Have you ever wondered why the great leader, Muhammad Ali Jinnah chose a place in a far flung desolated area, to spend his days of ailment; you’ll receive an answer loud and clear if you make a visit to Ziarat, yourself. Famous for its historical background; with dispersed juniper forests; attired in diverse ecosystem, and abundant snowfall in winters; Ziarat is, unequivocally, an exquisite feature on the face of Pakistan. Situated approximately 130 km from the capital of Balochistan, Quetta. Ziarat embraces the spirits of those who want to discover the less trodden area of Balochistan. I travelled from Lahore to Quetta to satiate my quest of seeing Ziarat and I found it heart-stirring more than I heard and read about it. There are only a number of places for me where I’ll visit time and again to refresh my sight and Ziarat is one of them.

Midst majestic and barren series of mountains which run with us all along, I started my debut journey to Ziarat after staying for a day in Quetta. The expanded deserted areas in the outskirts of Quetta add beauty to the demography of Balochistan. The population density between Quetta and Ziarat is so meager that it takes a long while to see human life existence. This scant population density, tranquilizes the environment and keeps it very natural. But the coin has two faces. This low population density affects the provision of basic life necessities by the state to the people. The health facility, education and basic life requirements are difficult to provide to people living in small and scattered numbers. I see strangeness in the mountains of Balochistan that cannot be found anywhere else. A sense of unfamiliarity crushed my mind when these gigantic mountains narrated their own saga of persistence. It appeared that they have been enduring the miseries and agonies, since long and have become unconquered and unbowed. This trait was also seen in the skin of natives of Balochistan. However, this is true that the mountains of this region also carry the norms of hospitality as they stand gracious alongside the road, from Quetta to Ziarat, as a gesture of saying welcome to the guests.

A valley, where fruits, particularly apples are produced abundantly, and “Snober” trees are spread on 100,000 hectares, Ziarat is dazzling to the eyes and it is sunk in the beauty of Nature. The “Snobers” of Ziarat are referred as “living fossils” by the natives. I asked about the peculiarity of these trees, and the locals informed me that the age of some mature trees in Ziarat surpass 4,500 years. Ziarat is incomplete without the Quaid’s residency. If you get a privilege to make an official visit, you can observe the flag hosting ceremony by Pakistan Frontier Corps. The residency of Quaid was perished by Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) to antagonize the writ of state. This heinous act not only devastated the physical structure of Quaid’s Residency but inflicted the sentiments of millions of Pakistanis. The government, nonetheless, left no stone unturned to restore the residency in its actual shape. The reconstruction work was completed by a renowned builder Nayyer Ali Dada who showed sincere commitment. The security of the residency is now in the safe hands of the Frontier Corps. When you step in the residency of Quaid, you meet the history of Pakistan all in once. The life of Jinnah was congruent to the struggle for Pakistan. The library adjacent to the residency is the visual saga of Quaid’s greatness and grandeur. The large portraits of him are displayed in the library and translate how great stature of man he was. The utensils and books in his use are also preserved in the library.

I got a chance to talk to residents of Ziarat and had their say on Jinnah choosing this piece of land in his last days. They had an immense reverence for Quaid-e-Azam and considered it an honor that he chose this marginalized area of Balochistan. I also spoke to them about CPEC and its implications on Balochistan. They had a belief that CPEC has the tendency of making Balochistan one of the most politico-strategic important places in the region in near future. They also believe that through CPEC, tourism will get new hikes and local business will be improved, thus amplify the living standards of a common man. They shared with me the fact that there are many places worth seeing in Balochistan which are undiscovered by Pakistanis and foreigners as well. I make a hypothesis that, the mammoth investment of $54 billion will cater job opportunities for locals, develop infrastructure, and provide power and energy to energy-starved Pakistan. The economic development of Pakistan will also be entailed by CPEC and it stands as the only genuine answer that Pakistan can give to any of its perilous challenges. There are anticipations to bridge the power crisis, create jobs, revive exports, escalate tourism, create demand and infrastructure, serve as the motor force for the growth rate of the economy, and address urban congestion through mass transit schemes. So, with great power comes great responsibility.

The divine beauty of Ziarat left me mesmerized. I am optimistic that CPEC will not only uplift the lives of the people of Balochistan but it will also augment the trend of tourism in Ziarat and rest of the scenic places in Balochistan. I always have had profound affection for the sayings and struggles of the great Quaid but now I am equally attracted towards the place where Quaid spent the few days of his life.

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About Author

He is currently an M.Phil researcher in University of Lahore in the field of Pharmacology. He has been national English declaimer and a member of Standing Committee on National Security and Foreign Affairs in Youth Parliament Pakistan. He is the former president of Young Development Corps (a policy making project of Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms). He is currently writing articles for The Nation. He can be reached at sohaib.uol@gmail.com.

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