Even in the third millennium, when man has travelled into space and established stations on other planets, there are areas in Pakistan which the local people regard as ‘no-go area’ for the human beings because of the belief that they are the abodes or haunts of jinns and ‘fairies’ who may punish the intruders. One such area is the picturesque and resource-rich Gustoi region, situated in the lap of tall mountains 110 kilometres off the city of Zhob in Balochistan province.
The local population believes that some stretches of this region, which is located on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, are the haunts of jinns and fairies. To avoid the possibility of reprisals, the inhabitants have, as a precautionary measure, imposed restrictions on the entry of human beings to those areas.
The residents — mostly Karezai Mandokhels — assert that those who venture into the haunts of the spirits either lose their lives or face grave damage as punishment by the offended spirits. However, some people go to the valley in search of ancient treasures — antiques of the Mughal era — or out of sheer curiosity.
The elders of the area maintain that the supernatural beings richly rewarded the local people in the past for not intruding in the stretches inhabited by these invisible creatures. Once, the spirits pledged that they would provide a spring of water to the local people and asked them to distribute alms, feed the hungry and beat drums at the point where they wanted the water spring to spout.
According to the legend, due to a death in Gustoi, the people forgot to beat the drums on the appointed day. However, on that day, there was a wedding in the neighbouring village of Kam Gustoi. The residents of that village sacrificed animals, distributed alms and merrily danced on drum tunes on that day. Suddenly, a spring of water spouted from the spot where the drummers were entertaining people. No one, till this day, knows the exact source of the water which, meandering below hard rocks, gushes out at that point. Even after many decades, the inhabitants of Kam Gustoi are using water from the spring whereas Gustoi remains without any perennial source of water.
Gustoi’s main source of water is snow melt and rain, but it is marginal and the inhabitants have no choice but to depend solely upon agriculture and flock-rearing. Due to scarify of water, the locals suffer as agricultural activities and job opportunities remain limited.
River Kundar runs west of Gustoi along the boundary line between Pakistan and Afghanistan — the Durrand Line. Situated amidst tall and majestic mountains, Gustoi presents a unique spectacle. Its eastern side is devoid of vegetation, while the lush western side looks like a heavenly spot.
The principal trees found in the highlands are olive, pistachio and chilgoza pine. Wild almond, cherry, pomegranate and willow are also not uncommon. Tamarisk grows along the bed of the river Kundar. In addition to some medicinal herbs, zira (cumin) and isphaghol (plantago ovata) grow in profusion all over the hills. Being at a high altitude, the climate of Gustoi is temperate and better than that of the adjoining areas. The mountains surrounding Gustoi are also reported to be rich in mineral resources.
The region has ruins of the Mughal period as well. Fragments of ancient pottery can still be collected from those ruins. It is said that silver and gold coins of ancient times have also been discovered from there.
The wild animals found in the area include wolf, jackal, hyena, badger, deer, hare, fox and porcupine, while leopard and black bear are occasionally seen in the high hills. The region is a breeding ground for the straight-horned markhor (wild goat) and mountain sheep.
The area is a natural habitat of many species of game birds. Chikor and sisi are numerous in the high altitude parts of the region; while partridge, pigeon, sand grouse, quail and bustard abound in the plains. Among the birds, the dove, hoopoe, starling and wagtail and the most common ones. Migratory birds — wild duck and pelican — appear in large number during winter.
The favourite pastime of the local population is hunting. Khadi kabab and landhi (dried meat) are their favourite dishes. Khadi kabab is prepared through a novel technique that requires great expertise. After slaughtering the animal, it is properly cleaned and placed in a deep trench. Fire is lit around the slaughtered animal in a way that the meat gets barbecued gently. The trench is then covered, except for a hole which is left to serve as chimney. The chef keeps rotating the animal-to-be-barbecued with the help of a rod whose one point is attached to the animal. After about 40 minutes, the dish is ready to be tasted.
Gustoi is not yet connected through a metalled road even with its own district headquarters, Zhob. It is, therefore, not surprising that legends and myths abound about a resource-rich village situated in an area that needs development.
Even in the third millennium, when man has travelled into space and established stations on other planets, there are areas in Pakistan which the local people regard as ‘no-go area’ for the human beings because of the belief that they are the abodes or haunts of jinns and ‘fairies’ who may punish the intruders. One such area is the picturesque and resource-rich Gustoi region, situated in the lap of tall mountains 110 kilometres off the city of Zhob in Balochistan province.
