If there is one part of the country where a tourist should not go, it used to be by and far the western part of the country.
Well, perhaps the West and the North if you wanted to add KPK into the mix. That has unfortunately been the view of locals as well as foreigners when it comes to tourism in Pakistan. Most Punjabis want to go to Murree and most Pakistanis want to go to a “North Trip” towards Gilgit and Skardu, or maybe even the Swat valley when it is not over-run with the Taliban that shoot young girls in their heads for wanting to get an education.
Pakistan has historically been a bad place for tourism. Our reputation in the international world has been far from stellar when it comes to safety. It has been for quite a while. And despite a multitude of pushes both nationally and internationally to promote a good image for itself, Pakistan has failed to do so. So far, we are highly reliant on back-packers from the Western world trying to start a Youtube channel to do our marketing for us. And, honestly, all scandals aside, they have been portraying the country in a manner that we ourselves have not been able to. Read about coral reed of Pakistan.
Our own Pakistan in all its glory-scams, sights, and food included. In anycase, there are certain aspects of the country we need to be very aware of before we can encourage anyone, local or foreign to go and explore. And there is no province where this little bit of nuance is more important than the immensely beautiful and least explored-Balochistan.
Let us take a look at the tourist spots of the province, followed by the current state of the province and what, where and how tourists can find a good time in the immensely beautiful province of Balochistan.
A Rich History
The province of Balochistan was actually part of larger Balochistan that has been split between three countries. Both Afghanistan and Iran also have provinces named Balochistan bordering each other and the Pakistani province. The ear liest mentions of the region as aunited one with its own distinct identity owes back to the Greek Empire and the times of Alexander the Great.
Since the Bronze Age Balochistan has been providing mineral deposits like lapis lazuli and other kinds of trading materials to larger adjacent civilizations. These people were Dravidians who were pretty isolated. The region traded hands between the Greeks and then Indian Empires like the Mauryans and then had Brahman rule.
Then came Genghis Khan and the Islamic Conquest not long after. The unique geographical and cultural circumstances of the region makes it so that these different reigns left their mark on Balochistan but allowed it to retain its identity as a region even till now. In fact, it was during Khalifa Usman’s era that Balochistan was captured and came under Islamic rule.
It was always a complex matter, however. Parts of Balochistan did not accede to Pakistan for a long while and the tribal chiefs continue today to resist any kind of change that comes on the behalf of the Government.
Prince Abdul Karim lead the resistance against succession to Pakistan from Afghanistan from 1948. This was when the Khan of Kalat had made a deal with Jinnah and thereafter his successors and retained his title till 1955. This was followed by multiple conflicts until the Baloch insurgency of the 70s and the current fourth conflict continues to this day from 2004, if to a lesser extent than before.
And this brings us to our question-Why go to Balochistan? Is it safe? And is it worth it?
Potential of Tourism in Balochistan
Taking away the problems associated with the region, it has immense potential as a tourist destination for people coming from inside and outside the country. The region itself is sparsely populated and underdeveloped. There is a lack of infrastructure and security.
Balochistan boasts a long coast-line with serene waters much different from the completely polluted coast of Sindh bordering Karachi and the stink that comes from it. Beaches like Somniani, Ormara, Pasni etc are currently big tourist destinations for the people in Karachi and rest of Pakistan. The region to the north and west boast beautiful dry mountains and has a rocky terrain that is the favorite for both hunters and moter-sports enthusiasts.
Due to the isolation alongside intriguing brushes with outside forces from the Greeks to the Hindus and then the Arabs, the Balochis have a very unique culture. It bears heavy resemblance to the Arabs of the time that they actually came to the region and has served as a kind of dating rock for Anthropologists across the globe.
The great attraction of Balochistan in the present day is contrast. In a world that has become more and more Homogenous in the terms of how it’s people live and how humanity has conquered it’s terrain, Balochistan is a breath of fresh (if dry) air. The coastal region is a tourist hub and yet clean. To the North when we get to places close to Quetta and Ziarat the cultural aspect becomes a stronger pull. The variation of temperate climes in the south to extreme temperatures in the North make it a region that most tourists would love to explore thoroughly if given the chance.
In Conclusion
Political instability and foreign propaganda aside, for tourists the people of the land are a very hospitable bunch. They persist in their culture much like the rocks in the north, despite the changing harsh winds of the millenia and Balochi cinema, folk tales, music, and story-telling is well worth the price of entry.
Although the goras that love to backpack around willy nilly need to be more careful than they would be in say Punjab or Sindh, planning a visit to the coast and then towards the North towards the cold peaks and cultural hotspots is more than worth the costs of admission.
