The Gorakh Hills project

KARACHI: “The Gorakh Hills project was designed to give the people of Sindh a summer resort of their own, and though Murree and Ziarat, which were small administrative units of the government, have developed over time, Gorakh Hills remained unattended,” explains Abdul Qadir Mangi, Director-General of Gorakh Hills Development Authority, Ministry of Tour-ism, government of Sindh.

What is now known as Gorakh Hills was originally called ‘Gorag’ by the English, who identified the area in 1860 as a summer resort where they could go to escape the heat of low lying cities.

Gorakh Hills is located 450 kilometers north of Karachi and can be reached via Sehwan or Dadu.

But many years have passed and Gorakh Hills have not been developed although “the government wishes to convert it into a fully equipped summer resort,” says Mangi.

Mangi says that location has played a huge role in the lack of development of Gorakh Hills as compared to other summer resorts such as Murree. “Murree has developed because of the fact that schools were built there and Lawrence College was constructed in the same vicinity. Additionally an army camp was set up nearby, and most importantly, Murree is very close to Islamabad, and this contributed to its popularity as a hill station.”

Mangi also said: “Sindh has been bestowed with a lot of natural beauty, we have the Arabian Sea besides us, and a desert in Thar, and if one wants to see a different terrain then Gorakh is the place where one can view majestic mountains.”

The government genuinely wants to build a place which allows people to take a break from the hustle and bustle of busy city life.

A proposal has been put forward to develop the area and open a number of hotels and motels in the area “which would either be sold off or leased out.”

“This is a challenging project but once it is open to the general public, I believe it will be definitely be in the interest of the people of Sindh,” says Mangi.

As far as security is concerned, Mangi strongly asserts, “High security will be provided in the area. There will be six checkposts and police mobile cars deployed in the area, and we will not compromise on the safety of the people who come to visit the resort.”

The government is said to be willing to provide basic amenities such as water and electricity, and plans are underway to develop a dual carriage thoroughfare.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2010.