Makran Division’s trip to Lahore, Islamabad and Quetta.

Voice of Balochistan (VOB) is a non-governmental organization which is playing a great role in our lives. The dreams that we have had in our eyes for years, VOB has given them wings to fly. I feel great joy in sharing my experience from a recent exposure trip to Lahore, Islamabad and Quetta in the month of August, organized by VOB for the students and faculty of Makran division’s colleges and universities of different districts including; Turbat, Panjgur, Mand, Tump, Buleda and Gwadar.

Being a student from Turbat, it wasn’t less than a miracle for me to visit the capital city of Pakistan, to see the beauty of Punjab and to spend time in Quetta. Everywhere we were taken, we had security to escort us in whose presence we felt safe and secure, and for which I am first of all thankful to the Pakistan Army.

In all three cities, we were taken to different educational institutes from where we took inspiration from their educational environment to further pursue our degrees in these institutes. There, we were welcomed whole heartedly to come and join their institutions through briefings, presentations and visits to different departments. One such university of Islamabad, COMSATS even arranged a mirthful cultural night for the delegation as well. To facilitate us in our educational process, the Government of Balochistan awarded us with laptops as well under the Chief Minister Laptop Scheme at the CM Secretariat, Quetta.

During our interactions with Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor in Islamabad and Commander Southern Command Lt General Asim Bajwa in Quetta, our yearn to meet our national heroes was fulfilled, who fight from dawn to dust to protect us against adversaries and due to whom we can comfortably sleep at our homes.

Also, it was a great honour to visit the Parliament House and get a chance to interact with the first Chairman Senate from Balochistan Sadiq Sanjrani, and to meet other senators from the upper house who addressed the students and motivated them to come forward to represent Balochistan at national level. We as students, likely spent 15 years of our age dreaming about the possibility of such worthy interactions, which we finally experienced.

To explore our rich history, we were taken to Army Museums in Lahore and Islamabad and Balochistan Museum in Quetta where we were fascinated about the antiquity of a great number of objects. We also greatly enjoyed sightseeing of the historic places such as Minar-e-Pakistan, Badshahi Mosque, Shah Faisal Mosque, Hanna Lake, Miri Fort and Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s residency in Ziarat.

Out of all, the best experience we had was visiting the Wagha Border. We witnessed the famous parade till the time the flag was brought down, enjoying different performances and national songs, waving our national flag in front of the opposite country and gathering our voices to chant “Pakistan Zindabad” to show that we the Baloch stand united with the whole country.

Our last night in Quetta was the most memorable where the delegation celebrated Independence Day of Pakistan in an event organized by Pakistan Army at Polo Ground, Quetta where we enjoyed performances of famous celebrities such as Atif Aslam and Gul Panra.

My words will remain less to express my feelings about the exposure trip and the lifetime experiences we took back with us. A realization of unity and connection that we felt with the rest of the country is something we will carry forward for the rest of our lives. I, on the behalf of the whole Makran division humbly thank Voice of Balochistan from the bottom of our hearts for such a brilliant management in arranging our stays at the hotel, all our visits and for such a beautiful trip.

Long Live Pakistan.