National Parks of Pakistan

In Pakistan a National Park is an area of outstanding scenic merit and natural beauty where the landscape, flora and fauna are protected and preserved in a natural state. Public access for recreation, education and research is provided for. Access roads and other facilities should be planned so they do not conflict with the main objectives of national parks. Hunting wild animals is prohibited, as is firing gun or otherwise interfering with animals and plants. Clearing land for cultivation, mining or allowing polluted water to flow in National Parks is also prohibited. Under the regulations, these acts may be allowed for scientific purposes or to improve the park.

There are 14 National Parks in Pakistan. Following are the major National Parks of Pakistan:

* Hingol National Park
* Kirthar National Park
* Khunjerab National Park
* Chitral Gol National Park
* Lal Suhanra National Park
* Hazarganji-Chiltan National Park
* Margalla Hills National Park
* Ayubia National Park Gorakh: A Sight to Behold ...................

On November 2, 2006, I headed for Gorakh, a beautiful piece of land in Sindh. I left Karachi for the purpose, and some of my friends from my native village joined me. We met at Johi which is district Dadu’s taluka headquarters. We started moving towards Wahi Pandhi, a small village of Johi taluka. It was a neat and clean village. We also saw a police station and some NGO workers there. The village was surrounded by lush green fields. The villagers were mostly from Rustamani, Jamali and Laghari tribes. After spending some time there, we began heading towards Gorakh via Wahi Pandhi.

The journey till Drabhani was easy; but at this point our car stalled because the 4WD had stopped functioning. We tried to toe it but didn’t succeed. So we decided to leave it at Drabhani. Dusk had already fallen. We saw the lights of a vehicle blazing from the mountain. The vehicle came close to us and the people in it got off and met us. They told us that there were very sharp turns and difficult tracks all the way up. We were a bit worried. Then I decided to go upwards, drop two of our members, then come back and pick them. That’s how we managed to do the needful, but in a very difficult manner. There were very sharp, dangerous turns, especially the one which was at Khawal Point.

By this time we were bathed in moonlight. The place was very scenic and was surrounded by mountains. We decided to stay there for a while. Our cook started cooking food for us. He made very delicious chicken karahi, okra, daal and boiled rice with salad. We stayed there till 1am. Then I went into my tent and slept, while the other guys slept in their tents.

The next morning, someone told us about a beautiful water stream called Heeingar. All of us had a quick breakfast. While sitting there we saw many locals going downwards riding camels and donkeys. A friend of mine chatted with them and inquired about their traditions in a friendly manner.

Moving towards Heeingar (downhill), we found out that the terrain was a bit difficult to tread on. But once we reached there, the place turned out to be a beautiful spot. The crystal clear water was flowing down from the mountain, creating a picturesque sight. The sound of the thunderous water was amazing. We washed our faces and hands and took some pictures. I had never seen such a beautiful place in my life. The water here, apart from irrigating the land, takes care of the drinking water needs of the locals. There was an injeer tree at the place from where the water was coming gushing down.

While spending some time at Heeingar we started moving up to our base camp Khawal. On our way back we saw goats at the top of the mountains. We started moving up to the Gorakh Rest House and finally reached our destination in 20 minutes. The distance from our base camp was 12.5kms. The road was newly constructed and was in a good condition. The rest house was quite cosy too.

We found Gorakh to be a wonderful place and more beautiful than Khawal. The 400-acre piece of scenic green land, which is 5,688ft above sea level, is a sight to behold. We roamed there till 4pm and then came back to our base camp. I took a 30-minute nap. After a brief rest, we resumed moving towards our destination.

Visiting the breathtaking sight brought to light some issues that need to be addressed by the authorities concerned on an urgent basis. For example, there are no schools or hospitals for local people and no education system is in place in the region.

It also needs to be mentioned here that if one is a wildlife watcher, Gorakh has a lot to offer. There are tigers, wolves, bears, doves, and white partridges etc.

Local people told us that it only snows in January in Gorakh. In the summer season the weather is quite pleasant, whereas in winters it is extremely cold.

While we were there, I personally drove all the way to Gorakh hilltop and my 4WD really gave me great assistance. It was a thrilling experience.

All those who have an interest in visiting wonderful places must visit Gorakh. But the problem is that the place is not as developed as tourists would like it to be. The authorities concerned must give attention to Gorakh, for it has the potential for becoming one of Pakistan’s prime tourist spots.