Daily Times

The Kirthar Mountains run like a giant spine, 250 kilometres long, between Balochistan and Sindh. The second highest peak of the range, 2,096 metres (the highest, 2,171 metres lies 30 kilometre south), is called Kutte ji Kabar in Sindhi (Grave of Dog). In Brohi, it is known as the Kuchak na Kabar. Dogs remain loyal to their master in every part of the world.

There was a poor fellow of the Brohi tribe that lived between the borders of Sindh and Balochistan. The area was the Kirthar mountain range, which rises as high as 7,000 feet above sea level. The man found a sweet little dog wandering in the mountains, and then following him along the route. He decided to take the dog with him to his small wooden house located in the nearby mountains. With every passing day, the bond of love grew stronger between the dog and his master. Their relationship became famous in the valley, and people started to talk about it.

It came to the attention of a wealthy Hindu merchant, one of whose debtors was the poor Brohi. One day, the merchant asked him to leave the dog at his shop until the payment of his debts. Surrounded by clouds of misfortune, the poor man agreed to hand over his dog until the arrangement of some payment was finalised. The Brohi decided to separate himself from his beloved dog. He sat on the floor, took his dog in his arms, and whispered something in his ear. He told him to remain loyal to his new master, and not come back until the payment was made. The dog’s eyes suggested that they understood each and every word of his master.

The Brohi left town and continued working hard as a labourer so that he could get his dog back. The dog, away from him, wore a collar on his neck, something that he was not accustomed to in the past. The dog obeyed his old master and stayed with the Hindu merchant. Much time passed, but the Brohi still found it hard to pay his debts.

The Kutte ji Kabar part of the Kirthar Mountains, located on the border of Sindh and Balochistan, has become the subject of a dispute between the two provinces. Both claim it as theirs

One night, a robbery took place at the merchant’s house. The dog saw the thieves but was unable to catch them because of the leash attached to his neck and a charpoy. But he could smell them perfectly and wanted to pursue them once the leash was taken off. Once the dog was set free by the merchant, he ran after the thieves. He followed them all the way to the mountains, and helped the merchant recover his stolen valuables. Pleased with the dog, he decided to set him free.

The merchant removed the leash, and told him to return to his master. The dog started running towards the village, and was crossing all obstacles of that hilly region. Brohi, on the same day, managed to collect the required amount, and was heading towards the city in order to get his dog back. But before that could happen, the dog and his old master met each other in the middle of their journey. Emotions were, however, different. One was happy, the other was sad. The dog thought his master would hold him and appreciate his bravery; the master thought his dog who was also his friend had disobeyed him and caused him shame. It was the happiest moment of the dog’s life and the saddest of his master. The master thought that the dog had betrayed him, and his eyes were full of anger and shame. Having lost his temper, the master abused the dog and told him to go away. The dog tried to follow his master, but the man did not listen and rejected his loyal pet. It was too big a shame, more than that of his master, for that proud animal that his beloved master did not accept him. The dog fell from the nearby hill that day and died.

Later, Brohi found out the real story; he was distraught with pain and remorse. He wanted his dog to be a part of his life again but it was too late. The dog was gone forever. But the separation was the destiny the man refused to accept. He, therefore, decided to make the dog immortal. He decided to climb the tallest mountain of the Kirthar range in order to bury his dog there as a tribute to his friend.

Today, one of Sindh’s tallest mountains is named after the grave of that dog – Jabal Kuttey ji Kabar (Dog’s grave). No one knows the real name of that dog or his master, but the Brohi tribe still remembers that act of their tribesman, and calls the mountain Kuttey ji Kabar. The folklore is that even today, several centuries later, when the full moon appears on the horizon of the Kirthar valley, a shadow of the dog and the man appears on the peak of that mountain. It tells the world the story of how true love survives even when lives end. Love is indifferent to differences of gender and species. It is unforgettable. It is immortal.

The Kutte ji Kabar part of the Kirthar Mountains, located on the border of Sindh and Balochistan, has become the subject of a dispute between the two provinces with both claiming it to be theirs. An 1876 gazette says that this portion of land, which spreads to almost 250,000 acres, was part of Sindh.

Tourism is one of the best sources of revenue for a country but, unfortunately, our government has failed to develop the place. The government should take initiatives to develop the area to attract tourists by providing the basic facilities such as good roads, public transport, motels, and parks.

The writer is a retired doctor of the Sindh Health Department