Quetta.doc

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Quetta

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.

he word Quetta is derived from the Pushto word !kwatta! meaning !fort!. he reason for this name given

to the city is that it is surrounded by the four hills named Chiltan, "urdar, #argham and akatoo, making ita natural fort. It lies $$%% feet above the sea level at the face of Bolan Pass.

HISTORY

he name of Quetta came into view in the &&th century at the invasion of "ahmood 'ha(ni in the

subcontinent. In &$)* the "ughal emperor +umayun rested here for two year on his retreat to Persia,leaving his oneyearold son Akbar until he returned back. Quetta remained under the "ughal -ule until

&$$. After that it was taken by the Persians, and retaken by Akbar in &$/$.

he 0hans of 0alat ruled the area around &1*%. After the 2irst Afghan 3ar in &4*/, it remained under the

British control, but after the second Afghan 3ar in &4/, the British took its total and permanent control.

-obert 5andman was made political agent in Balochistan. After the Partition, the population of Quettaincreased dramatically due to its military base and trading activities. "oreover at the time of 5oviet

Invasion, being a bordercity, it proved to be a keen attraction for the Afghan refugees. And this migration

of thousands of Afghanis increased its population to almost double.

'eologically, Quetta has always been a sub6ect to earth7uakes. In &/*$, a horrible earth7uake shook the

city, turning the bright city with multistoried buildings into rubble, causing )%%% deaths at the blink of an

eye. he buildings and wellplanned 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 7uake proof.

he city does not have much of historical interests of its own e8cept the two of the small museums. he

museum oghi -oad contains artifacts from "aher 'arh, presenting the /%%% years old villageculture of

Pakistan. he other museum is situated on the 5taff College -oad. Quetta 5taff College, a military training

institute, once had an instructor, 2ield"arshal "ontgomery, whose bungalow has now been turned into amuseum, displaying valuable military memorabilia.

PEOPLEhe locals of Balochistan are well appreciated for the friendliness and hospitality. Quetta tribesmen are

strongly built, having tan comple8ions and are aggressive by nature. he main inhabitants in Quetta arePathans, Balochs, and Brahuis. +alf the population is nomads who keep coming here occasionally, and

herding and fishing are their ma6or occupations. Afghanis are the basic reason for population increases in

the area. he ma6or occupation of Afghanis is the smuggling of goods from Afghanistan and Iran toPakistan.

he language spoken in common is Pushto. Persian is also spoken, and 9rdu is the commonly understoodone. It would be lucky for find out a few who can understand and speak :nglish.



"ost of the local men wear loosefitting 5halwar Qamee( with scarf, turban, or ;astar as headdresses.

<ocal Balochi 6ackets with mirrorwork are also worn with keenness. <ocal women mostly wear wide

legged trousers, and loose frocklike shirts with embroidered sleeves along with woolen Chadars. he7uality and 7uantity of the embroidered work on clothes indicates the social status of the wearer. he

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 "anhood.

PLACES AROUND

he city does not have much of historical interests of its own e8cept the two of the small museums. he

museum oghi -oad contains artifacts from "aher 'arh, presenting the /%%% years old village culture of

Pakistan.

Ziarat

#iarat is situated &=* km from Quetta, and is visited basically because the QuaideA(am -esidency is

there. It is the place where Quaid used to stay when he used to come to Quetta. After his death, the housewas preserved as a valuable treasure of historical importance for Pakistanis.

Bund Khushdil Khan

& km from Pishin, a lake named Bund 0hushdil 0han is situated. he specialty about it is that it is man

made. In early winters, it serves as a keen spot for visitors interested in ;uckshooting.

The Blan Pass

he Bolan Pass is best appreciated during the rail 6ourney. It is a steep pass with alarming se7uence of slip

lines built to catch runaway trains. Continuing && km on the same route comes the beautiful +anna <ake, a

great picnic spot. he orchards of 9rak angi are == miles from the +anna <ake, great aesthetic stimulus fornature lovers.

Hanna La!e

+anna <ake situated among hills, is about &% km east from Quetta. It is a bright tur7uoise pool within bare

brown surroundings. he lake has a wellmade picnic spot, with a restaurant having chairs and table fi8ed

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.

Ura! Tandi "alle#

wo km left and 4 km right from the +anna <ake, there are the famous orchards of the 9rak andi ?alley.hese gardens are also a great spot for picnic and rela8ation. he blossoms of apples, apricots, peaches,

pomegranate, and cherry trees envelope the roads in April season. here is a little village at the end of 9rak

?alley, surrounded with #argham range of hills. A stream running.

The Pishin "alle#

he valley of Pishin is situated about $* km from Quetta. It is surrounded by thousands of acres ofvineyards and orchards. 5even miles away, the @aru -ailway station is loaded with a rich harvest of apples,

grapes, plums, peaches and apricots.



$ETTIN$ THERE

Quetta is linked with all the ma6or cities of Pakistan i.e. <ahore, 0arachi and Peshawar via railway and daily

flights. he trains are also connected with other cities through the three ma6or highways, QuettaChaman+ighway, 0arachi0hu(darQuetta +ighway, and Quetta;.I.0han +ighway. Quetta is also linked with

#iarat by road, on which bus, wagon, and coaches are available all around the year.

$ENERAL IN%OR&ATION

he weather of Quetta is mostly cold and dry. In summers, it>s mostly pleasant and delightful here unlike theother cities in Balochistan, where the season is harsh and intolerable. In winter the weather is e8tremely

cold, temperature lower than the free(ing point. It snowfalls from ;ecember to 2ebruary, turning the area

white and hills snowcoated.

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Quetta.doc