Daily Times

The Thal Desert in Pakistan is a highly under-researched area with a history spanning to prehistoric times. This is a tough terrain with extreme weather but Zubair Shafi Ghauri until yesterday was an epitome of the proverb “when the going gets tough the tough get going”. The great Thal lover and historian died Wednesday after surviving a heart attack. He retired from Pakistan Railways as additional general manager in September this year. He was a decorated officer with no blot on his career. However, his unflinching devotion to research on Thal desert is what defines him. Layyah was his romance, where his father once was the deputy commissioner. He and his brother Aamir Ghauri, a seasoned journalist based in Islamabad, would comb the sand of Thal to find what is hidden beneath it. Mr Ghauri was a first-hand witness to modernization of this desert when settlers were brought in here to cultivate the land. Locals of the area, though, see it as politicization of agriculture to benefit a certain ethnic group. Later, Mianwali-Muzaffargarh Road (MM Road) was carved out of the desert in such a way that it did not tough historic cities like Lyyah, Kot Addu, Rajanpur etc. and its direct beneficiaries were the localities where these settlers were settled, consolidating a sense of despair among locals.

Placing himself above these developments, Mr Ghauri focused on the pre-historic era of this desert stretching from Potohar Region till River Indus. He wrote a quality research book on Thal in addition to many papers. He was a field researcher who may generate one paper while armchair writers may generate 10 in that time. He was instrumental in identifying about 20 “sites of prehistoric nature” in the desert. His method was very simple. He found a prehistoric object and he took its photo before presenting it to the audience in his book and research papers. Mr Ghauri has left a gap which is hard to be filled after him. He may be a Lahori but he proved himself to be a true son of Thal. Geography doesn’t make a difference when devotion is counted. He will be remembered as a true historian and nature lover in the future. Rest in peace, Ghauri sahib. *