Daily Times

Balochistan contains most of the historical places of Pakistan and its neighbouring regions are Iran to the west, Afghanistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas to the north, Punjab and Sindh to the east and to the South lies the Arabian Sea. The province is one of the most visited places of the country for its great mountainous areas. Most of the cities and villages of the province are beautified by the sheen mountains and the fascinating tens of thousands of tourists annually around the globe.

The citizens of Balochistan are hospitable and like to live simple lives as the word Balochistan means The Land of Baloch. The main spoken languages in the region are Balochi, Brahui, Pashto and Persian. Its capital is Quetta which, too, is a mountainous city.

More importantly, the province is geographically the largest of the four provinces in terms of its landmass, covering 347,190 kilometres and composes 44 percent of the total landmass of Pakistan and its southern region is known as Makran. The people of Makran speak Balochi predominantly.

Balochistan remains one of the most peaceful places of the country, for its endowed with a proper climate, physical features and landscapes. The province is known as the Little Paris. Makran is a semi-desert coastal strip in Balochistan, in Pakistan and Iran, along the coast of the Gulf of Oman.

Some beautiful places of Makran are:

JALBAR – Jalbar is one of the most beautiful and famous rivers in Tump Tehsil and most of the people of that region visit Jalbar for picnics since it is covered with thick lush green forests and a great many trees. Myriads of tourists are attracted to this site.

NEHANG RIVER – it’s quite a huge river and it’s starting point is in Iran and The Waters of Sestan also flow in this river and falls in the Meerani Dam. The nearby places of Nehang River cultivate plants and diverse kinds of vegetables. However, the shepherds feel chuffed when there it’s rainy season. Recently, the Makran division received many showers and rainfall. It opened doors to fishing in the Meerani Dam and other lakes.

TUMP FORT – Tump Fort is one of the most indispensable forts in the region. It is a very ancient fort and it was established when Balochistan was annexed by the British Raj. But unfortunately, the neglected fort is falling into decay, owing to the negligence of the authorities concerned.

The writer is a part time teacher at DELTA and a student of law at Turbat University. He can be reached at munaj1gul@gmail.com

Published in Daily Times, February 23^rd 2019.