QUETTA

Quetta Valley, the only city of its kind, is situated in the western part of Pakistan, surrounded by dry mountains. The main thoroughfare is Jinnah Road, while the parallel Shahrah-e-Pehlavi is a long, broad boulevard lined with trees. In the Kandahari and Liaquat Bazaars, teashops alternate with stalls selling local handicrafts like fine Baluchi mirror-work, embroidery and green onyx carvings. Quetta's bazaars offer a rich assortment of fresh fruit, including grapes, peaches and apples. The colorful orchards of the surrounding countryside give this part of Baluchistan a special charm, unique in Pakistan.
The Urak Valley, about twenty-two kilometers from Quetta, seems bathed in eternal spring. A small waterfall splashes down into an irrigation channel, and Pathan farmers gather nearby to drink tea and pass the time of day.
Henna Lake, eleven kilometers from Quetta, provides a contrasting form of beauty. Set amongst low brown hills, this picnic spot is popular with the townspeople of Quetta.

In the outskirts of Quetta the little town of Ziarat stands amidst a forest at a height of 8200 feet (2500 meters). Here, during his last illness. Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah came to benefit from the clear, invigorating mountain air. The Quaid stayed far up on one of the green hillsides above Ziarat, in a house built by the British in 1882.

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