Quetta
 History
of Quetta
Originally a loose tribal confederation,
Baluchistan was later divided into four
principalities that were sometimes under
Persian, sometimes under Afghan suzerainty. In
the 19th century British troops tried to subdue
the inhabitants until a treaty in 1876 gave them
autonomy in exchange for British army outposts
along the Afghan border and strategic roads. On
the partition of India in 1947 the khan of Kalat
declared Baluchistan independent; the
insurrection was crushed by the new Pakistani
army after eight months. Three rebellions
followed, the last being from 1973 to 1977, when
3,300 Pakistani soldiers and some 6,000 Baluch
were killed.
Quetta, more commonly known as the fruit
garden of PAKISTAN, is the capital of
Baluchistan and one of the most beautiful cities
of PAKISTAN.
Quetta, derived from kwatta, meaning fort in
Pushtu, no doubt is a natural fort, surrounded
as it is by imposing hills on all sides. The
encircling hills have the resounding names of
Chiltan, Takatoo, Murdar and Zarghun.
Mainly Baluch and Pathans occupy the province
of Baluchistan. The common religion of the
Baluch (or Baluchi) & Pathan (Pakhtoon) people
is Islam, and they speak Baluchi & Pashtoo, a
member of the Iranian branch of the
Indo-European language family. In the drier
areas they make use of tents, moving when it
becomes too arid. Although they practice nomadic
pastoralism, many are settled agriculturalists,
growing wheat, barley, millet, maize, and
potatoes.
It is an important trade center; other
industries include fruit canning and chromite
mining. In 1876 the British acquired Quetta by
treaty with the khan of Kalat. The city was
capital of the British province of Baluchistan
until that province became part of Pakistan in
1947. Pop. (1981 prelim.) 285,000. Quetta is
also widely know as the summer resort of
Pakistan. Quetta lies at 1,525 m/5,000 ft above
sea level, 35 km/20 mi northwest of the Bolan
Pass; population (1991) 350,000.
It has rail links with Afghanistan and Iran,
and in 1982 a gas pipeline to Shikarpur in Sindh
was built. Quetta is a centre for fruit growing
and trading in wood, carpets, and leather. There
is a military staff college and a university.
Quetta was first mentioned in the 11th century
when it was captured by Mahmud of Ghazni on one
of his invasions of the subcontinent. In 1543
the Moghul emperor Humayun rested here on his
retreat to Persia, leaving his one-year-old son
Akbar until he returned two years later. The
Moghuls ruled Quetta until 1556, when it was
taken by the Persians, only to be retaken by
Akbar in 1595.
The powerful Khans of Kalat held the fort
from 1730. In 1828 the first westerner to visit
Quetta described it as a mud-walled fort
surrounded by 300 mud houses. Although occupied
briefly by the British during the First Afghan
War in 1839, it was not until 1876.
Geographical
Location
Quetta is the legendary stronghold of the
western frontier.
Geographically, Quetta lies at 1,680 meters
(5,500 feet) above sea level.
Geographically Quetta also holds a vital and
strategic position, and is one of the most
important military stations of the country.
Boundaries of Iran and Afghanistan meet here,
and the Bolan Pass controls important lines of
communications.
Baluchistan, a Mountainous desert area,
comprising a province of Pakistan, was earlier a
part of the Iranian province of Sistán and
Balúchestan, and a small area of Afghanistan.
The Pakistani province has an area of 347,200 sq
km/134,019 sq mi and a population (1993 est) of
6,520,000. Sistán and Balúchestan cover an area
of 181,600 sq km/70,098 sq mi and has a
population (1986) of 1,197,000; its capital is
Zahedan. The Quetta region has become important
for fruit-growing. Coal, natural gas, chrome and
other minerals have also been discovered and
exploited. The 1,600 km/1,000 mi rail network
has strategic as well as economic significance.
Although Quetta is on the western edge of
PAKISTAN but still it is connected with the
country through a wide network of roads,
railways and airways.
The port of Gawadar in Pakistan is
strategically important, situated close to the
Indian Ocean and the Strait of Hormuz. The 1,600
km/1,000 mi rail network has strategic as well
as economic significance.
Quetta is connected to LAHORE by 727 mile
long railway line. Similarly it is also
connected through railways with PESHAWAR (986
mils away) and KARACHI which is 536 miles away.
It is also connected with Zahidan (Duzdab),
Iran, by railway.
Quetta is well connected by roads to the rest
of the country. A recently built road connects
it with Karachi through Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar
and Las Bela. Another road connecting Quetta to
Karachi follows the Sibi, Jakobabad, Sukkur and
Hyderabad route.
Quetta and Lahore are also connected through
two routes. The older route is the Sibi, Sukkur,
Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur and Multan route.
Another route is via Loralai, Dera Ghazi Khan
and Multan.
Quetta is also connected with Afghanistan
through Chaman; and to Iran through the Mastung,
Nushki, Dalbandin and Tuftan route.
Places
Of Attraction
A little short of the place where the Urak
valley begins and ten kms from Quetta is the
Hinna Lake. The greenish- blue water of the lake
provides a rich contrast to the sandy brown of
the hills in the back ground.
The Urak valley is 21 km from Quetta city.
The road is lying on both sides with wild roses
and fruit orchards. Peaches, palms, apricots and
apples of many varieties are grown in this
valley.
Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, 20 km
south-west of Quetta, rare animals like'
Markhors' have been declared a protected
species. The park is spread over 38,429 acres
with altitude ranging from 2021 to 3264 meters.
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It lies 9 miles South of Quetta. An
archaeological site where remains of
pre-historic culture know as Sada't Culture. The
people of Sada't used ovens, ate meat and drank
wine.
Some 48 miles from Quetta is the valley of
Pishin with its numerous fruit orchards. Ten
miles further, there is a man made lake called
Bund Khuzdil Khan.
About 2 1/2 miles from Ziarat is the splendid
Sandeman Tangi, the meeting point of two hills.
A spring flows down the Tangi and the water,
flowing for centuries, has made the stone
surface very smooth. It is popular pleasure
spot.
 See Also:
Quetta, Pakistan
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