Fruit & Vegetable seller, Kolpur, Balochistan

Fruit & Vegetable seller, Kolpur, Balochistan
Originally uploaded by Ameer Hamza

Date: 4th June, 2010.

(There are two entries from Kolpur from my Balochistan diary. See June & July 2010).

I really wanted to share this photograph. Sky was stark blue and it appears bluer because of the brownish contrast provided by mud backed shops and the equally muddy mountain in the background. The man is also wearing brownish clothes. And he is selling his fruits placed in brown wooden cartons, as is custom in this country. But this photograph does not tell you about its history.

Last year or so many of the Punjabis were asked by Baloch nationalists to vacate their shops here or face the music. People not aware with the geo-politics of Balochistan province must be reminded that few of the Baloch tribes are fighting for independence or larger automy for their province. Foreign hands are playing their dirty game here.

I personally love this small, muddy town. It is extremely photogenic and you may wander around for 2-4 hours here. It is perhaps 35 minutes from Quetta, provincial capital of Balochistan.

25 men killed by our own FC?

I got call yesterday from someone who witnessed first hand these events. That person is a Sindhi-Baloch and is a permanent resident of Dera.

He informed me that there was an attack on FC convoy in which one man, presumably of the FC, was killed. In retaliation, FC men indiscriminately started firing towards the local people, who were running halter shelter to save their lives after the bomb blast. Instead of understanding the situation FC started firing and killing. One of the relatives of my friend, who related this incidence to me, was also shot dead inside his own shop which happens to be nearby the place of bomb attack. In total, 25 men were killed by FC men. Many more are injured. I think Tribune should carry out more research as the numbers of dead might as well increase.

In a sad tone my friend told me that he did not object to the presence of FC in his province before this incident. But from now on he demands, like all residents of embattled province of Balochistan, that these killer FC men be brought to justice. But he also told me that he cannot imagine our crooked Army and Court officials to take a stand against FC. So the sufferers would remain the poor and the down trodden of Balochistan.

I would like to hear the version of Pak Army / FC about this incidence.

Khobani seller, Balochistan

Khobani seller, Balochistan
Originally uploaded by Ameer Hamza

I was in Baluchistan with my working partner and friend, Danial, during the first half of June, 2010. We were on a mission to photograph certain parts of Balochistan for pakgatweway.com. And despite contrary views by people who've never been to Balochistan, we had lots and lots of fun while doing our work. And one of the better parts of that fun was to eat fresh, delicious fruit right from the trees they grow from.

This is Khobani and we ate so much that our stomachs were upping. But not aching.

This expedition into the heart of Balochistan was funded by www.pakgateway.com.

Baluchistan Diary - Day 12 / Palace of Khan of Kalat

Palace of Khan of Kalat
Originally uploaded by Ameer Hamza

This is the main Palace building and was built, according to the grandson of the Khan of Kalat, after that devastating 1935 earthquake, which levelled much of Quetta and parts of Kalat as well.

I was lucky to find clouds and a very friendly light and the temperature was just fine enough for such a good shot. I think, Dr. Kalim's lens, 10-20mm Sigma also helped greatly.

This expedition was funded by www.pakgateway.com.

Baluchistan Diary - Day 11 / Dump Ghosht, Quetta

Dump Ghosht, Quetta
Originally uploaded by Ameer Hamza

I am not sure how to spell it. But this thing is cooked like this: Sacrifice a goat, pull out everything from its belly, stuff rice and some dry fruits, as per your taste. Stitch the whole goat so that rice don't fall out and cook the goat under ground. Or whatever. And the taste is so unique you have to taste it to understand the whole idea. No wonder Pathans and visitors alike love this dish. It was our last dinner in Quetta and Pakgateway.com ensured it was the best.

Next Day: To Kalat and Khuzdar.

Baluchistan Diary - Day 11 / Melon farmer, Baluchistan

Melon farmer, Baluchistan
Originally uploaded by Ameer Hamza

I really like this image. Farmer is bending, there are mountains in the background and you can see what he is harvesting in the low, left corner: a fully grown melon. And we bought 5-6 of them for Rs.100 and gladly returned to our vehicles for a trip back to Quetta.

Baluchistan Diary - Day 7 / Crazy for Cherries

Ameer Hamza has gone crazy for Cherries of Balochistan
Originally uploaded by eDanial

Danial Shah, my travelling companion for this 13-day expedition to the heartlands of Baluchistan, took this shot and subsequently uploaded it to his account. It was our 7th day of travel and we were in Ziarat. Here is what he wrote for this frame:

"Its been 7 days and Ameer Hamza has gone crazy for Cherries, and continously consuming it more and more every day.

I never knew Balochistan has such fruitful places. Traveling always gives me a great experience to understand each and every place.

The Picture was taken in Ziarat Valley, Cherry orchards."

Baluchistan Diary - Day 7 / Ziarat ht.

Ziarat
Originally uploaded by Ameer Hamza

We photographed the ht. above sea level of Ziarat using Danial's watch and his own hand. In the background is the famous 4000 years old Juniper forests, now under state protection after years of neglect. From here we began our trek of Baba Kharwari Tomb, which is probably only 7 Kms from the main Ziarat town. The trek photographs will be uploaded soon.

Baluchistan Diary - Day 6 / Loralai water supply

Loralai water supply
Originally uploaded by Ameer Hamza

This is a beautiful place for many reasons. Firstly, it sits on a platform from where mountains rise up. Secondly, there are around 18 places from where water gushes out and is supplied to the city of Loralai. Thirdly, it is a place of much beauty with crystal waters and overhanging grapes.

Here, I would like to add one thing. This pond and subsequent water supply to the entire town of Loralai is a salute to the British engineering in our part of the world. Here, 18 water points have been blocked in a single building and channelized. Open channel goes to the city while the enclosed channel supplies water to the Cant area below, just as it has done since past 100 years.

This expedition is funded by www.pakgateway.com.

Baluchistan Diary - Day 3 / Khojak Tunnel

Shela Bagh, Baluchistan
Originally uploaded by Ameer Hamza

Also known as Shehla Bagh (Shela Bagh) this tunnel is the largest in Pakistan and is so cold even in summers that it is hard to imagine. It's length is 3.91 KM and is not exactly straight. This tunnel is pictured in Rs.5 old note of Pakistan.


This expedition is funded by www.pakgateway.com. [This website will go online by the end of this month].

Murdering Baluchistan

Baluchistan, since its emergence as a Pakistani state, has been in the think of things. It has been bombed, its people have been tortured and killed; and its chiefs have dis-allowed any semblance of civilization to its people. Baluchistan remains Pakistan's backyard with all the dirt and the garbage of Punjab and its other elite classes, the Military and the civil bureaucracy (most of which happens to be from Punjab as well).

No wonder then whenever something happens in Baluchistan Punjab gets the finger. So it should be. Except for Bhutto's indiscriminate killing of Baluchis during 1970's, most of the happenings in Baluchistan have come via Punjab.

For one, the strange reasons about not building any number of small dams in Baluchistan are too well unknown. So is the habit of federal government of not promoting any sort of tourism inside the province. And when it comes to share distribution, once again Punjab takes the major cake. The cake which should preferably go to Baluchistan considering its vast mineral and petroleum wealth.

Such grievances gets an air when leaders of this province are kidnapped and murdered in cold blood. I don't know the names of the Baloch leaders murdered nor do I know their importance to the province except that one of them was following the case of missing persons belonging to Baluchistan. He was due to appear in the court soon, I am told. If that is the case, then one must point fingers at our own Military Intelligence, IB and ISI rather than go for Indian RAW or Afghani agencies. After all, kidnapping and reselling of primarily Baloch and Pathan men have been the work of our agencies and not someone else. This killing could have been the work of someone else, just to malign our agencies, but the possibilities are dim. CJ is already looking into the matter hard.

I will, meanwhile, keep my fingers crossed until I know the hard facts. But if the killers are not found, Baluchistan will burn badly. It is already burning and I am really not sure where are my Pathan and Baloch friends at the moment.