Quetta
Quetta is the largest city and provincial capital and district of Baluchistan Province, Pakistan. The city is the provisional and district headquarters and is an important marketing and communications centre between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Situated at an elevation of 1676–1900 meters above sea level in north-western Pakistan, Quetta is also know as the fruit basket of Pakistan.
Quetta city is comprised of a valley and 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. surrounded by three different mountain ranges. It is north west of Karachi and south west of Islamabad.
Quetta is a major tourist attraction for tourists from abroad. It is advertised as a thrilling location, full of adventure and enjoyment. Some prominent bazaars of Quetta are located on the roads Shahrah-e-Iqbal (the Kandahari Bazaar) and Shahrah-e-Liaquat (the Liaquat and Suraj Gang Bazaar, Alamdar road (little Tokyo). Here, tourists can find colorful handicrafts, particularly Balochi mirror work and Pashtun embroidery which is admired all over the world.
Turbat
Turbat is city located in Balochistan, Pakistan. The town is located in southwest of the Balochistan province in Pakistan it is situated on the left bank of the Kech River, which is a tributary to the Dasht River. The Makran Range to the north and east descends to coastal plains in the south. The town is a marketplace for dates grown in the surrounding region and has a date-processing factory. Jowar (sorghum), barley, wheat, and rice are also grown, and livestock are raised.
Koh-e-Murad is a shrine, which is located in Turbat, Baluchistan. This is a sacred place for Zikris where they believe that Syed Mohammad Jaunpuri (who they view as the Mahdi) meditated and offered prayers for a long time. The followers of Zikri sect gather here at the night of 27th Ramadan for ziarat of this shrine. The town has a special place in Baloch folklore and literature, it is the home of Punnu, the hero of the romance of Sassi Punnun. The remains of Punnu's fort can still be seen at Turbat.
Chaman
Chaman (also spelt Chamman) (Pashto: چمن ) is loctated in Qilla Abdullah District, Balochistan, Pakistan. Chaman is situated on the border with Afghanistan. Across the border in Afghanistan is the town of Spin Boldak in the province of Kandahar.
Chaman is home to a significant population of refugees which has helped Chaman grow considerably over the years. The Afghan Refugees originally fled the civil war and the Soviet Union's invasion in 1979. The town is also home to a football (soccer) club - Afghan Football Club Chaman, which plays in the Pakistan Premier League. Two from this team are playing for the Pakistan national football team, including the vice captain, Muhammad Essa.
Sibi
Sibi is a city located in Sibi Tehsil, Balochistan, Pakistan and head-quarters of the Sibi District. The history of the town goes back to 13th century. It is now an important junction on the Sind-Peshin railway where the Harnai line and the Quetta loop line meet, near the entrance of the Bolan Pass, 88 m southeast of Quetta.
Sibi's population in 1901 was 4551. The district, which was formed in 1903, has an area of 4152 square metres. It had a population in 1901 of 74,555. The largest part became a British territory by the treaty of Gandamak in 1879; the rest is administered under a perpetual lease from the Khan of Kalat. Political control is also exercised over the Marri-Bugti country, with an additional area of 7129 square metres and a population in 1901 of 38,919. In addition to the town of Sibi, the district contains the sanatorium of Ziarat, the summer residence of the government and the Victoria Memorial Hall which was build in 1903.
Zhob
Zhob is a small city in Balochistan, Pakistan. Zhob is located on banks of Zhob River and is the capital of Zhob District. The population of Zhob District is estimated to be over 425,000.
Zhob is a valley and river in the N.E. of Baluchistan. The Zhob is a large valley running from the hills near Ziarat first eastward and then northward parallel to the Indus frontier, until it meets the Gomal river at Khajuri Kach. It thus becomes a strategic line of great importance, as being the shortest route between the North-West Frontier Province and Quetta, and dominates all the Pathan tribes of Baluchistan by cutting between them and Aighanistan.
Gwadar
Gwadar is located on the southwestern coast of Pakistan, close to the Strait of Hormuz on the Persian Gulf. More than 13 million bbl/d of oil passes through the Strait. It is strategically located between three increasingly important regions: the oil-rich Middle East, heavily populated South Asia and the economically emerging and resource-laden Central Asia. The Gwadar Port is expected to generate billions of dollars in revenues and create at least two million jobs. In the year 2007, the government of Pakistan has handed port operations over to PSA Singapore for 25 years giving it the status of a Tax Free Port for the following 40 years.
Gwadar's location and history have given it a unique blend of cultures. The Arabic influence upon Gwadar is strong as a consequence of the Omani era and the close proximity of other Arab-majority regions. The legacy of the Omani slave trade is observed in the population by the presence of residents which can trace their descent from the African slaves who were trafficked through the town (en route to destinations in the Muslim Far East. The area also has a remarkable religious diversity, being home to not only Sunni muslims, but also to groups of Christians, Hindus, Qadianis, Parsis and various other minor Islamic sects. Among the more important of the religious sects is the Zikri sect, a faith which approximately one-half of Gwadaris profess.
Pasni
Pasni is a medium-sized town and a fishing port in Balochistan, Pakistan. It is located on the Makran coast on Arabian Sea about 300 km from Karachi. Administratively, Pasni is a sub-division of Gwadar district and includes Pasni and Ormara Tehsils (tehsil - county) as well as Astola Island which lies 40km ESE of Pasni, in the Arabian Sea.
The town houses a modern fish harbour, with fishing being the main occupation of the town dwellers. Frozen catch is also sent to Turbat and Karachi for sale in the larger markets.
Nushki
Nushki in Balochi and Brahui it is known as Noshkay. The word Nushki is given to Noshkay by the British colonisers. Balochistan was invaded by the British in 1839. On 13 November 1839, The Khan or King of Balochistan, Mehrab Khan martyrd by the British occupier army at Kalat, capital of Balochistan. The town lies 90 miles southwest of Shal also known as Quetta, and is situated in a plain at the base of the Quetta plateau, 2,900 ft (880 m) above sea level. Population is over 50,000. From this point the flat Balochistan desert stretches away northwards and westwards to the Helmund river. The administration of the Nushki district was taken over from the Khan of Kalat by the British government in 1896. In 1902 a railway of 91 miles (146 km) was sanctioned from Quetta to Nushki, for military purposes, which was completed in 1905. This railway makes Nushki the starting-point of the caravan route to Seistan.
Most of the Noshki population belongs to Baloch tribes. Apart from Balochs there are settler Baraich, Punjabi and HindusNo Bungali is living in Nushki.In Noshkay two languages are spoken which are Balochi and Brahui. Following tribes live in Nushki.
Kalat
Kalat is a historical town located in Kalat District, Balochistan, Pakistan. Kalat is the capital of Kalat District and is known locally as Kalat-e Baluch.
Kalat, formerly Kilat, is located roughly in the center of Balochistan, Pakistan, south and slightly west of the provincial capital Quetta. It was the capital of the Kalat Khanate. The population is almost completely muslim. The town of Kalat is said to have been founded by and named Kalat-e Sewa, after Sewa, a legendary hero of the Brahui people.
