Thursday, December 25, 2008

Most Beautiful Glaciers In Pakistan


Fairy Land indeed...





This is taken near Sharda in Azad Kashmir,Pakistan.It is indeed a
fairy land one after one you will see sceneries like this.You don't
need to be a photographer when you are in this part of Pakistan all
you need is just to click one after one scenery.Minimarg is the
name of the place.

Wilderness of Glacier & Snow Lake



This might happened with you too if you are trekking on the

largest non-polar glacial world "The Karakorams".The

karakoram is one of the greatest mountain range on earth

with almost entirely in Northern Pakistan starting from


west and runs towards east the karakoram covers an area of 300 miles in

between.The Sim gang Glacier also known as "Snow Lake" forms the divide

between the Hipar,Biafo and Panmah glaciers.This is the longest glacial trek in

the world outside polar regions with the incredible length of 126 km.The highest

mountain in the picture is baintha Braak 7285 mSee close picture of Baintha

Braak 7285 here


Fairy Meadows

I am quite confident that this place of Pakistan must be

included among Ten Most beautiful places of the world.The

World Ninth Highest Mountain "Nanga Parbat" 8126 metres
above sea level in the Background.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

The Most Beautiful Hill Station In Pakistan Karakoram

Baltoro & Siachen Glaciers


The beautiful coincidence point of Siachen and Baltoro glaciers
(75 km & 64 km respectively).The two longest non-polar glaciers
in the world.More than 60 peaks (above 7000 metres) of
Karakoram mountain range are clustered around the both
two.Baltoro glacier contains 28 peaks above 7000 metres with 4
even above 8000 metres & the Siachen glacier contains 32 peaks above 7000
metres. I have marked in detail the most important mountains here although i am
not completely aware of all the mountains here but whatever i know i have
marked here.It is recommended that you should viewed it large.Taken in Pakistan
Airlines Karakoram Safari.

Amazingly Beautiful Shimshal Lake

The mounatins of Pamirs almost follow same pattern and

same Slope that is what made Shimshal So beautiful and

Unreal.The gentle slopes of Pamirs are so soothing to the eye

unlike Karakorams in the other parts of Pakistan whose height

makes one neck to feel uncomfortable.the flowers spread on
the fields are Marvellous.The Lake is just an addition to the beauty.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Karakoram And Kashmir Hill Station In Pakistan

The Kingdom of Beauty
This title is perfect to define the beauty of Neelum Valley in
Azad jammu and Kashmir which is in Pakistan's Control..The
Beautiful forests continue on their way across the line of
control into the Indian held Kashmir and finally mountains
converts into the flat plain of Kashmir Valley.This area is not
far from the soul of Kashmir THE KASHMIR VALLEY which is in Indian
Control.On the northern side (further into Pakistan) the forests end soon and
these mounatins become even more high and finally Snow capped.The very calm
Indigo Blue Neelum River can be seen in the picture.
Rush Lake & the surroundings
The beautiful high altitude rush lake with it's gorgeous

surroundings.The peaks visible in the background are

the peaks of Lesser Karakoram Range.Remember this

picture is only photoshopped by me.




Fairy Land indeed...
This is taken near Sharda in Azad Kashmir,Pakistan.It is

indeed a fairy land one after one you will see sceneries

like this.You don't need to be a photographer when you

are in this part of Pakistan all you need is just to click one

after one scenery.Minimarg is the name of the place.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Murree Hill Station Pakistan


Chair Lift

Up near Murree there is a creaky chair lift. The kind man let it go
around one more time even tho i had arrived when he had just
closed the system. It was a lot of fun and the scenery was great from
that height. Below the chair lift young boys would recite verses











Most Popular Resort...Muree

Murree in the Punjab and its adjoining hill stations, mostly situated in

the Frontier Province, provide a cool retreat in summer to the people

of the Punjab and the Frontier Province, particularly to those living in

Rawalpindi and Islamabad.Murree is the most developed of these hill

stations and has cool climate in summer and crisply cold in winter. It


was developed by the British as a summer resort of the Punjab which

it continued to be up to 1876 when the name was transferred to Simia








Ayubia....Famous Hill Resort

Murree and the Galiat Hill Tracts have long been Pakistan’s most

important domesti tourist destinations. Between the Hill stations of

Murree and Nathiagali lies Ayubia, 90 km from Islamabad and 26

km from Murree, situated at an elevation of 8000 feet above sea

level. Ayubia is an ideal place to have a quiet holiday away from the

sweltering heat of summer plains.The PTDC Motel is located near

the famous Ayubia Chairlift. Surrounded by magnificent green hills, meadows and forests of Pine




Friday, December 5, 2008

History Of Hill Stations In Pakistan

Geography


Murree is a mountainous area, forming part of outer Himalayas, situated at 33.35’ north latitude and 73ยบ 27’ eastern longitudes. It consists of four gradually increasing supers. On highest among them is situated Murree city itself at height of 7500 feet. Others include Patriata, Kuldana and Gharial. It is bounded by River Jehlum in the east, NWFP districts of Abbottabad and Heripur to the North and West, Islamabad Capital Territory to the Southwest and Kotli Sattian Tehsil (town) of Rawalpindi district to the South.

Earlier Period



Administrative division of region comprising the whole area including present day Islamabad, districts of Rawalpindi, Jehlum and Attock of Punjab and Haripur, Abbottabad and Mansehra of NWFP has been changing from time to time
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throughout the history. Gazetteer of Rawalpindi District 1893-4, quoting historians of Alexander the Great, states that at the time of the Greek invasion the hill country North and Northeast of Taxila comprising present day Murree and Kahuta (including Kotli Sattian which was created as a tehsil in 1993 a century later) was ruled by Abhisar. The kingdom was named after the king. During the Mughal period all hilly and semi hilly areas east of Haripur plains were part of Fatehpur Babari (Rawalpindi) under the the governorship of Gakkars. Murree, Kahuta, Kotli Sattian, parts of present day Haripur and Abbottabad districts formed part of the Khakhar governorship. The Hazara plains, present district of Haripur were part of Attock district while the Mansehra region, then called Pakhli sarkar was governed from Kashmir. The writer of Gazetter of Hazara 1883-4 states that Khanpur, the Dhund and Karral country including the Rojoiya Ilaka (region) were part of the district. All the tribes acknowledged nominal supremacy of the Gakkars. However, as the Mughal power declined the Dhunds, Karrals and Jadun started to assert themselves and refused to pay any revenue to anyone. The situation seems to have continued during the Afghan period. In the local parlance this era in the history is called “apraji’ or self rule.

The Sikh Rule



Sikh Sardar Milka Singh Thepuria occupied Rawalpindi in late seventeenth century but hilly areas including the Dhund and Karral country retained independence. Though Milka Singh granted 107 villages of the hill track Ghakkar chiefs but the gift was more nominal then real. Maharaja Ranjit Singh took direct control of the Rawalpindi District in 1820. The Sikh armies, under the command of Hari Singh, attacked the area twice during next ten years but failed to subjugate the Karral and Dhund tribes inhabiting the area. Frustrated by the continued resistance by the local population, in 1831 Maharaja Ranjit Singh entrusted the rule of the area to Sardar Ghulab Singh, then Sikh Governor of Muzaffarabad. Sardar Ghulab Singh treated the local population, especially the Dhond tribe, in a very harsh manner. He let loose his Sikh army over the tribe. His soldiers were rewarded one rupee for every hill man slain. It is said that the killing by the troops of Sardar Ghulab Singh became so numerous that it became a burden on his treasury. As a result, the reward was first reduced to half a rupee per person killed and then was further reduced to quarter of a rupee. However, as the Sikh empire started to disintegrate in the aftermath of palace intrigues which engulfed the Lahore court after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1839, the Dhunds and Karrals again rose in revolt and the troops had to be sent from Lahore to quell the resistance.

British Period



Under the terms of Treaty of Lahore of March 9, 1946 signed after First Anglo Sikh War between the British government and Maharaja Duleep Singh of Punjab, Kashmir and Hazara were ceded to the British government in lieu of payment of ten million rupees which the Sikh state was to pay to the British in punishment for waging war against them. Later following week the British Government conferred the title of Maharaja on Sardar Gulab Singh of Jammu. On March 16,1846 the British government and Maharaja Gulab Singh singed the treaty of Amritsar. Under the treaty the British government ceded all the area between river Ravi and Indus, (Kashmir and Hazara) to the Maharaja against payment of seventy-five lakh of rupees (7.5 million Nanakshahi). There was resistance to the British decision all over Hazara and Kashmir. Though Shamsuddin the Governor of Kashmir later accepted the treaty under threat of army action by the British and hand over reign to Gulab Singh , but the resistance in the Hazara continued. As a consequence Maharaja Gulab Singh requested the British to exchange Hazara with territories near Jammu. The British government, which in the meantime annexed the Punjab in March 1849, accepted the request and took over the Hazara district from Maharaja Gulab Singh. At the time of British took over, all the hilly areas east of Rawalpindi formed part of the Hazara District. In July 1850 the British government decided to hand over 309 villages Hazara to Rawalpindi. The ilakas (regions) handed over the the Rawalpindi district from Hazara included Pulgran, Kurri, Mughal, (Rawalpindi Tehsil) Charhan, Dewal, Kotli, Karor (Murree Tehsil) Jasgam, Kahuta, Kairo , Murree (Kahuta Tehsil) and Haro (Attock tehsil). However, parts of Dhund areas like Bakot, Boi, and Lora and the Karral country which formed part of Rawalpindi before 1831 were not returned to the Rawalpindi district and were kept in Hazara, which at that time consisted of Tehsils of Haripur and Mansehra. Tehsil Abbottabad was created in 1874 and most of these areas were included in the new Tehsil. Later in 1901 the Province of North West Frontier Province was created and Hazara district was merged into the new province. Thus the people of same ethnic group living together for centuries were divided into two provinces by virtue of the decision taken in July 1850.

Laying of Murree City

Habitually the people of Murree preferred the low laying area, where climate was more favourable for agriculture and tops of the mountains were forests and pastures. However, due to their climate the same heights were liked by the British and they decided to build the same as a "little England" in the Punjab. For this purpose they purchased and leased hill tops from the local Dhond tribe under different agreements. The Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Rawalpindi established their summer offices in the area in 1851. Soon the area became famous in the British Indian empire and more and more tourists and businessmen started to arrive in the area. Murree Sanatorium Committee was established in 1851. The committee was renamed as municipal committee in 1867.The British soldiers arrived in Murree in 1850. Initially they encamped at Nandkot near Tret, about thirty kilometers from Islamabad. However they had to leave the place and go present site of Murree as there were large number of cases where soldiers were bitten by snakes. Barracks for the soldiers were built in 1853 and proper houses started to be constructed.

War of Independence

The local tribes, have long history of resistance to Afghan and Sikh rule, initially did give much thought to the British occupation. But as the British started to settle in the eyebrows were raised and they started thinking about waging war against the new invaders. By the time of the War of Independence, or what the British called spy rebellion, the people of Murree were already convinced about military struggle against the British. As the news about the war came in, the tribes started consultations with this effect. According to the gazetteer of Rawalpindi 1893, the British government received reports of pledges among the tribesmen for the purpose in May, June 1857. The British called to local tribal heads to Murree and detained them in the name of consultations. However, as it seemed to be counterproductive so the tribesmen were allowed to return to their villages. On September 2, 1857 the local tribesmen, belonging to Dhond (Abbasi) tribe attacked the British settlements. However, the British got the information about the attack before hand and were well prepared and the Dhond attack was repulsed with heavy losses. In the meantime more force was called from Rawalpindi and services of loyal tribes were also called. With increased force the British government started retaliatory action against the Dhond tribe. A number of tribesmen were killed during the operation and their villages were put on fire. Many others were arrested. Seeing the fate of the Dhond tribe, other hill tribes, who had earlier pledged their support to Dhonds, changed sides and assured their support to the British government. After the end of the war those under arrest were charged for various offences and their properties were confiscate. On October 17, 1858, 23 persons were blasted away by tying them in front of cannon. That brutal act took place at agency ground adjacent of Army Public School. Others were sent in banishment to Andaman and Nicobar islands for life. As a collective punishment Dhonds were banned from joining any government service. The ban was only lifted at the start of present century but still the British animosity was not removed and they were continued to be called as treacherous, mischievous and untrustworthy in the government chronicles.


After the War

The Mall Road was constructed in 1860 and buildings were constructed on one side of the road while no constructed was allowed on the other side to maintain the beauty of the surroundings. This law continued to be strictly followed for next hundred and thirty years. In early 1990s, the law was allowed to be violated which has resulted in undesired construction on the Mall. Murree was declared summer capital of the Punjab in 1873. The capita had to be shifted to Simla (now Hamachal Pradesh India) owing to widespread cases of Deahrea. At the start of twentieth century the British government established cantonments and military establishments at various places around Murree including Kuldana, Gharial, Upper and Lower Topa, Barian, and Kalabagh (near Nathiagalli). In the meantime Murree was also declared summer headquarter of the Northern Command of Indian Army which further increased Murree's position. During the period a number of English medium schools for the children of British families and solders were established. They included the Lawrence college, Saint Dynes and convent of Juses and Merry. After independence Murree continued to progress with each passing day and it popularity increased among the common Pakistanis. Before independence the entry of people of the Subcontinent to the Mall Road was very restricted.

Means of Communication



Jehlum valley provides Punjab and thus the whole of South Asia the most easiest access into the vale of Kashmir. By virtue of its geographical location Murree was always used as gateway the the state. A network of roads and ferry services were available on the river since the time immemorial to connect the South Asian Subcontinent with what Emperor Jahangir called paradise on earth. One of such important roads passed through Murree and entered Kashmir at Kohala after passing through Dewal. The distance from Murree to Kashmir through this road was 163 miles. Murree being 40 miles Of which 21 miles were in Murree and remaining in Kashmir. There was a ferry service available at Kohala. The Gazetteer of Kashmir 1873 says that there was an old fort at Dewal, 12 miles from Murree. Dhak Banglows were available at (Ausia, near Dewal) and Kohala. This road ran closer to the present Kohala Bridal road. Suspension bridge was constructed at Kohala in 1872. which was replaced with a new bridge in 1896. Likewise There were roads connecting Poonch with to Punjab passing through Murree. There three tracks from Poonch to Murree. Two of them crossed joined at Kohala and crossed the river from there. The third one from Poonch to Ser Kakota, Kalapani, Parral and Raoli crossed the river at Khoaddar, 16 miles from Murree, where a ferry service was available. It was regarded as the easiest and the best route to Poonch from the Punjab. Besides Kohala and Khoaddar ferries were available to cross the river Jehlum at Serri, Malot Sattian, Rampattan and Lachman. Construction of road between Rawalpindi and Murree was completed in 1873 and same was extended to Kohala and onwards to Kashmir in 1917. The section of the road between Murree to Kohala was realigned. The new section eighteen miles longer then the old road. After the construction of the new road the old road became in disuse for almost a century till it was realigned and metalled in 1970. Besides the Rawalpindi Murree road constructed after the British occupation, there were small paths connecting Murree with Rawalpindi through different routes. Till 1922 only tangas and bullcarts used to run between Rawalpindi and Murree and onwards to Baramula in Kashmir. In 1922 solid tyre bus-cum-truck called lorries started to run on the road. Later hollow tyre buses and trucks were introduced. Great strides were made in the construction of road network in the Murree subdivision after independence and now the area has a wide network connecting almost each village with main roads. Currently work is underway for the construction of four lane Rawalpindi-Murree Expressway. The road will be completed by December 2007.