Ziarat, Balochistan
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Ziarat, Balochistan
A trip to the jewel of Balochistan: Ziarat
Text and photos by Syeda Rumana Mehdi
Pakistan is a country well-known all over the world for its scenic beauty and historical places. Born and lived for all these years in the city of Quaid-i-Azam, Karachi, I always longed to visit Ziarat in Balochistan — the city where the Quaid rested during the last days of his life. In fact, visiting Ziarat was always a dream and this dream came true recently.
Ziarat is a wonderful city. It attracts tourists for being a hill resort, because of its greenery and because of its important landmark: The Quaid-i-Azam Residency.
When we went to Quetta during the summer vacation, I got the opportunity to visit Ziarat. I had read a lot about Ziarat. I had seen the photograph of the building where the Quaid had gone for rest in his last days, with his sister, Fatima Jinnah. It was there where the Quaid received government officials and dignitaries and where he took important decisions. Against the advice of his physician who stayed in the same building with him, he continued to work day and night for the sake of Pakistan. Ziarat always had great attraction for me.
It is a two-hour ride from Quetta to Ziarat by road. At Ziarat, there were numerous hotels, rest houses and important places to visit. So get ready to plunge yourself into Ziarat’s beauty!
Walk Chashma
Ziarat is surrounded by mountains. So we weaved in and out of the mountains many times. Halfway to the Prospect Point, there is a waterfall through which glacial water flows and this water is supplied to all parts of Ziarat. It is popularly known as “Walk Chashma”. It inherits its name from the Colonial times when the British used to walk to the place from their homes and offices. The place is surrounded by Juniper trees. The Chashma is good for the ailing people in particular.
Prospect Point
I can’t find words to tell you about this amazing place. It is almost up above in the sky and you can see the whole of Ziarat below. You can feel the clouds close to you. There is also a tree in Prospect Point whose branches clearly spell Allah in Arabic. You can also see the Juniper trees up here. This area is very beautiful and you feel like going further up. But the higher areas are rather dangerous, otherwise these areas are worth visiting.
Quaid-i-Azam Residency
This is the house where the founder of Pakistan spent his last days. The residency is surrounded by green gardens. A guide gives the visitors a tour of the place. He tells the visitors about the living rooms of the Quaid-i-Azam and Fatima Jinnah and shows the drawing room and Quaid’s physician’s room. Historically important photographs of the Quaid, his sister and prominent leaders are very neatly placed on the walls. The residency has also preserved the Quaid’s dining table, his bed and other belongings. Apart from a few changes, the residency contains the same furniture and carpets as it had during the Quaid’s stay.
Ziarat — by any standard — is an immensely wonderful city. However, it has some drawbacks. It has historical and natural influence but it clearly lacks proper cultural environment. The Balochi embroidery is famous worldwide, but you don’t find a shred of embroidery in Ziarat. This is also a hill station, but it hasn’t been developed into a major tourist resort.
The roads are not good and transport facilities are not adequate especially for visiting families with modest means. There is a need for buses for tourists in the city and for building up a sort of a bazaar like the one you find in Muree. These facilities may really transform Ziarat into a wonderful tourist resort for visitors from Pakistan and abroad.
