Plateaus of Pakistan – Balochistan Plateau

It is a vast plateau in the west of Kirthar and Sulaiman mountains. The average height in this area is between 600 to 900 meters. The mountains in the north eastern Balochistan is higher on the south than the ones on the west side. It is also dry area like Potowar plateau and the Toba Kakar and Xhagai ranges separate this plateau from Afghanistan. In the north western side of it is Kharan desert. There are many temporary lakes in this sandy area which have water only in the rainy season otherwise they remain dry and are called ‘Hamuns’. There are many minerals discovered in this region like coal, iron, natural gas, chromate and copper. The climate is severe cold in winters and extremely hot in summers with the exception of the high mountain areas.

In Balochistan there is a common shortage of water making the water reservoir and natural springs and very precious assets. The average altitude in this large plateau is 2,000 feet and there are many geographical features like mountains, dry lakes and basins. There are several mountain ranges in this area including: Toba Kakar, Central Brauli, Hala, Pab, Chagai, Makran coastal range and Raskot range. These ranges are eroded by seasonal streams formed after rainfall. Zhob Loralai basin is the most important ones among many basins present here. There are also many rivers carving Balochistan plateau land including Zhob Loralai, Hingol, Hub, Porali and Dasht. River Zhob in the area is a tributary to the River Gomal. The four rivers namely Hab, Poral, Hingol and the Dasht in the south of the plateau fall into the Arabian Sea. Many of these rivers flows in to the Indus and some drain into dry lakes and some in the land forming inland drainage system which is a unique feature of Balochistan plateau. The famous Bolan Pass which connects Quetta with Kachhi Sibbi plain is present in the Balochistan plateau.

Hazarganji Chiltan National Park Baluchistan

The Hazarganji National Park was established in 1980 to provide protection to the Markhor goats whose number was dwindling at an alarming rate. Markhor incidentally is the national animal of Pakistan. The Park is situated 20kms south west of Quetta and covers a total area of 325000 acres. The Chiltan Hills and the Hazar Ganji Range lie in the east and west respectively hence the name. This national park is considered as one of the most important reasons for which people visit Quetta.

The Chiltan Hazarganji National Park is very popular among tourists. Besides the peaceful environs, the park also has a museum, rest house and picnic spots to entertain the visitors.

The Park was established primarily to save the Markhor (wild goats). The number of Markhors has increased ever since the establishment of the park. Five kinds of Markhors found here. Other animals in this protected zone are Urial sheep, Indian wolf, Striped hyena, Red fox, leopard, jackal, porcupine and desert hare.

A variety of birds like bearded vultures, golden eagles, partridges, warbles, falcons, hawks, Houbara bustard are either found here or are frequent visitors.

Python, Cobra, Monitor and other wild lizards, Afghan tortoise, Russell Viper and Levantine are the creatures from the reptile kingdom to be seen here.

5 Passes of Baluchistan

Although there are a number of passes in Balochistan, the five worth mentioning are:

1. Bolan Pass

Bolan Pass is an important mountain Pass of Balochistan province of Pakistan. It is located in the Central Brahui Range of mountains near the Afghan Border. Bolan Pass is the main entrance to Quetta and joins Punjab and Upper Sindh through the town of Sibi by road and by train. The track was laid by the British and goes through 21 tunnels. Bolan Pass has served as a gateway to millions of people through centuries thus its historic importance cannot be denied.

2. Khojak Pass

Khojak Pass is located in the Toba Kakar Range at a height of 1945 meter above sea level. It is at Chaman 153 km away from Quetta and goes straight to Afghanistan. The Khojak Tunnel was built 115 years ago and is the longest tunnel in Pakistan. Khojak Pass is also famous for its picturesque scenery.

3. Lak Pass

Lak Pass is 25 km from Quetta. The hills are steeper and so is the climb and in case of heavy traffic, it can almost an hour to drive through the pass. Lak Pass lies between Kalat and Quetta. Here the road forks and one part lead towards Iran border while the other part directs you to Karachi through the towns of Kalat, Khuzdar and Bella. It also has interesting scenery.

4. Harnai Pass

It links Ziarat valley to Harnai and the residents of Ziarat migrate to Harnai through this pass to escape the harsh winter. It is also accessible from Loralai.

5. Gonshero Pass

Gonshero Pass is right at the border of Afghanistan. It is located in the Chaghai Hill Range. It is 30.1 km long.

Hanna Lake, Baluchistan

Hanna Lake is one of the picturesque sights of Baluchistan province of Pakistan. It is located 10 km from the capital city of Quetta. The streams and melting snow from nearby mountain ranges as well as rain are the main water sources of the Hanna Lake. During the reign of the British, a channel was built to divert the water from the gorges towards Hanna Lake. The channel is now in dire need of repairs and much of the water is being wasted.

Hanna Lake is a popular tourist spot. Against the backdrop of brown hills, the clear blue waters of the Hanna Lake are a wonderful sight. Pine trees planted around the lake have added to its beauty. An artificial island has also been made in the middle of the lake. The lake is a bound with golden fish. The well known Hayat Durrani Water Sports Academy (HDWSA) is located to the East of the lake.

Hanna Lake offers tourists lots of facilities as well as activities. Boating and hiking can be done here and later you can relax at the lakeside restaurant. It is very strange that though it is a perfectly safe picnic spot, almost every year people drown here in boat accidents. May be a more careful approach should be followed while picnicking at Hanna Lake.

Climate of Pakistan

The climate of Pakistan is as diverse as its topography. In the north the home of mountains, the winters are extremely cold with temperature in minus. Most areas remain covered with snow for most part of the year. The severe cold at times forces people to migrate to warmer places. The summers are cool and the best time to visit these places. The northern areas receive their fair share of rains.

The plains of Punjab have hot sultry summers and cold winters. They also receive a lot of rain during monsoons.

Baluchistan has very hot summers and cold winters. Some parts of Baluchistan like Ziarat and Quetta receive snowfall during winter. Baluchistan gets its rain during winter.

The coastal areas of Sindh and Baluchistan enjoy mildly cold winter season. The summers are hot but the cool sea breeze makes it bearable. They receive erratic rainfall. Upper Sindh experiences very hot summer and cold winters and it rains mostly in monsoon.

Pakistan is a unique country from climatic point of view. Within the span of Pakistan, almost all kinds of climatic conditions can be experienced. From the mild small range climate of the coastal regions where oceanic effect is also felt in winters, the extreme continental climate with very hot summers are also experienced in Pakistan.