ZIARAT is small yet scenic town located 130km to the north of Quetta. Surround by verdant mountains, lush green forests and situated at a height of 2,449 metres, Ziarat is holiday resort attracting local tourists from Balochistan and Sindh during harsh summers. During the Eid, the number of tourists peak to nearly half a million.

However, the town’s tourism potential has consistently been ignored by the successive governments as little investment has been put in to develop the town. Roads are in a derelict state and the telecommunication infrastructure is extremely poor, unable to provide normal services.

There is not a single good quality restaurant in the entire town. Despite having multiple beautiful places not a single one has been developed for the purpose of tourism. Electricity supply is erratic, while water remains scare.

Ziarat valley has enormous tourism potential as it is mostly covered by juniper forests. The place is also ideal for hiking and trekking as it contains many mighty mountains. The famous Quaid-i-Azam residency is also located in the town, attracting the tourists because of its unique architectural design and hilly surroundings.

The Balochistan government must invest more for promoting tourism in Ziarat.

Saad Khosa

Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2018

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