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Quetta, the fruit garden of Pakistan, is the provincial capital of
Balochistan, Pakistan. It is a small city with about two million people,
and is one of the few planned cities of the country. It is one of the most
important military stations of Pakistan because the boundaries of Iran and
Afghanistan meet here, and the Bolan Pass, the entrance of the city,
serves as a significant trade center for the neighboring countries and
Central Asia.
The word Quetta is derived from the Pushto word "kwatta" meaning "fort".
The reason for this name given to the city, is that it is surrounded by
the four hills named Chiltan, Murdar, Zargham and Takatoo, making it a
natural fort. It lies 5500 feet above the sea level at the face of Bolan
Pass.
HISTORY
The name of Quetta came into view in the 11th century at the invasion of
Mahmood Ghazni in the subcontinent. In 1543 the Mughal emperor Humayun
rested here for two year on his retreat to Persia, leaving his
one-year-old son Akbar until he returned back. Quetta remained under the
Mughal Rule until 1556. After that it was taken by the Persians, and
retaken by Akbar in 1595.
The Khans of Kalat ruled the area around 1730. After the First Afghan War
in 1839, it remained under the British control, but after the second
Afghan War in 1896, the British took its total and permanent control.
Robert Sandman was made political agent in Balochistan. After the
Partition, the population of Quetta increased dramatically due to its
military base and trading activities. Moreover at the time of Soviet
Invasion, being a border-city, it proved to be a keen attraction for the
Afghan refugees. And this migration of thousands of Afghanis increased its
population to almost double.
Geologically, Quetta has always been a subject to earthquakes. In 1935, a
horrible earthquake shook the city, turning the bright city with
multi-storied buildings into rubble, causing 4000 deaths at the blink of
an eye.
The buildings and well-planned roads at the present in the city were
rebuilt after the disaster took place. After that, the houses and
buildings in general are built single storied and with lighter or stronger
building material to make them quake proof.
The city does not have much of historical interests of its own except the
two of the small museums. The museum Toghi Road contains artifacts from
Maher Garh, presenting the 9000 years old village-culture of Pakistan.
The other museum is situated on the Staff College Road. Quetta Staff
College, a military training institute, once had an instructor,
Field-Marshal Montgomery, whose bungalow has now been turned into a
museum, displaying valuable military memorabilia.
PEOPLE
The locals of Balochistan are well appreciated for the friendliness and
hospitality. Quetta tribesmen are strongly built, having tan complexions
and are aggressive by nature. The main inhabitants in Quetta are Pathans,
Balochs, and Brahuis. Half the population is nomads who keep coming here
occasionally, and herding and fishing are their major occupations.
Afghanis are the basic reason for population increases in the area. The
major occupation of Afghanis is the smuggling of goods from Afghanistan
and Iran to Pakistan.
The language spoken in common is Pushto. Persian is also spoken, and Urdu
is the commonly understood one. It would be lucky for find out a few who
can understand and speak English.
Most of the local men wear loose-fitting Shalwar Qameez with scarf,
turban, or Dastar as headdresses. Local Balochi jackets with mirror-work
are also worn with keenness. Local women mostly wear wide-legged trousers,
and loose frock-like shirts with embroidered sleeves along with woolen
Chadars. The quality and quantity of the embroidered work on clothes
indicates the social status of the wearer. The women usually have neatly
plaited hair, unlike the Pathan males, who like having long untidy hair
with untidy beards, as an emblem of the pride of Manhood.
FESTIVALS
There are no much festivals held by the government in the city. The Staff
College, a military training institute, holds a carnival at the interval
of a few months. Otherwise the locals hold a few sport-competitions at the
street level. The sports supporting and providing outlets to the natural
aggressiveness of the locals, are the most sought-after ones. These
include the blood sports of bear, boar, hyena baiting, hunting, shooting,
knife throwing, riding, and partridge- fighting. Wrestling is a common
pastime, and hand-to-hand duels at trivial issues are common, regarded as
the symbol of manly courage.
PLACES AROUND
The city does not have much of historical interests of its own except the
two of the small museums. The museum Toghi Road contains artifacts from
Maher Garh, presenting the 9000 years old village-culture of Pakistan.
Ziarat
Ziarat is situated 123 km from Quetta, and is visited basically because
the Quaid-e-Azam Residency is there. It is the place where Quaid used to
stay when he used to come to Quetta. After his death, the house was
preserved as a valuable treasure of historical importance for Pakistanis.
Bund Khushdil Khan
16 km from Pishin, a lake named Bund Khushdil Khan is situated. The
specialty about it is that it is man-made. In early winters, it serves as
a keen spot for visitors interested in Duck-shooting.
The Bolan Pass
The Bolan Pass is best appreciated during the rail journey. It is a steep
pass with alarming sequence of slip lines built to catch runaway trains.
Continuing 11 km on the same route comes the beautiful Hanna Lake, a great
picnic spot. The orchards of Urak Tangi are 22 miles from the Hanna Lake,
great aesthetic stimulus for nature lovers.
Hanna Lake
Hanna Lake situated among hills, is about 10 km east from Quetta. It is a
bright turquoise pool within bare brown surroundings. The lake has a
well-made picnic spot, with a restaurant having chairs and table fixed
under the shade of the sparkling pine trees. Paddleboats are also
available for touring the lake at one’s own. An irrigation dam around is
also an attraction for those interested in hiking and camping.
Urak Tandi Valley
Two km left and 8 km right from the Hanna Lake, there are the famous
orchards of the Urak Tandi Valley. These gardens are also a great spot for
picnic and relaxation. The blossoms of apples, apricots, peaches,
pomegranate, and cherry trees envelope the roads in April season. There is
a little village at the end of Urak Valley, surrounded with Zargham range
of hills. A stream running.
The Pishin Valley
The valley of Pishin is situated about 53 km from Quetta. It is surrounded
by thousands of acres of vineyards and orchards. Seven miles away, the
Yaru Railway station is loaded with a rich harvest of apples, grapes,
plums, peaches and apricots.
GETTING THERE
Quetta is linked with all the major cities of Pakistan i.e. Lahore,
Karachi and Peshawar via railway and daily flights. The trains are also
connected with other cities through the three major highways, Quetta-Chaman
Highway, Karachi-Khuzdar-Quetta Highway, and Quetta-D.I.Khan Highway.
Quetta is also linked with Ziarat by road, on which bus, wagon, and
coaches are available all around the year.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The weather of Quetta is mostly cold and dry. In summers, it’s mostly
pleasant and delightful here unlike the other cities in Balochistan, where
the season is harsh and intolerable. In winter the weather is extremely
cold, temperature lower than the freezing point. It snowfalls from
December to February, turning the area white and hills snow-coated. |
