a single “chasma” as they were all dried up.
Although the guy with the water bottles went far ahead but a few of his colleagues were moving with us. One of them rushed ahead and shouted his colleague to stop to stop water bottles on the jeep trek on which we were moving. What we later learned was that the village of those kids was near and they handed water bottles to our potter and went away. We took one turn & another turn but still the porter was far away from us. Thirst was getting like that as we haven’t drunk any thing for days. For me water and dates are like fuel of the body. It was getting difficult for us to move forward without water. Our feet were slightly dangling & head was whirling. We were wearing water proof clothes but these clothes are water proof from outside, it has as inner lining of probably cotton and that lining was all wet due to sweating. Good thing was that we could now hear our porter from behind the trees but we were not sure how far he was. As I was without any ruck sack so Ali sat down I went to fetch water from potter, I would have hardly taken 20 steps when I saw our porter (safi) coming back with a bottle of water. Bottle was only 30% filled but it does help us to return back to our senses. These were the bottles we bought from the filling station which around 30 minutes before balakot and it turned out to be a good decision as no shop was open in shogran, kiwai or balakot having mineral water bottles. Any ways while coming back to us our porter did a mistake.
He left our ruck sack which was containing the most important items like, food, camp on the road. He was around 5 minutes away from the point from where he could see the ruck sack. Due to Eid there were a very few people on the trek. Also we were so much engulfed with the thirst that at that moment we didn’t thought about that someone could take away the bag but on return we do met a group who suffered from almost the same type of loss. I will explain that particular incident later on the travel log.
Any ways the bottle which safi bought was only 30 % filled so as asked him that to drop another water bottle on way so as when we move up we can pick it up. It resolved our water problem till sari.
We met three guys from Karachi they were coming back from sari. One was having a guitar, we would have loved to listen to him playing guitar but unfortunately the string of it was broken. They mentioned they are coming back from makra top but considering the timings they were mentioning I was pretty sure they went to the Makra which 95 % mistake as to be Makra. Actual Makra is far behind the real makra. They were having sleeping bags only and were willing to do more trekking. Ali suggested them to do the Mahandri to Ansoo Lake and then through saran pass reach batakundi. We referred them to our friend Nadir and later in the trek we do learned that they successfully did Ansoo lake trek from mahandri but they did not went on to saran pass to reach batakundi & instead returned back through saif ul malook.
I been to sari twice before, once I went on jeep and other time I went in good 3-4 feet snow on ROAD. You might be wondering that why I wrote the ROAD in caps. The reason is that I was in search of point where we did a shortcut on our return to sari in snow. One of member got his foot strangled in the bush. He fell into soft snow. On digging for about 4-5 feet’s we learned that his foot was actually engulfed in a tree top which was fully covered in snow. So at that time on road there was only 3-4 feet of snow but on mountain slides it was good 12-15 feet of snow. The sides of mountain where sun does not directly reach do melt a little late so that why when we went there in April 2011 we encountered so much snow. That point was basically the half way mark to sari. Throughout my way to sari was trying to find only two point one that I just mentioned and other was a 60 degree straight height but issue was that in snow and after snow melts it’s very difficult to recognize the same points.
Almost on every turn I get that feeling that just one more turn and we will that gradual ascend but it was not coming. Even then since I started trekking this thing do work that by saying to yourself that only 15 minutes more. That’s a separate thing that most of the time that 15 minute more saying is repeated almost 15 times. We heard a jeep coming up. For an instance we do thought to get the lift from him and when it came near it was with the people whom we met at pine park hotel. They were probably fro Peshawar side. We offered a lift to sit on the bonnet of the jeep as rest of the jeep was packed. It was indeed a very attractive option and our body was also creating problems but we came here for trekking not for a jeep safari and when they offered the lift it was life grabbing the heart in the fist and signaling the head with no. We have heard that shogran to sari trek is only of 150 minutes. Although in snow it took us good 5 hours but in that season that should be only 2.5 hours long and as we were already into the trek since two hours so why to take lift when hardly 30 minutes more was left. Although we do have say that just 30 minute more for two times atleast.
On our way up we met few more local school kids. It was sad to see them doing smoking at such a young age and it was something annoying for us so we do gave them a small lecture on side effects of smoking. I am not sure how much that lecture would have affected them but they do said that it an Eid day and they are not regular smokers & they gave the same old excuse that they don’t inhale it to lungs. Here for the first time in this trek we initiated the stories relating to Bhuttay. If you don’t know that who are bhuttay then I will explain it shortly but just to get a bird eye view you can consider them like the current day political leaders who claims to be following policies of ZA Bhutto. If you know who are bhuttay & have respect for current ruling party then my above comments might have gone a little harsh on you but I am here to write the things exactly how I felt.
Any ways we do had 10 minutes break and again started our trek. Those kids do told us that sari is just 10 minutes away. But …
Another jeep passed by us and by just a wave of hand to say Salam/ hi it went away. Two jeeps were descending from paye and I was still in search of that gradual steep area which in snow we did it in around 45 minutes. We do receive the call of Mustaq (our host at sari) mentioning that our porter is at sari waiting for us. At the same time we do received the call of our mutual friend whose plan was dropped a day before we left. With his well wishes we dropped the call and continued our trek. Now the mist arrived and we could hardly see anything beyond 15-20feet. It was not a first time mist arrived in our trek so we were a little use to it. We were doing two things in those misty conditions.
1- To only maintain that must distance between two of us that we could easily see each other.
2- To stay on jeep trek and avoid any shortcuts.
From a distance we saw another gradual height gain. It was cruel to us as we were already exhausted but as soon as I turned towards my left and saw down I was filled full joy & energy because we were standing on the exact same steep area just before sari which I was trying to find in my whole trek. And I knew that sari is just there. We took another right and we could see the first house of sari village. So nearly after 3 hours of trek we reached to sari. 6-8 hours of trekking is just a normal thing for me but these 3 hours was purely a killer. Our body was not in shape, we were out of exercise. We were physically not ready for the trekking but just went on with because as I said earlier that mental fitness is more important than physical fitness
We rushed to Mustaq small hotel at sari. I do know mustaq by face but not by name since we did winter survival to paya in April 2011. We quickly opened our bag with dates and took a heavy dose of like 10 dates each. We already had the food packed so as rotis but when we asked mustaq that what he has he mentioned that he had daal mash. Which happens to be my favorite? Price was nominal (Considering that its away far away from main city) 100rs per head for daal mash & sabzi whereas chicken karahi was of 900rs per kg (per hen). I was also more in favor of eating from hotel as it would be fresh and our target for today was paya so it would save a lot of time. It was almost 4:30 pm when we reached sari and we do had at least 140 minutes of sun light. But even when we were thinking we saw mist/clouds rising up from shogran and within few minutes we were in position that we could hardly see beyond 15 feet.
Any ways Ali asked for sabzi and I asked for daal mash. Both were in ready to cook position. Ali went on with Mustaq to do some experimenting with that aaloo anda which only resulted in destroying it and he was not even able to finish even half a plate. Whereas I ate more than 2 rotis. We asked for tea and it was also quickly made. The moment of making the tea was extremely beautiful we could see a small rainbow of colors near the tandoor. It was a mystic feeling in which one feel that he is hallucinating. In that dark shop the burning of wood, blue & red flames the white smoke and clouds outside the window. The warmth of the tandoor, the hospitality of the mustaq, the dancing flames, the curling smoke, it was just like that we are in a paradise and some “Hoor ” will come in that hut with some sweet drink to kill the thirst forever. But instead of some hoor a local man with beard came in. It was nice meeting with him as his inlaws live on the other side of Makra and he has completed that trek few times to meet his inlaws. I was wondering what a journey that would be that to meet inlaws one has to walk for 10-12 hours (two ways). He could have easily refused the visit claiming that it’s too far. Lucky Man! Those who know me well know that I use Google earth a lot for before going to trek especially the escape routes. And before leaving for trek I do calculated out that there are three possible ridges, two of which descend towards Kashmir side and one to Chappar on naran road. That guy mentioned that if our face would be towards Kashmir than we need to descend towards the left most ridge (South east). He was perfectly correctly. That ridge towards southeast leads to bhairi and it’s the safest path.
Any ways after short meeting with him we went for a gentle walk. Ali went to sari lake to take some pics. I was not much interested in going to it as it would have required me to do ascend of good 10 minutes and I was not in that mood. For me it’s not a lake and I call it a pond. The reason for that logic is that for me a lake should must have proper inlet and outlet whereas sari pond/lake lacks any of such things. Sari pond is good 25-30 below the Mustaq hotel and when I came in winter I walked over it as that 25 feet was all filled with snow.
Mustaq has a big tent installed along with his hotel. He said if we want to spend night in that camp then we are most welcome. We were already carrying camp with us but when we saw soft mattress in the Mustaq camp then we decided to stay in that. That was quite a big camp and around 15 people can easily sleep in it at one time. He has also applied a sort of insulated sheet in it which does help to maintain the temperature inside. Moreover structure of that camp is supported by steel pipes so it can stand even the wildest weather. It outer is covered by a thick water proof sheet.
It was clean enough and we were the only tourist at sari on that night so we had the whole camp with us. It gives us advantage as we can openly spread our stuff in the camp without any risk of security.
I got off my trekking shoes took the camping sandal. I was in need to pee and saw a temporary built toilet. I took a water bottle and went in it. It was a bad decision as it was not clean and I would have came out more cleanly if I would have gone in the jungle. Readers might be wondering that why I am mentioning such a disgusting thing here but one purpose of this article is also to educate the readers about the environment.
We took our sleeping bags and went for a nap. It started to rain like cats & dogs. Mustaq camp was good hide to prevent us from that rain but unfortunately wind was so harsh that it blew one joint of water proof sheet near the corner where I was sleeping. Although that opening was with that angle that rain could not come in but still the wind was coming in. It was such a heavy rain that we can’t even dares to go out to fix it. Any ways soon we went into the valley of sleep. Although it was still time before sun could have gone down but clouds and mist made the night well before the sunset.
From bottom of my heart I was quite happier over rain as rain normally blew off the mist and that would be a blessing in disguise as we could get better views.
I was with a goose down sleeping bag and despite the fact it was extremely cold outside I was sweating due to goose down so I opened up the zip and slept for some time without sleeping bag. Mustaq was running outside with a ladder to his home nearby, probably to prevent seepage of water through the roof.
Those who into trekking knows this thing very well that camping nights are too long and mostly sleep come in patches of like 2-3 hours. We were half awaked when Mustaq & Safi came to our camp. Rain seems to have halted at that time and clock was probably ticking 8 pm. We are also having gotten reasonably fresh due to a good 2 hour nap. We haven’t finalized the rates with our porter and before start of trek when we do asked him for the rates then he asked that we should do it with Mustaq. As Mustaq is colleague of our mutual friend Nadir so we were ok with that. Moreover we also had some idea about the rates. They basically came to finalize the rates. Safi started the discussion with the same stories (One such accident do happened) that people have got killed in such weather we should not attempt Makra. Or we should go only till where weather allows it. Basically I believe safi was trying to convince us in such a manner that we would leave our bags at sari, do makra and camp back again sari and whole purpose of him was that he should not carry my rucksack and would only act as a guide. Although weather was tough but I was confident that it will clear in the morning. Safi was so much convincing that I do give his idea to return to sari after makra a serious thought. Mustaq was neutral and mediating between us. Safi was not agreeing to carry us to kashmir. We mentioned that we will give him the amount to reach back to sari from Muzaffarabad just accompany us. Discussion was getting nowhere; safi was not seemingly ready to go to Kashmir. We fired an arrow that if we need to get back to SARI then why we would even needs the guide/porter. I do have my working for makra and I could have gone for the summit without him if we have to come back to sari. Mustaq mentioned that we are his guest and our safety is a great concern for him. So we should not risk our lives. Safi again fired a shell that some looting incident has happened on top of makra so we should not carry our valuable with us and should leave the rucksack at sari. That all discussion was happening between Mustaq, Safi and Ali and I was more of a silent spectator. Safi when saw that we are not getting convinced he mentioned to us that its tough dangerous not everyone can do it. I mentioned that I have done twice the “Musa Ka Musalla”. And my friends who have done both MKM & Makra have rated makra slightly less tough. Ali added that he has done jungle trek from paya to manna meadow. And when he mentioned the things like water fall and other things he saw in trek Mustaq was quickly convinced that if we are insisting then we should descend towards Kashmir. Actually the reason that mustaq quickly agreed with us was because he know how dangerous that trek of paya to manna meadow trek is. Its highly unlikely that somebody attempts that trek and he doesn’t encounter any wild animal. Almost no one attempt it and 24 * 365 that jungle has lions, leopards and bear. After Mustaq got convinced we assured safi that we are not going to do a suicide we will go for Makra and if we found out at some place that it’s not wise to go forward then we will return back. Anyways half heartedly he agreed to move with us. Now the next hurdle was rates, I was sure that it won’t be tough thing to settle down but I was wrong. Safi demanded Rs 3000 per day plus we have to give him the cost from muzaffarabad to sari. That was a shocker for us as that high rate is nowhere in Pakistan and on first day and last day it only had 2-3 hours of planned trekking, Although the second day had the almost 10 hours of planned trekking. We mentioned to him that was too much. We decided to break the porter expense in two parts.
1- Actual portage price.
2- Price to reach from muzaffarabad to sari.
Safi mentioned around 1000 rs for part 2. After mentioning him some facts we lowered him to 500 rs for part 2.
Safi was not ready to reduce the price for part 1 and we were not ready to give him what he was demanding. To be very true we only had 16000 rs in cash in total. If we give him 9k then we would have ended on short side. We asked Mustaq to mediate between us and he asked us that how much we give. We mentioned that we will give him 5000 rs in total. If he is ok then we are moving ahead if he is not then please arrange some other porter for us and whatever his nominal amount is for from shogran to sari we give him now and Allah hafiz. After some discussion Safi agreed for 5000 rs in total.
It was around 8:30 pm and Safi & mustaq left the camp and we again went on to sleep. We decided to leave sari with sunrise.
Remembering the father of the nation, Quaid-I-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Wanted to post this on his birthday on 25 Dec, but couldn't because of travelling.
Loralai like any other district in Balochistan - rugged and beautiful! There are many barren mountains in Loralai but also there are some scrub and juniper forested mountains. It takes 4-hours from Quetta to Loralai and can become a bit tedious but the journey is through stunning landscapes. The flat topped mountain in the background is known as Jinnah's Cap locally. Jinnah was the founding father of Pakistan and the shape of the mountain does resemble his cap.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loralai_District
LoralaiUtmankhel is a district in the centre of Balochistan province of Pakistan. Loralai district was created on October, 1903. Loralai town is the district headquarters. Loralai was further partitioned in 1992 when Musakhel and Barkhan were given the status of separate administrative districts.
Boundary
The present boundaries of Loralai district contain three sub-divisions namely sub-division Duki , sub-division Bori and Tehsil Makhter. Duki sub-division is further divided into Tehsil Duki and Sub-Tehsil Sinjavi. Sub-division Bori consists of tehsil Bori. Sub-tehsil Makhter become tehsil with the great accesses of Tehsil Nazim Bori [Molvi Abdullah Hamzazai].
History
In 1545 Duki, a dependency of the Kandahar province, was conferred upon Mir Sayyid Ali by the Mughal Emperor Humayun. The province of Kandahar continued under Mughals until the year 1559 when it passed into the hands of the Safavids Kings of Persia and remained under their control until 1595. In 1595 it was recaptured by Emperor Akbar the Great, during Akbar's reign the territory of Duki which was generally garrisoned, formed an eastern dependency of the Kandahar Province and provided a contingent of 500 horses and 1,000-foot (300 m) soldiers. In 1622 Kandahar again passed under the Safavids.
In 1653 Emperor Shah Jahan sent a large expedition under his eldest son, Dara-Shikoh, to regain Kandahar but in vain. This was the last attempt on the part of the Mughals to regain Kandahar which was now lost to them for ever. Mir Wais Ghilzai or Khilji established Ghilzai/Khilji power in Kandahar around 1709. After 30 years of supremacy the Ghilzai/Khilji power gave way to Nadir Shah who captured after a severe struggle in 1737. However in 1747 Nadir Shah was assassinated and Ahmad Shah Durrani took over the reign of Government. The Durranis were followed in about 1826 by the Barakzai under Dost Mohammad Khan. Almost the whole of Loralai District remained under this dynasty till 1879, in 1879 Duki and the Thal Chotiali country with other parts of Balochistan passed into the hands of the British.
In 1879 at the close of the first phase of Afghan war a British contingent while returning from Kandahar was opposed by a large body of tribesmen from the Zhob and Bori valley at Baghao under command of Shah Jahan (chief of Zhob). However tribal lashkar was defeated completely. In 1881 Thal Chotiali (Sibi) which included Duki was made Sub district of the Harnai political Agency. In 1881 inhabitants of Sanjavi were brought under British subjugation. In 1883 it was decided to build cantt at Duki and the Garrison of Thal Chotiali (Sibi) leaving a detachment at Gumbaz. In October 1884 a force comprising 4800 men moved in to Bori (Loralai) valley and the mission was completely successful. In the following years it was decided that a frontier road should be constructed from Dera Ghazi Khan to Pishin through Loralai. The cantt from Duki was accordingly moved forward in 1886 to Loralai and Mil posts were stationed at Sanjavi, Mekhtar and Kingri. The Head Quarter of Assistant Political Agent at Duki was also changed to Loralai. In Nov 1887 Duki and Thal Chotiali (Sibi) were declared parts of British India and for the purpose of administration, the designation of the Political Agent was changed to that of Deputy Commissioner. In 1888 Sir Robert Sandeman proceeded with a small force through Musa Khel to Southern Zhob. Ultimately this led to the occupation of the Zhob valley in 1889. Loralai town and cantt remained under the Thal Chotiali Dist until 1894 when it was made over to the Zhob Agency. Famous People:Dr. Malak Jamal Khan Hamzazai, Abdul Wahab Utmankhel عبدلوها ب اوتمانخيل) Malak Habibullah khan kudezai,عبدالرزاق اوتمانخيل جرمنی Malak Fathe Khan Utmankhel,Dr. Syed Jalal Shah Peachi, Shams Utmankhel Sardar Pasta Khan Utmankhel Sardar Ashraf Kakar, Dr. Mohamad Shah kudezai, Akhtar Shah Kudezai, Ubaidullah Babat, Malak Gulzar Khan, Muhibullah Khan London, Haji Soba Khanmusakhail, Malak Jalat Khan musakhail,haji ferooz khan musakhail ,sardar sikander hayat khan jogezai /Malak Noorullah Kudezai Shaheed, Dr.Noorullah Khan kibzai, yaqub Nasar, Gul Muhammad khan Jogezai, Saradr Asmat Ullah Musakhail, Dr. Atta Gul Hmzazai, Haji Thor Utmankhel,Saradar Abdul Latif Jogezai - Risaldar Major, Naik Mohammad Kakar,Rozina Kakar, Dost Mohammad Kakar, Mohammad jameel Zumri, Mohammad Yousaf Rind, Bashir GUl Khatak, Haji Afzal Sherani, Hayat Khan Tajak, Malik Zaheer ud Din Khan Trakai, Mr. S.M.G.Ali Shah Gillani S/o. Maj Mansoor Hussain Shah Gillani(U.A.E Armed Forces).
Politics
In Oct 1903 the Thal Chotali and Zhob Agencies were remodeled and the name of former was changed to Sibi District and thus a new District, Loralai was created. To this were the Musa Khel and Bori Tehsils from Zhob and Duki, Sanjavi and Barkhan Tehsils from the Thal Chotiali Distt.
After the defeat of Kakar Tribesman under the command of Ghazy Arsala Khan Utmankhelغازی ارسلا خان اوتمانخيل , Shah Jahan Jogezai in the Baghao areas near Duki, most of the people in the areas were depressed and were shocked of win of British forces. At the end of this war in 1881-82 the British forces were entered into Loralai city without any resistance and they occupied the mostly areas of Bori, Duki, Sanjavi and Mekhtar. In 1984, the British Forces have declared the mission completely successful and a Platoon of 4800 men were moved into Loralai Bori. The Cantt from Duki was accordingly moved into Bori (Loralai) and proper cantonment areas were defined. In the same time, many people like Zarak Khan Churmai, Wasal Kudezai, Amanullah Khan, Sherjan Khan, Thor Sawan etc. had started guerrilla war against British invasion. There was no concept of political and democratic struggle in the tribal areas of Loralai, Zhob, Barkan etc. In 1936 Baran Khan started a democratic movement against British Empire by the name of "Anjuman-i-Watan". The founder of this movement was Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai. This was first well oraganized democratic movement in the history of Loralai as well whole Zhob division. Baran Khan Kudezai established an office in Loralai city near Paharhi Muhallah (Mountainous part in city). In 1937 the Tehreek was in more spirit and succeeded, a huge number of people joined the Tehreek and they demanded a separate homeland for Pashtoons in Southern and western areas of NWFP. In western areas the Khudai Khidmat Gar (Red-Shirt) movement was on peak for independence from British emperor. Baran Khan invited the Khan Abdul Ghaffar khan in Loralai in 1938 and there held a huge public meeting in city with the help of Anjuman-i-Watan. Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai, the founder of Anjuman-i-Watan also participated in that meeting. At night Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Abdul Samad Khan took dinner in Zangiwal village at Baran Khan's hujra(Guestroom). Baran Khan was remained very close with Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai and accompanied him on every visit of Loralai and Zhob. He was one of the rights hands of Achakzai's in their political journey. In 1939, the Commissionar of Zhob Division started a crakdown against all the political leaders of Anjuman-i-Watan movement and arrested more than hundreds of the leaders. Baran was also arrested and was confined for 6 months Judicial remands in central Jail Quetta. At the time of confinement at the Central Jail Quetta, Allah had given son to Baran Khan. Baran Khan named his new born baby as 'Anjuman'. He wanted to leave alive this name for always. While during prisoned in jail, the Jail Superintendent offered a deal of three shops in Jinnah road and asked Baran Khan Kudezai to take aside from the movement and keep stayed in Quetta. Baran Khan rejected those offers and submitted his life for attaining the rights, dignity and sovereignty of Pashtun. Ghazi Arsala Khan Utmankhel was a graat leder of Pashtoon Kh بداوهاب اتمانخيل مرهوم دلر اوبرپشتون خلق د يووالی غوشتونکی و Abdul Wahab Utmankhel Marhoom Was a Greet leder of pashtoon & one of the best man khalil Ahmed khajjak
Demography
The population of Loralai district was estimated to be over 700,000 in 2005. The vast majority of the population of Loralai district are Pashtun with Kakar and nasar as majority tribes. The district offers a great blend of mixed tribes from all parts of Pakistan. Some major tribes of Loralai have migrated from the parts of Zhob like Batozai, Jogezai, Jalalzai and Musazai & Some Afghan refugees who have permanently settled in the region are Nasar,Sulemankhail,Tarakai,Tokhai,Andar etc.. About one fourth of the population is Baloch. There major tribes are Marri and Buzdar, who mostly dwell on southern and western portions of the district.
==Main Tribes of Loralai==اوتمانخيل قوم دلورالای ترګردوغټ قوم دېې District Loralai is inhabited by pre dominately Pathan tribes. Maj tribes are;-
(1) Kakar Kudezai, Utmakhel, ,shadozai, Kibzai, Malazai, Sargarh, Shabozai, Abdula Zai, Khosti, Jogezai etc.) (2) Tareen (3) Durrani (4) LUNI[SHAMEZAI] (5) Nasar (6) Musa khail (7) Ghilzai (including, Suleimankhail,Tarakai,Hottak,Tokhai,Andar etc.) (8) Syed (9) Khawaja
The Baloch tribes are mostly;- (1) Marri (2) Buzdar (3) Khetran
Duki
(a) kibzai(kakar) (b) tareen (c) LUNI[SHAMEZAI] (d) Haiderzai (Kakar) (e) Zarkoon (f) Khajjak(jafarzai) (g) Sadozai(kakar) (h) seemab malghani (i) syed (peachi) (j) nasar (k) khajjak (kakar) (l) sargari Marri (a) Bijarani (b) Gazzaini (c) Loharani
Buzdar (a) Rustamani (b) Jehanani (c) Dulani (d) Chakrani (e) Ladwani (f) Ghulamani (g) Sihani (h) Shahwani (i) Jalalani (j) Jafirani,Meernani
Musa Khel
(a) kibzai(kakar) (b) Zimri (c) Belkhel (d) Laharzai (e) Syed (Ghar Sheen) (f) Gaffer
Development
Loralai city has its own radio broadcasting station and mobile coverage of three operators. With the completion of the Loralai-Dera Ghazi Khan road, many people see a much more brighter and prosperous future for the district since the travel to DG Khan is important in many ways like the transportation of cash crops and food crops and coal loaded trucks from Chamalang coal mines. The road in under construction between Wagum Rud and khajuri since long. Now the fresh contact has been awarded to FWO and fresh date for its completion is December 2008. All coal loaded trucks heading to Punjab and other areas travel on this road.
Mercy Corps stoped their oprations in Loralai region due to there internal problems. Some other local NGOs are also working in the region like LAFAM,Association For Heath Development(A H D)which is working on malaria and has started its free medical camp in D H Q hospital Duki in collaboration with directorate of malaria control program and remained its camp open as long as malari being controlled in the area.in 2010, the RAHA-RAA-UNDP alos started theire operations in Lralai region, the programe is mostly for refuges affected communities which is located in Kach UC, WRANGA Foundation is a implementing partner in the area with RAHH-RAA-UNDP. Wranga is a pashto language word which means 'beam of light'. now WRANGA is going to open and estiblished their offices in Kohlu, Barakan, Musakhail and ziarat.
Institutions
There are many educational Institutions in District Loralai. These are listed below :- 1. Balochistan University Campas Loralai. 2. Balochistan Residentional College (BRC) Loralai. 3. Govt Degree College Loralai. 4. Govt Degree Girls College Loralai. 5. Balochistan Institute of IT and Mamagement Sciences (BIITMS) Loralai. 6. Govt Inter Science College Duke. 7. Govt Inter Science College Makhter. 8. Pak-Jerman Technical Training Center (TTC) Loralai.
There are many Governmental and Public High, Middle and Primary School at District Loralai.
There are also Many Islamic Institution at Loralai.
Resources
All kinds of fruits and vegetables are cultivated in this district. Loralai is especially famous for its almond and apple production. Loralai is also rich in marble and its marble tiles are gaining popularity throughout the country. A lot of marble trimming factories have been established in the district and it now provides marble tiles to various parts of the country. The major source of income for the common inhabitants is agriculture and farming.and also for marble industries . nasrullah marble and mining co one of the company from area it is working since 1998 .
The town, which is situated 4,700 ft (1,400 m) above the sea level in which the wealth of the inhabitants is derived from their herds of cattle and other animals also. The district is also popular in the business of items especially vehicles smuggled here through Afghan Transit Trade. All types of vehicles are smuggled to Loralai and then to the other parts of the country after being customed or duplicated in papers here.
Quetta is one of my favourite cities in Pakistan. It is unique in the sense that it looks well planned and is surrounded by mountains, which are snow-capped in winter. Quetta can be quite cold in winter and hot in summer. The geography and location of Quetta give it a very non-South Asian feel. There is also quite a mix of people belonging to the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia. The majority in the city are the Pashtuns but you also have the Baloch, the Brahvi in good numbers too. There are the Hazaras and also migrants from Punjab and Sindh, some of them Hindus too. Sadly there is a civil war raging in some parts of Balochistan and it is not as safe to visit as it once was. The situation maybe worsened if the Americans feel that the leader of the Taliban, Mullah Omer, is hiding there as they want to conduct drone attacks on what they believe to be aliban training camps. Quetta is a beautiful city and deserves peace and I wish the violence disappears.
Quetta (help•info) (Pashto: کوټه, Urdu: کوئٹہ, Hazaragi: کویته, Brahui: Koŧá) is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. It is known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan", due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife. Situated at an average elevation of 1,654 metres (5,429 ft) above sea level,[3] the city is a major stronghold along the western frontier of the country. The city is also home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the world and to a research institute, the Geological Survey of Pakistan.
Quetta sits near the Durand Line border with Afghanistan and is an important trade and communications centre between the two countries as well as an important military location occupying a vital strategic position for the Pakistani Armed Forces. The city lies on the Bolan Pass route which was once the only gateway to and from South Asia. The city was the closest city to the 1935 and the 2008 earthquakes both of which resulted in a great deal of damage to the city and significant loss of life.
Etymology
Quetta is also spelled Kuwatah which is a variation of Kuatta, a Pashto word,.[4] It is believed the city's name is derived from the four imposing hills (Chiltan, Takatu, Zarghoon and Murdaar) that surround the city.
History
The area was originally inhabited by Kasi (A tribe of Pashtun), the first detailed account of Quetta is from the 11th century when it was captured by Mahmud of Ghazni during one of his invasions of the Indian sub-continent. In 1543, the Mughal emperor Humayun rested in Quetta on his retreat to Persia, leaving his one-year-old son Akbar in the city until his return two years later. The Khan of Kalat ruled Quetta until 1556, when the Persians conquered the city only to have it retaken by Akbar in 1595. In 1828 the first westerner to visit Quetta described it as a mud-walled fort surrounded by three hundred mud houses. Although the city was occupied briefly in 1839 by the British during the First Afghan War, it was not until 1876 that Quetta became part of the British Empire, with Robert Sandeman being made the political leader for Baluchistan. The arrival of British troops led to the establishment of road and rail links and the introduction of schools, mainly for strategic purposes.
The British made the largely Pashtun area part of British Balochistan. In April 1883 it was combined with Pishin into a single administrative unit.
By the time of the earthquake on May 31, 1935 Quetta had developed into a bustling city with a number of multi-story buildings. The epicentre of the earthquake was close to the city and destroyed most of the city's infrastructure and killed an estimated 40,000 people. After many years the city has been rebuilt mainly with local funds. Structures are now generally earthquake resistant comprising of mainly single story structures with bricks and re-inforced concrete. However multi-story buildings are also built, while the number of buildings of three to five floors are being constructed in the city.
On joining Pakistan, Quetta was made the capital city of the newly created province of Balochistan before it was combined with other Balochi states (Kalat, Makran, Lasbela and Kharan) to form the Baloch province. Quetta was supposed to remain the capital of the province until 1971.
Geography and climate
Quetta has a desert climate (Köppen BWk) with a significant variation between summer and winter temperatures. Summer starts in late May and goes on until early September with average temperatures ranging from 24-26 °C (75-78 °F).The highest temperature in Quetta is 42 °C (108 °F) which was recorded on 10 July 1998.[5] Autumn starts in late September and continues until mid-November with average temperatures in the 12-18 °C (55-65 °F) range. Winter starts in late November and ends in late March, with average temperatures near 4-5 °C (39-41 °F).The lowest temperature in Quetta is −18.3 °C (−0.9 °F) which was recorded on 8 January 1970.[5] Spring starts in early April and ends in late May, with average temperatures close to 15 °C (60 °F). Unlike most of Pakistan, Quetta does not have a monsoon season of sustained, heavy rainfall. Highest rainfall during 24 hours in Quetta is 113 millimetres (4.4 in) which was recorded on 17 December 2000.,[5] Highest monthly rainfall is 232.4 millimetres (9.15 in) which was recorded in March, 1982.[5] and the highest annual rainfall is 949.8 millimetres (37.39 in) recorded in 1982.[5] In the winter snow is the principle mode of precipitation with snow falling mostly in the months of December, January and February.
The city saw droughts in the year 2000, and 2001. During these years the city didn't received snowfall and received below normal rains. While in 2003 the city received snowfall after a long period of five years. In 2004, and 2005 Quetta received normal rains with snowfall while in 2006, 2007 and 2009 the city doesn't revived any snow, except 2008 when Quetta received snowfall of four inches in four hours on 29 January 2008.[6] While on 2 February 2008 Quetta received ten inches of snow in just 10 hours.[7] These are the heaviest snowfall for the city in the last ten years. During the winter of 2010 it doesn't received any snowfall and saw below normal rains due to the presence of El-Nino over Pakistan.[8]
Quetta comprises approximately 2,653 km2 (1,036 square miles) and consists of series of valleys which act as a natural fort surrounded on all sides by a number of imposing hills named Chiltan, Takatoo, Murdar and Zarghun. There are no natural boundaries between Quetta and its adjoining districts of Dera Ismail Khan to the northeast, Dera Ghazi Khan and Sibi to the east, Sukkur and Jacobabad to the southeast, Karachi and Gawadar to the south and Ziarat to the southwest. The closest major city is Kandahar in Afghanistan which is located to the west of the Quetta.
Government and politics
Under the latest revision of Pakistan's administrative structure, promulgated in 2001,[10] Quetta was restructured as a City District, and divided into two towns[11][12] Each town in turn consists of a group of union councils (U.C.'s).[13]:
1.Zarghoon Town
2.Chiltan Town
Transport
Quetta is on the western edge of Pakistan and is well connected to the rest of the country by a network of roads, railways and airways.
At an altitude of 1,605 metres (5,260 ft) above sea level, Quetta Airport is the second highest airport in Pakistan. Pakistan International Airlines, Shaheen Air International and Airblue all have regular flights between Quetta and the other major cities of Pakistan including Islamabad, Gwadar, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar while Pakistan International Airlines operates direct flights to Manchester, Dubai, New York and other major international airports.
Quetta Railway Station is one of the highest railway stations in Pakistan at 1,676 metres (5,495 ft) above sea level. The railway track was laid in 1890's during the British era to link Quetta with rest of the country. The extensive network of Pakistan Railways connects Quetta to Karachi in south, by a 863 km (536 miles) track, Lahore in northeast (1,170 km or 727 miles) and Peshawar further northeast (1,587 km or 986 miles). A metalled road runs alongside the railway that connects Quetta to Karachi via Sibi, Jacobabad and Rohri. A track from the Iranian city of Zahedan links to Quetta via Taftan. Service was temporarily discontinued in 2006 due to unrest in Balochistan. Since 2008 railway service has come under attack by the Balochs, especially in the Bolan Pass area resulting in the bomb blast on the railway tracks and firing on trains, creating a sense of insecurity amongst the traveling public.
Recently there has been a proposal to construct a railway track that will link Gawadar to China and Gawadar with Quetta via Kalat. Although the distance from Quetta to Lahore is only 700 km (417 miles), there is no direct track on this route because of the Sulaiman Range that lies in the east of Quetta. All northeast-bound trains for Punjab or the North-West Frontier Province must first go over 350 km (218 miles) south to Rohri, Sindh (near Sukkur) before continuing north to Punjab and North-West Frontier Province.
Quetta is connected by metalled roads to the rest of the country. A recently built road connects it with Karachi through Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar and Lasbela. Other major roads are Quetta to Karachi following the Sibi, Jacobabad, Sukkur and Hyderabad route and two roads from Quetta to Lahore one (the older) via Sibi, Sukkur, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur and Multan the other route via Khanozai, Muslimbagh Loralai, Fort Mondro, Dera Ghazi Khan and Multan. Quetta is also connected with Afghanistan through Chaman and to Iran through Mastung, Nushki, Dalbandin and Taftan.
Educational institutions
Quetta has a number of institutions of higher education. The prestigious military Command and Staff College, which was founded by the British. The city is home to the University of Balochistan which was established in 1974, the Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences, Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University, the Geological Survey of Pakistan, the Sandeman Library and two government colleges affiliated with the University of Peshawar.
Flora and fauna
A wide variety of mammals such as Markhor, Balochi language: مار خور (mounatin goat), leopards, wolves, hyena, rabbits, wild cats and porcupines are to be found in the Quetta region. Local birds species include partridge, warblers, shikra, the blue rock pigeon, rock nuthatch, golden eagle, sparrows, hawks, falcons and bearded vultures. Flora in Quetta is both numerous and rare. A total of 225 species have been identified in the area including; pistachios, juniper, wild olives, wild ash and wild almonds. Also found are a wide range of shrubs including; wild fig, barbery, wild cherry, makhi and herbs such as ephedra intermadia and gerardiana.
Culture
Quetta is a tourist attraction for foreigners to whom it is advertised as a "thrilling location, full of adventure and enjoyment". Among the attractions are the bazaars located on the Shahrah-e-Liaquat (Liaquat Bazaar and Suraj Gang Bazaar and Shahrah-e-Iqbal (Kandahari Bazaar). In bazaars the colourful handicrafts, particularly Balochi mirror work and Pashtun embroidery both of which are admired world-wide. Afghan rugs, fur coats, embroidered jackets, waist-coats, sandals and other traditional Pashtun items are also famous.
Balochi carpets are made by the nomadic tribes of the area. They are generally not nearly as fine or expensive as either the Persian city products or even the Turkoman tribal rugs from further north, but they are generally more authentic than the copies of Turkoman and Persian designs often found in the major cities of Pakistan. The rugs range in price and size, from lower priced crude examples to fine and valuable pieces. Many are small enough to be portable.
For those interested in local cuisine, there are many dishes to try. The famous Pashtun tribal cuisine “Roash” which non-locals call “Namkin” is to be found in both city restaurants as well as in the outlying areas. Some of the finest mutton in the country is raised around Quetta and is a mainstay of local cuisine. The Pashtun tribal dish, “Landhi”, is made of a whole lamb which is dried and kept fresh during the cold winters. "Khadi Kebab" is a lamb barbecue while "Sajji" (leg of lamb) and "Pulao" are other local dishes. The best restaurants are Usmania, Tabaq, Green Hotel, Gulab Hotel, Lal Kabab, and the Abasin Hotel all of which serve both Pakistani and western food while the Cafe China is one of the oldest and most reputable Chinese restaurants. A number of small hotels located along Alamdar road provide accommodation for tourists.
Hanna Lake, which nestles in the hills ten kilometres (six miles) east of the city, is a startling turquoise pool which contrasts markedly with its bare brown surroundings. An attraction for holidaymakers, with facilities for boat hire and a lakeside restaurant it is crowded by hikers and campers in holiday periods. At one end there is an irrigation dam while on the eastern shore line there is Hayat Durrani Water Sports Academy, the only water sports training center in Balochistan Province. The Hana Lake Development Authority, the Hayat Durrani Water Sports Academy and Merck Marker (Pvt.) Ltd have planted a range of trees in the Hanna Lake Mountains both for beautification and the protection of the environment.
The Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, 20 km (13 miles) south-west of Quetta, Markhors is a protected park area. The name of the park, "Hazarganji" literally means "Of a thousand treasures" is spread over 32,500 acres (132 km2) at an altitude ranging from 2,021 to 3,264 metres (5,625 to 10,700 feet). In the folds of the mountains, according to legend, there are over a thousand treasures buried, reminders of the passage over the ages of great armies including the Bactrians, the Scythians, the Muslims, and the Mongols.[citation needed] Pir Ghaib is a waterfall and picnic point located 70 km from the City Center on Sibi Road. Kharkhasa is located 10 km (6 miles) west of Quetta in a 16 km (10 miles) long narrow valley which contains a variety of flora and fauna species. The Chiltan Hill Viewpoint in the park provides a panoramic view over the city. A visit to the nearby cities of Kirani and Ziarat are popular scenic places for tourists traveling to and from Quetta.
The Quetta Geological Museum, located on Sariab Road has a collection of rocks and fossils found in Balochistan. The Command and Staff College Museum is a museum dedicated to British military history. It is housed in the former bungalow of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. The Quetta Archaeological Museum, located on Fifa Road has a collection of rare antique guns, swords, manuscripts and a display of Stone Age tools, prehistoric pottery and articles found in Mehrgarh. There are also coins, manuscripts and photos of Quetta before the 1935 earthquake. The Balochistan Arts Council Library is a newly opened facility which houses a variety of arts and crafts from Balochistan province.
A number of cultural and religious festivals are held in the city every year. The two Eid festivals which mark the end of fasting and the end of the Hajj allow the majority Muslim community to put on musical shows, distribute sweets and presents. Buzkashi is a peculiar festival celebrated by Pashtuns in which two teams on horse-back attempt to snatch a goat from each other.
Demography
Quetta, real name is Shaal (a Balochi word, شال Quetta District ), was historically part of the Khanate of Balochistan, Khan of Kalat, until it was invaded by the British Raj in the mid-19th century, during the First Anglo-Afghan War. The city in general is dominated by Baloch people and Pashtun people followed by Hazaras, Punjabi and others as the minority groups. Most of the Pashtun people in Quetta arrived after 1970s, from Afghanistan due to harsh economic conditions and later Soviet invasion.
Pashto is the main language spoken throughout the city. Other languages include Brahui, Balochi, Urdu, Hazaragi, Sindhi, and Punjabi. The city has expanded from a population of just 11,000 in 1891 to a total of between 565,137 to 676,941 according to the 1998 census which makes it the ninth biggest city in Pakistan.[14][15] Although the majority were repatriated back to Afghanistan through the UNHCR,[16] a small number of registered Afghan refugees are still to be found in and around the city but are not counted in the national census of Pakistan as they are citizens of Afghanistan deemed to be remaining in the country temporarily.
About 99% of the people are Muslims, that includes the majority Sunni sect and the minority Shias most of whom are the Hazaras. Christian, Hindu, and Sikh population are the other people living in the city.
Sports
The residents of the city are avid sports fans. In Quetta, unlike most of Pakistan, football rather than cricket is the most popular sport. Football teams from Quetta include Quetta Zorawar, Afghan Football, Hazara Green Football, Baluch Football and Quetta Bazigars Club. In cricket, Quetta is home to the Quetta Bears.
In field hockey, Quetta has produced Zeeshan Ashraf and Shakeel Abbasi, who are current members of the Pakistan national field hockey team. In mountain climbing and caving, Hayatullah Khan Durrani (Pride of Performance), the chief executive of Hayat Durrani Water Sports Academy at Hanna Lake. In Kayaking, Muhammad Abubakar Durrani, National Junior Champion was selected for the world Junior Canoeing Championship in 2009 in Moscow. In Boxing Olympians from Quetta include: Syed Agha Ibrar Shah,Abdul Salam Khan Kakar, Asghar Ali Changezi and Haider Ali Changezi. Weight lifting Dilawar Khan Khilji, Mohammad Rafiq Khan Khilji and Mohammad Alam Khan Kakar were the famous weightlifters.
In squash, Hiddy Jahan Khan was ranked among the top-6 players in the world from 1970 through to 1986. British Open champion Qamer Zaman also hails from Quetta. Other famous squash players include: Zarak Jahan Khan, Abdul Wali Khan Khilji, Hamayoon Khan Khilji, Zubair Jahan Khan, Shams ul Islam Khan Kakar, Tariq Rahim Khan Kakar and Shaied Zaman Khan. The Ayub National Stadium is the largest stadium in the city and the site of international cricket and football matches.
Koh-e-Murad (Persian: كوه مراد ) is a shrine, which is located in Turbat, Baluchistan. This is a sacred place for Zikris where they offered prayers for a long time. Zikris think that the founder of their religion, Syed Muhammad Janpuri (1443 - 1505 CE), The Imam E Aakhiruzamaa.n, visited this place.
The members of Zikri sect gather here at the night of 27th Ramadan for ziarat (literally 'a visit' in Arabic: زيارة) of this shrine.
The Zikri (Arabic: ذكرى) faith is an offshoot of Islam concentrated in Makran, Balochistan (Pakistan and Iran). The name Zikri comes from the Arabic word dhikr (pronounced "Zikr" in South Asia). The word is commonly used to describe Sufi worship.
They are generally regarded as heretical by mainstream Muslims. Zikris, like mainstream Muslims, are religiously obligated to pray five times daily. However, the content of their prayers, which they call Zikr, differs from the orthodox practice of Salah. Although Mahdavi, the direct followers of Syed Mohammad Jaunpuri offer prayers according to the Sunnah and follow Sunnah which was practised and stressed by the saint. Syed Mohammed Jaunpuri would strictly adhere to the Sunnah of Prophet and accordingly the commandments in the Qur'an. The Mahdavis perform Hajj and even Umrah.
The Zikris, however, do not perform the standard Islamic Hajj, but instead make pilgrimage (ziyarat) to a shrine called Koh-e-Murad (Mountain of Desire), in Persian). The shrine is located in the city of Turbat in Balochistan. They do ziyarat on the 27th night of Ramadan.
Most Zikris live in Baluchistan, where they are the majority religious group in the district of Gwadar. There are also large groups of Zikris in the Pakistani city of Karachi, the Pakistani province of Sindh, and in Iran. Many of the other smaller groups live in Karachi and Makran, although the Zikris, for example, are predominantly in south-western Baluchistan where their spiritual center, Koh-i-Murad, is located. However, they are becoming less visible, fearing that they will also be designated a ‘minority’, against their will.
The Zikris of Balochistan – a predominantly Baloch ethnic group in Makran and the adjoining areas – fear they will suffer the fate of the Ahmadis, as there are demands from certain groups for their designation as a non-Muslim minority. The Zikris are an under-researched community. However, many Baloch nationalist leaders and writers have expressed solidarity with the Zikris, considering them the ‘archetypal Baloch’.
Zikris believe in Syed Muhammad Jaunpuri (1443-1504), "but i as a Zekri my self say that we and all other Zekri believe in the 12th imam, Imam Mehdi the Akhir u Zaman" and we really believe that he has came into this world as our Shia brothers say in their books and some of the muslims belives in" But many don't, as the promised mehdi who emphasized on the purity and formalism in Islam. The faith stresses on abstinence, seclusion, contentment and invocation of divine names, or Zikir-i-Khatir.
Zikirs participate in their annual congregation at Turbat, at the end of the Ramzan (ramadan), every year. Some scholars consider this annual rite in Koh-i-Murad near Turbat, as the surviving remnant of daira system. It is, according to Zikirs, in no way a substitute for the Muslim annual pilgrimage to Kaaba, as their detractors claim.
Most Zikris are poor peasants or nomads who enjoy coming to Koh-i-Murad as others elsewhere enjoy visiting shrines. The number of Zikris is not known since they identify themselves as Muslims. It is estimated that there are several million living in Pakistan, India and Iran. (The Zikri community is deemed as a member of the 4 million-strong Mahdawis in India.) In addition, there are huge Zikri communities in Karachi, Las Bela and Quetta. There are more Zikri Baloch in Karachi than anywhere else, but many have recently migrated for economic reasons, while staying in touch with their native Makran.
The cultural and commercial significance of the Zikri festivals is considerable. Zikri intellectuals challenge Sunnis’ and others’ claims regarding their faith. However, their religious leaders – Malais – believe that the Zikri prayer is ‘a bit different than the others’. Some locals do not consider them to be heretically different from other Muslim orders and finds similarities with many other doctrinal interpretations. Their zikr khanas – they have few places of worship, unlike the growing number of mosques across Makran – are like mosques but do not have pulpits pointing towards Mecca. Instead, there are stones and mats on which they sit and do the zikr. However, on a visit to the prayer places at Koh-i-Murad, a few copies of the Qur’an were found on the shelves. The Sunni/Namazi Muslims, belonging to the JUI and JI have attacked Zikris for being a ‘heretic sect’, and campaigns have been mounted to stop Zikris from congregating at Koh-i-Murad. Recently, police protection has been provided to Zikri visitors. To many observers, the emphasis on reconversion or designation as a non-Muslim minority is linked with the growing accent on Islam in Pakistan since Zia and since Khomeini in neighboring Iran.
Zikris had traditionally been victimized in Iran and in Afghani Balochistan, and the recent emphasis on Sunni and scripturalist Islam encouraged the JUI to make inroads into Baloch regions. There are demands for Zikris to be declared a non-Muslim minority. The Zikri status remains unchanged but they are scared and thus find solidarity with a secular version of Baloch ethnicity. NGOs, including the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), and local activists are creating a greater awareness of the Zikri predicament and aim to forestall a majoritarian backlash against this scattered and impoverished community.