Balochistan: a landscape view

Balochistan has remained in the news for many decades – for all the wrong reasons. Missing persons, terrorist attacks, and separatist movements have overshadowed its beauty. The citizens of Pakistan, living in provinces other than Balochistan, know little about this federating unit that occupies nearly 45 per cent of the country's total area.

Books on Balochistan have also tended to focus on its history and politics rather than its orchards and rivers and mountains. Now Aziz Ahmed Jamali and Tahir Khan Kayani have produced a marvellous book titled ‘Balochistan: Air-panoramas and landscapes’ that fills a gap that was conspicuous for long. We know that the landscape of any region plays a significant role in shaping the culture and mores of the people inhabiting that land. If you are sensitive enough to notice the nuances of cultures, you must be familiar with the panoramas that overarch Balochistan.

The authors and photographers of this book – Aziz Jamali and Tahir Kayani – have flown over and trekked on the length and breadth of Balochistan with their keen eyes and observant minds. Kayani’s flights took him to the highest peaks, and Jamali’s joggers withstood the treachery of rugged planes and rough mountains. The result is this colourful coffee table book that presents a picture of Balochistan very different from what you normally get. Browsing through this presentation, one appreciates the uphill task these committed individuals have accomplished while travelling through relatively lesser-known territories.

To say the terrain of Balochistan is diverse would be an understatement. From the areas on the coastline and islands in the Arabian Sea to the mountain peaks of Kirthar and Suleman Ranges, Jamali and Kayani have traversed valleys and peeped into volcanoes. How they approached the wilderness in a province that many consider a no-go area remains a million-dollar question. It seems that their urge to explore new vistas was irresistible and their sense of appreciation was acute to take them to places where hardly anybody treaded before them.

Before selecting the photos for the book, they must have pondered over the merits and demerits of hundreds of snapshots they took over a period of many years. Their wanderings were unmatchable in that they covered an expanse stretching thousands of square kilometres. The beauty of Balochistan that oozes out from this book covers the entire vastness of this huge land that accommodates many nationalities from the Baloch and Brahui to Pakhtun and Saraiki. Jamali and Kayani have successfully captured what nature has bestowed on Balochistan with an abundance of generosity.

‘Balochistan: Air-panoramas and landscapes’ is a result of strenuous efforts by the authors. Jamali is a government officer-cum-trekker with a photographic sense, while Kayani is an aviator who flies for the government of Balochistan and appears to be keeping a good camera always at hand. What Jamali captured while trekking, Kayani complemented with his aerial photography over the entire province. Books such as this are not available even for other provinces of Pakistan, which are much more accessible both on foot and from the air.

Books by Salman Rashid and Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro come to mind but they have fairly different approaches to narration and photography from what Jamali and Kayani have employed for their book. The National Geographic Society has produced some great books but had ample funds and resources available and the backing of an entire society. In contrast, this book is purely a labour of love by two nature-loving persons who spent a lot of their own resources such as labour, time and money. All the images reproduced in this book are highly quality and delineate the landscape and panoramas with utmost care and diligence.

Though ‘Balochistan: Air-panoramas and landscapes’ is just 124 pages, this slim volume is a treasure trove of breathtaking views from both horizontal and vertical vantage points. The remoteness of any geographical entity never dampened the spirit of the authors, who were as keen to visit Takht-e-Suleman as they were to cross the waters to reach Astola Island. The volcanoes in Balochistan – that would have deterred any other traveller with lesser grit – were an added attraction to Jamali and Kayani. The descriptions that most of the photos carry with them in this volume are easy to read and understand.

The Photographic Society of Pakistan published this book in 2024, and within months, most of its copies found willing buyers who could part with a couple of thousand rupees to buy the book. In the book's preface, Kayani rightly points out, “In a world teeming with distractions, ‘the love of wilderness’ stands out as a testament to our shared bond with nature, especially through the lens of Balochistan’s untamed beauty. This book took shape leisurely during hikes and online exchanges between me and Aziz Jamali, capturing the spontaneous essence of our adventures. What began as casual snapshots, evolved into a carefully curated collection, showcasing Balochistan’s grandeur from various perspectives.”

As a pilot, Kayani’s each flight thrilled him and that thrill facilitated him in his observations as hues changed, dunes moved and the rugged hills transformed into awe-inspiring mountains. The coastlines appeared pristine from Kayani’s airplane, but they appeared slightly different when Jamali approached them with his backpack hanging down his shoulders. The untouched peaks of Balochistan appear so fascinating in this book that one feels like embarking on a journey to experience them first-hand. It is hard to say whether aerial views by Kayani or the land shots that Jamali took are more inspiring; both provide unique insights and perspectives on the province's landscapes.

Jamali and Kayani have meticulously crafted ‘Balochistan: Air-panoramas and landscapes’ to make it a comprehensive visual guide to the entire province, making it a pioneering effort of its kind. It is pertinent to mention that Balochistan’s diverse terrain boasts eight mountain ranges stretching from Kirthar and Makran to Ras Koh, Siahan and Suleman ranges. Between the Ras Koh and Siahan ranges lies a daunting Kharan desert where even angels fear to tread. The book contains breathtaking pictures and descriptions of these ranges and then moves on to portray the juniper forests in Ziarat and Harboi.

The authors have even traversed the northern highlands and southern lowlands, including their volcanic landscapes and semi-desert coastlines. Balochistan’s coastline is the longest in the country, stretching nearly 775 kilometres from Iran to the borders of Sindh. One of the best sections in the books is about Harboi, Kalat, and Koh-e-Maran. Jamali and Kayani inform us that Harboi is a natural juniper jungle about an hour’s drive east of Kalat town. The jungle “hosts dwarf species of juniper and offers [a]serene environment at [an] altitude. An old rest house is situated at an elevation of 8,000 feet that can be renovated and opened for visitors”.

Kalat is an old town of Balochistan that used to be the capital seat of the erstwhile Khanate of Kalat. The ancient Miri fort is also located there, but it is dilapidated, not far from the main Karachi-Quetta highway. Koh-e-Maran is the highest hill feature east of Khaliqabad (Mangochari) and looks like a tabletop resting over 10,000 feet. One can also find Gedbast, a little gorge with a spring situated off the road further east of Maran.

The sections on Gwadar and Pasni are also two of the best, as they cover not only the old harbour and the modern port city but also the East Bay, West Bay, and Koh-e-Batil, which is a high hill marking the southern end of the Gwadar town. The aerial photos of Surbandar, east of Gwadar, Medi Koh, and of Ras Kappar and Ras Shahid between Gwadar and Pasni are amazing to look at. And the same goes with the snapshots of the Talapi estuary, west of Pasni and Shamal Bandar, Chul Bandar and Jable Zarain, which also adorn the title of the book.

The book clearly shows that the areas of Balochistan have tremendous potential for tourism, provided peace prevails and the authorities take it upon themselves to address the complaints of the people of Balochistan and involve them in the development of their province rather than imposing international agreements and contracts upon them. Aziz Jamali and Tahir Kayani deserve a standing ovation for working so hard to offer this book to us.

The writer holds a PhD from the University of Birmingham, UK. He tweets/posts @NaazirMahmood and can be reached at: mnazir1964@yahoo.co.uk