Baluchistan
- a Land of contrast
 Baluchistan is a land of
contrast. Baluchistan has places with lofty and rugged mountains under
Chiltan, Takatu, Sulaiman, Sultan etc. and plains stretching to
hundreds of miles. It has fertile land like that of Nasirabad,
as well as, tracks' which are thirsty for centuries, and where
even a bush could hardly be sighted like that of Pat section of
Sibi District and Dasht-e-Makran in Makran Division.
Baluchistan has hottest places in the
country like Sibi and Dhadar, where temperature shoots up to
over 120 °F, as well as coldest towns like Quetta, Kalat,
Ziarat, Kan Mehtarzai where mercury falls down much below
freezing point. "The mountains are the
Balochi's forts; the peaks are better than any army; the lofty
heights are our comrades; the pathless gorges our friends. Our
drink is from the flowing springs; our bed the thorny bush; the
ground we make our pillow".
These lines are from a
Baluchi
war song. The land which nurtures such independent and brave
people is indeed daunting. Barren, rugged mountains that burn in
the summer and freeze in the winter. In between the cheerless
mountains are dry and wide deserts and, of course, beautifully
fertile valleys - wherever water is available. These give this
rugged land great scenic beauty.
Balochistan Province covers a
huge area in the southwest of Pakistan. It is a sparsely
populated land bordering Afghanistan and Iran. Much of it is a
high barren plateau 1,000 to 1,250 meters (3.000 to 4.000 feet)
above sea level, enclosed by the Toba Kakar mountain range along
the Afghan border and by the Suleman range which borders the
Indus river. To the south lies one of the most inhospitable
deserts in the world, the Makran. which nearly defeated
Alexander the Great when he marched through it on his way home. Balochi is a generalized term,
for the people include the Dravidian-speaking Brahui possibly
the last descendants of the Indus Civilization, and the Jat or
Zutt, an Indo Aryan speaking people of Indian origin. In the
northwest of Balochistan, Pathans make up the majority of the
population, and there is a sizeable minority of them elsewhere
in the province. Most people speak Brabui, Baiochi and Pushto.
Almost half the population of Balochistan lives within 80 Kms
(50 miles) of the provincial capital, Quetta.
The north of the Province
presents picturesque fruit farms on the slopes of snow-clad
hills and blissful juniper forests. In the south there are
extensive date farms and rows upon rows of branchless coconut
palms in Makran District. There is scanty rainfall throughout.
From 3 to 5 inches in the plains: maximum 12 inches in the
hills. Variations in temperature are also great. It may be 80 °F
in Ziarat when it is upto 120 °F sizzling in Lasbella and
Turbat in the south.
Naturally, water is scarce and is
put to the best use. Wherever available, you can see rows of
orchards and belts of cultivated fields. At places these fruit
farms and wheat fields merge beautifully in the backdrop of
rugged mountainous ranges.When this happens the atmosphere for
miles and miles is filled with aroma of fruits. These range from
apples, grapes, pomegranates, peaches and plums to almonds,
cherries and quinces. Most of the fruit produced is exported out
of the province - fresh or canned. Development of underground and
surface water resources laying down of road over its vast
stretches and taking industry to Balochistan have been the first
priorities of the Government.
Talking of fruit, the date
industry occupies a special position - mainly in the Makran
district ,which with an area of 23,460 sq. miles is the largest
district in the country. More than a 100 commercial
varieties of dates are produced here. Other date-producing areas
are Thalwan, sub-division of Kalat and Mashkhel tehsil of Kharan
district. Incidentally the Balochi language has one ~ hundred
words for dates as also for camels. The Balochistan coastline extends
over 750 Km from near Karachi at Hub River to the Gwadar Bay on
Pak-lran border. The whole area is rich in fish.
Over a decade ago the fishing was
done by sail boats. Now most of these have been motorised with
out-board or inboard engines.The Government have brought about
this revolutionary change in fishing techniques with external
help from other countries and FAO-UNDP. Fresh fish is now available for
Karachi and the interior of Balochistan. Before this only dried
fish could come from these sources. Simultaneously an integrated
development project for fisheries in Balochistan, completed in
1983. has improved fishing techniques. fish handling,
distribution practices and the improvement in vocational skills.
Under another project a fish
harbour has been built at Pasni at the cost of nearly 600
million rupees. A Pasni Fish Harbour Authority also has been set
up and with purchase or sale engines from 15 to 55 horse-power
for the fishing fleet. The fishermen from Balochistan
now compete with Karachi, trawlers in fishing from small boats.
Transport of fish by roads in insulated trucks has already
started. Turbat which lies at the cross-road from Makran coast
has emerged as a big centre of fresh fish and it is estimated
that there has been a 125 per cent increase in the income of
small fishermen,
Workshops have been set up at
Ormara, Pasni ,Gwadar and Jiwani for modernised repair of boats
and their engines. There are also Government operated ice plants
at Ormara and Pasni besides private plants at many places. It is believed that thousands of
years before Christ, areas now called Pakistan had commerce with
the ancient civilization of Babylon and the trade route passed
through Balochistan into Iran and then into the valleys of
Tigris and Euphrates
Pakistan in the ancient times was
barred from the east by desert and jungle. It looked westwards
by land and sea it is presumed that the famous Indus
civilization derived most of its material elements from Iran and
beyond through the Baloch Borderland. Trade, no doubt sustained this
important though distant relationship between the Indus and the
rivers of Tigris and Euphrates. Tangible evidence however is
slight. Indus Valley seals have been found in Mesopotamia, and
presumably travelled there on bales. Possibly of cotton which
has been found at Moen-jo-daro Beads and pottery and little
stone or pottery boxes for incense or cosmetics were
interchanged on small scale.
Tribal people of Pakistan are
well known for their hospitality. They would kill their last
chicken for a guest. And resent a refusal to eat their humble
fare. Their entertainment is uninhibited, sheer fun It you want
to enjoy this entertainment join the wedding ceremonies of some
tribal chief's children. The ceremonies are simple; but
entertainment and feasting last for days on end. In the words of
foreign visitor," the wedding is merely an excuse for the
Party".
Read
more in Baloch2000.org
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