Balochistan: The Hub of Tourism
By:Hamid Ali Baloch
The Province of Balochistan has a great importance in the field of tourism. Half century has been passed, but no attention was paid to this field. Lack of resources and lack of interest from both federal and provincial Governments, the key aspect of tourism remained un-progressed.
The Province of Balochistan has a lot of beautiful and lovely tourist places, but the basic infrastructure, repairing of roads and Highways, clean drinking water, education, hygiene and the basic facilities e.g. electricity are yet to be provided to the masses.
The province would be made a more attractive place for the tourists if progressive steps were taken from the Provincial and Federal Governments. The promotion of tourism not only eradicates the poverty and destitution in the Province but opens the doors of employment and brings huge money in this region. The present government is taking a little bit steps to promote the field of tourism, and in this regard, the year 2007, would be the year of tourism promotion, and it is expected that the government would take concrete steps to promote the concerned field in a backward province like, Balochistan.
Let us take a look on the cultural sites of tourism of the province of Balochistan.
1. HAZĂR GANJI CHILTAN NATIONAL PARK
Hazār Ganjī National Park is situated 20kms from Quetta City on the south-west of Hazār Ganjī, which is considered one of the beautiful sites of tourism in Balochistan. Hazār Ganjī National Park covers at least, 32500 acres of Hazār Ganjī area. Its altitude is 2021-3264m from the sea level. Mārkhōrs are the key wild sheep on the Hazār Ganjī hills.
Besides, other kinds of animals are also found in the National Park.
Basically, the word “Hazār Ganjī” means the “Center of Treasures”. Thousands of minerals are found in the Hazār Ganjī Valley, which are still to be explored. The valley has been used as a passage by the foreign invaders through centuries to enter in the sub-continent.
2. HARBOI
Harboi is the second largest center of juniper (Juniperous excelsa) forests and situated 45km from Kalāt City. The word “Harboi” is the derivation of “Her-bu” namely (different fragrances); whereas, the word Harboi denotes that the valley is full of fragrance of different herbs, shrubs, trees and medicinal plants.
When the multi-flavored plants come into bloom in the spring season, an unfinished smell spread in the valley of Harboi.
Besides , there is a rest house, a mosque and some houses on the top of the Harboi Hills, about which the common people guess that the rest house had been used by the Khan of Kalāt for his summer meetings, because, it has been a moderate place in summer season.
Thousands years old Juniper (Juniperous excelsa) trees are being cut down in Harboi, and being use as fuels in the daily life, because the basic facilities e.g. roads and electricity are not available.
On the other hand, flavored fragrances of medicinal plants and fluttering of Partridges over the sky make the scenes more beautiful, and enhance the attractiveness of Harboi.
Harboi is situated three hours distance from Khuzdar, 5hrs from Quetta and 7hrs from Karachi. The construction of Gandawah to Zehri road, and Khuzdar to Shahdadkot road made Harboi an attractive tourist place for the people of Larkana, Jacobabad and Jhal Magasi.
3. ZIARAT VELLY
The Valley of Ziārat is situated 133kms from Quetta City and its altitude is 2449m from the sea level. Juniper (Juniperous excelsa) forest is considered one of the biggest and oldest forests of the world and Ziarat is one of these places which have an old forest like this. According to some researchers, this forest is atleast 5000 years old.
Pakistan Tourism Department has constructed an eight-bedded hotel for the tourists at Ziārat valley to comfort the tourists.
Besides, Quaid-e-Azam Residence is the important tourist place of Ziārat Valley. Ziārat Residency had been used to be the rest house of the father of nation (Quaid-e- Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah), where he took his last breathes. The Ziārat Residency was constructed by the British government in 1882, and it was used as an office for the Political Agent of the Governor General.
At the distance of 10kms from Ziārat, the tomb of Baba Kharwari is situated, where, a large number of people come to visit his shrine. Along with the common people, famous Provincial and federal leaders have also visited the said shrine.
Ziārat is an enriched area for different fruits like, alu bukhara( plum ), shaftalu ( ), zardalu ( apricot ) and other kinds of fruits and flowers. There are lots of apple orchards, which are spread on an area of approximately 4416 acres. The cherries of Ziārat are very delicious and tasty.
There are other places for tourism on the outskirts of Ziārat, where thousand of people come to visit every year.
4. PEER GHAIB
Peer Ghaib is another place for tourism in the Bolan Valley, which is situated at a distance of 70kms from Quetta city, near the Sibi Road. A beautiful scene of a waterfall shows an interesting scenery, which comes from the hill side and falls in between the date-palm trees to make a water pond.
A huge numbers of provincial and foreign tourists visit this site of tourism. But lack of roads, and basic facilities, the masses come from different areas like, Quetta, Kolpur, Machch Dhadar, Sibi, Naseerabad and other areas, at the weekends and confront a lot difficulty.
Khajoori is another place of tourism on the vicinity of Peer Ghaib, where hundreds of people come to visit this area.
5. HANNA URUK
Hanna Uruk is one of the beautiful places of tourism, situated at a distance of 21kms from Quetta City. The orchards and flowering plants have been planted both sides of the Uruk road, which captivate the attention of tourists, who come from different parts of the country as well as from foreign countries too.
Hanna Lake is also a place of tourism on the way to Hanna Uruk, at the distance of 10kms for Quetta city. At the Hanna Uruk, whereas a little bit facilities are available, masses come from different areas to visit this place.
6. PEER CHATTHA NOORANI
The shrine of Peer Chattha Noorani is situated at Gandawah, the district Headquarter of Jhal Magasi. An everlasting water channel is flowing from the front side of the shrine, and the tomb of Peer Chattha Noorani is surrounded by the date-palm trees. The water channel (Siyāhāp), spread through the fields of the date-palm trees, while white and black varieties of fishes are also seen in the water channel.
The surrounding fields of Gājān and Gandāwah, and the vast land of the connected areas are cultivated by the water channel.
Its very interesting to note that, fishes of the water channel swimming to the frontward of a distance of one km, but turn back soon to the shrine of Peer Chattha Noorani.
Another thing which is to be discussed here is the shrine authorities have banned the tourists for hunting of fishes. The sceneries of outskirts of the shrine are captivating and attractive and these scenes captivate the inner feelings of the tourists. People come from Naseerabad, Jacobabad and other places of the country to enjoy a lot.
7. FATEHPUR SHARIF
Fatehpur Sharif is a religious center at the distirict capital of Jhal Magasi. The tombs of famous Sufi Poets of the area, Rakhel Shah and Chezal Shah are the key symbols of tourism in Jhal Magasi. Every year, in the month of March, the death anniversary of the two famous Poets is celebrated with full enthusiasm and passion. This anniversary is not only attended by the people of Pakistan, but a large number of people come from India to attend the anniversary celebrations.
The singers select the verses from the poetry of the Sufi poets Rakhel and Chezal Shah, and sing them a very interesting way in each and every night of the anniversary celebrations.
Temporary bazaars and shopping centers are managed during the anniversary celebrations to facilitate the tourists and pilgrims.
8. THE FORT OF MIR CHAKAR AND THE SIBI MELA(FAIR)
Sibi has a great importance in the history of the Baloch Nation and it has been used as the capital of the Baloch Kingdom in the era of Mir Chakar Khan.
The fort of Mir Chakar Khan Rind in Sibi shows the signs of bravery, courage, greatness and brilliancy of the Baloch people, but it is sorry state, that no one has paid attention to the fort. A few sympathetic leaders of the Baloch people have conducted meetings in the fort of Mir Chakar Khan, but when they became the part of the Provincial Government, till that time no steps have been taken to reconstruct or repair this old fort. The fort is in ruined and collapsed condition since a long time. A few days before, the present government has made a plan to protect the fort of Mir Chakar Khan. We wish that this plan may fulfill.
Beside the Sibi fort of Mir Chakar Khan, an annual Mela (fair) is celebrated at Sibi, which was inaugurated and founded by Chakar Khan the great. In the era of Mir Chakar the Great, businessmen used to come to attend the Sibi fair and earned a lot of money.
After the great chief Mir Chakar Khan, the Sibi fair was not suspended but continued till the British Raj and the British people took interest to continue it till today. Quaid –e – Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah used to attend the Sibi fair with the tribal chiefs. The fair of Sibi is still known to be the symbol of the Baloch culture. During the Sibi fair a gathering of local governments is arranged in which the representatives of the Provincial government take part in it to discuss the issues, decide upon them and to try to resolve the different issues. It is very interesting to know that, a huge bazaar is managed for selling and purchasing of different animals, in which the businessmen of the country participate in it. The prices of well-breeding animals, like the bulls of Bhag Nari type are very expensive and costly, which are very valuable in the international level. The best animal- keeper or owner is awarded different awards for the high breeding animals by the Veterinary department of the Province.
Concert programs are managed during the fair and cultural singers take part in it from the different corner of the country and entertain the audiences with cultural songs. People from different part of the country join the Sibi fair and enjoy a lot.
9. HINGLAJ
Hinglaj is one of the Hindu religious centers in the Hilly area of district Lasbela and 250kms far from Karachi. Hindus not only come to visit this religious place from the countryside, but also from India and throughout the world to perform their religious rites.
The temple of Hinglaj has a great importance in Hinduism.
Shah Abdul Latif Bithai, a famous Sindhi Sufi poet had also used to visit the Hindu temple of Hinglaj with Hindu pilgrims.
The area of Hinglaj is distributed into different worshiping portions such as, Ganesh Devata, Kali Mata, Braham Kunda, Tir Kunda, Maha Kali Kunda, Guru Naanak, and Anil Kunda, where the Hindu observe their worship and rites. Not only the common people attend the religious rites of Hinglaj but the governors and princes of the Indian states, such as Behari Mal, Raja Bhej Singh, Raja Madhu Singh, the Rajput prince of Jaypur and the Ramdev Ji also visited the Hinglaj Temple.
10. TOURISM AT COASTAL AREA
770km coastal belt of the Province of Balochistan has a great importance for the coastal tourism. God has bestowed a lot of attractive and heart-captivating scenes to the Province of Balochistan, especially to the coastal areas. The coastal areas everywhere in the world are of a great importance, and the governments are taking interest to promote this department with modern needs and facilitate the tourists according to their capacity, but the governmental authorities here are not paying tendency to this aspect. There is approximately ten places tourism at the coast of Balochistan, which could be made the tourist places of international importance. Currently, the coastal highway is under construction and the railway track is being planed to be spread it from Gwadar to Tajikistan. Gwadar deep sea-port has been constructed and it has been functioning well, but there is a need of tourist places in the coastal belt.
11.SHAH BILAWAL NOORANI
The shrine of the famous saint Shah Bilawal Noorani is situated at Tehsil Sarona of district Khuzdar. To approach this shrine, there is also a route from district Lasbela to Shah Noorani. A lot of Sufi songs have been sung in respect of the said saint. Pilgrims from different parts of the country come to visit the tomb of Shah Noorani, and a number of Pilgrims come from Sehwan Sharif by foot. In the Shiite community, the on-footed pilgrims are known as “ZAWAR”, who bear a distance from Sehwan Sharif to the tomb of Bilawal Shah Noorani. This distance makes wonderful sceneries for the tourists to enjoy a lot en-route to the Shah Noorani.
12. HINGOL NATIONAL PARK
Hingol National Park is situated 190kms from Karachi and consisted of 1650sq/km of land. The covering area of the Hingol National Park touches the districts of Lasbela, Gwadar and Awaran, and the beautiful hills of the Hingol area show comeliness to the tourists.
The park has different kinds of animals such as, thirty five mammals, sixty five aquatic and creeping animals and one hundred and eighty five birds are considered to be the beauty of Hingol National Park. The beautifulness of these animals is enhancing the attention of the tourists towards the importance of the Park.
The cool, beautiful and dense shadows of Daron koh of district Awaran, which is a part of Hingol National Park, is heart-captivating. Besides, Hingol River has played an important role for breeding of fishes and the water needs of other animals.
The Hingol National Park took a u-turn in 1988, when it was introduced to the Public of the country. The administrative body of the Park is consisted of a Manager, two deputy rangers, and eighteen game watchers. The Provincial and federal governments have taken steps to make this park as an international one.
A few days before, a statement was published in a daily newspaper that 2300 acre area of the Hingol National Park would be allotted to the Pakistani air force and a few acres for other purposes. The Hingol National Park authority has recorded its protest to the government against this action, but it is still unknown that whether the land has been allotted. Hingol National park is a beautiful piece of land for tourism and its partition for other purposes is unjust and meaningless. Such sort of actions is also injustice to the provincial government and negates the international law.
Besides, the above mentioned places of tourism, there are lot of other places which attract the common people of the country such as, the Valley of Khaisar at Noushki, Ornach, Peer Umar, Moola, Karakh and Purali at Khuzdar, fort of Punnu at Kech, the tomb of Sassi at Lasbela, the tomb of Hani at Sanni, and the tomb of Sakhi Miru Khan at Shoraan. The Karkhasa Park, Zendra, Faran, Tangi, Sandeman, Nari Gaj, Chotir , Lakh Pass at Quetta. Khojak Pass, Harnai Pass, Mehr Garh, the tomb of Mir Shehak and Mast Taukali, Band Khushdil Khan and the Hamoon –e- Mashkel are also the beautiful places for tourism, but it depends upon the provincial and federal governments to promote these sites of tourism.
