For
many centuries, the Bolan pass has been the main entrance to
Quetta district. It is historically significant, used as the
gateway by most of the immigrants from central Asia in their
drive to discover new homelands in South Asia. The two other
important passes are the Lak Pass between Quetta and Kallat
and the Khojak Pass near the border with Afghanistan at Chaman.
Along
Bolan Pass where the road winds through picturesque mountains
one is reminded of the huge odds that the armies from Central
Asia and the north must have faced in their raids on the plains
of the present day Pakistan. In winter, trains of camels, as
they slowly plod their way through to the top, look fascinating.
The Bolan links Quetta with the plains of the Punjab and the
upper Sindh through the town of Sibi by road and train. The
train passes through 21 tunnels.
LAK
PASS:
Lak
pass is located between Kallat and Quetta at a point where the
highway makes a turn for Koh-e-Taftan, Saindak copper mines
and Zahidan in Iran and the other section links Karachi via
Kallat, Khuzdar and Bella. PTDC Model at Khuzdar and Taftan
caters for motorists. The view from the top of the pass is interesting.
Trucks, trailers and lorries laden to their brim with merchandise
and passengers move along at great speeds. Down below these
kiosks sell beverages. On the hills, unmindful of the presence
of the motorized transport and the human beings, hundreds of
sheep browse upon the scant herbage available there.
KHOJAK
PASS:
The
Khojak Pass is 7575 ft. above sea level. It leads directly to
the border of Afghanistan at Chaman which is 153 kms away from
Quetta. The train passes through the longest tunnel of the sub-continent.
The scenery is breath-taking as here as it is at Bolan Pass.
HARNAI
PASS:
The
entire population of Hardware Baba and for that matter of the
entire Ziarat, migrates to Harnai in extreme winter. Harnai
Pass, about hours drive from Loralai, is just as spectacular
as the Khyber Pass near Peshawar.