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Demography | Juniper Forest in
Ziarat | Tourism | Tribes |
Shrines | Earthquake
Ziarat is a district in the north of Balochistan province of Pakistan.
Ziarat town (situated at an altitude of about 2,400 meters) is headquarters
of the district of the Sub division, and also of the tehsil. Khilafat Hills
are the highest peak with an altitude of 11.400 feet (3.475 m) in Ziarat
district.
It is located at 30°22'47N 67°43'38E with an altitude of 2543 metres (8346
feet) and is a famous holiday resort of Balochistan and nearly every trip
from Karachi to Quetta stops at Ziarat. Ziarat (literally ziarat is an
Islamic shrine) was the summer residence of the chief commissioner of
Baluchistan, and sanatorium for the European troops at Quetta: 8850 ft.
above the sea and 33 m. by cart-road from the railway. There is a good water
supply, and the hills around are well-wooded and picturesque.The local dish
of Ziarat is saji. More tourists visit the place in summer.
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Ziarat on Satellite Map
Places of Interest
| Hotels |
Fuel Stations
Demography
The population of Ziarat district was estimated to be over 100,000 in 2005.
Over 99% of the people of the area are Muslims. The major tribes of Ziarat
are Pashtun tribes such as Kakar , Dotani, Syed, Tareen and Raisani. Raisani
is the sub tribe of Tor Tareen. The main language of the district is Pashto.
The Kakar tribe are split into the following clans Dummer which is the
largest tribe of District Ziarat living in Tehsil Sinjavi,Panezai, sanerzai
Sarangzai, and Essa Kail. Kawas is the largest village of the district. Most
of the people are syedan at Kawas
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Juniper Forest in Ziarat
Ziarat is also very famous for its juniper forest. Junipers species
Juniperous macropoda , Juniperous exceisa polycarpus or Pashthani Juniper
are found in Ziarat districts and Zarghoon mount and some other mounted
areas of Balochistan known as the second largest Juniper forest in the
world, which covers an area of about 247,000 acres. United Nations (UN)
included this forest in the world heritage list. There are many important
species found in this ecosystem including animal and birds, the Chakor
partridge, bushes and ground flora which local people use these plants as
indigenous treatments for a variety of diseases.The junipers are considered
to be the real treasure of Ziarat. There are trees in the valley which are
more than 5000 to 7000 years old. In Ziarat a herb called Ephedra sinica is
found in abundance from which a chemical called ephedrine is extracted, an
important constituent of various medicines, especially cough syrups. When
the snow falls in Ziarat's winter the juniper valley is at its most
beautiful.Chiltan Adventurers Association Balochistan is raising voice on
National & International level as Juniper Defenders for the conservation of
this world heritage since 1984.
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Tourism
Ziarat has some of the oldest Juniper forests in the world. A tourist
destination, the economy of the district also benefits from orchards of
apples and cherries. The Ziarat district has the highest Human Development
Index of all districts in the province. The Founder of Pakistan, Muhammad
Ali Jinnah spent his last days of his life in Ziarat Residency in Ziarat.
The Residency was constructed in 1892. It is an important building, the
whole building is actually a wooden structure beautifully designed and has
great architectural importance. It was originally meant to be a sanatorium,
and it was converted into the summer residence of the Agent of the Governor
General. It is now a National Monument[disambiguation needed]. The residency
catches the tourists' attention due to its unique location and the wonderful
hilly surroundings. The weather is really pleasant during summer time and
the local people are hospitable, but in winter the weather is severe and it
is more difficult to survive. During summer time the apple and cherry
gardens provide a pleasant view for tourists.
THE GORGES: Balochistan is an arid land which receives very low rainfall
annually. But innumerable natural springs known as KAREZ and streams are
found in most of the areas. There are more than a half dozen gorges around
Ziarat formed by natrul karez spring water falling through narrow opening
amongst the mountain rocks producing a dramatic effect. The famous gorges
along the road to Ziarat are Chutair Tangi, Kahn Tangi, Kawas Tangi, Faran
Tangi and the Sandman Tangi.
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Tribes
The tribes of Pashtuns living in valley include the Tareens,Dotanis and
Kakars.
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Shrines
The shrine of Baba Kharwari is 8 km from Ziarat town. A member of Sarang zai
tribe, his name was Tahir. He became a disciple of Nana Sahib and a number
of miracles are attributed to him. He is buried in a valley about 8 km from
Ziarat. A large number of people visit his shrine and offer sacrifices in
his memory. During the Eid festival, the tribesmen gather around the shrine
and hold wrestling and marksmanship competitions.
The shrine of Nau Gaza Baba is 1 km from Ziarat town.It is sorrounded by big
graveyards.Nau Gaza Baba's real name was Kareemdad. He was a member of the 'Esakhail
Sanerzai' tribe.When he died, his body became large by nine(Nau)
yards(gaz)therefore people started to call him Nau Gaza Baba.Many people
visit the shrine to pray.
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Earthquake
2008 Pakistan earthquake
On the morning of October 29, 2008 around 4:00 am the town and surrounding
areas were struck by an earthquake. The first was a 6.2 magnitude but lasted
a couple of seconds the next followed at a magnitude of 6.4 lasting almost
30 seconds destroying many mud houses leaving several government buildings
destroyed as well.
Neighbouring villages were also badly affected by the earthquake. Over
50,000 people have been made homeless and 300 feared dead.Landslides have
cut-off many roads and accessibility to the area has been made more
difficult. Military helicopters are being used to reach mountainous and
remote locations, where some villages have been cut off by landslides.
Military helicopters are being used to reach mountainous and remote
locations, where some villages have been cut off by landslides. Scale of the
disaster is overwhelming. The aftershocks have also been felt in the city of
Quetta causing widespread alarm.The rescue and relief squad of Chiltan
Adventures association Balochistan sponsored by Pakistan Customs Quetta
distributed the relief goods to the effectives of mountain remote areas, the
same team rescueved and helped the survivors jointly with the Chinees search
and rescue team in ball kot earthquake 2005. The activists with hard-line
Islamic organisations were first to reach some of the most remote parts with
relief supplies. Among them was Jamaat-ud-Dawa, designated a terrorist group
by the US government for its links to Kashmiri Muslim separatists. The same
group also helped survivors of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, which killed
over 75,000 people.In 1935, Quetta suffered almost complete destruction in
1935 Balochistan earthquake which claimed the lives of about 30,000 people.
Pakistan sits atop an area of seismic collision between the Eurasian and
Indian tectonic plates, the same force that created the Himalayan mountains.
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