Gorakh Hill station - a pleasant adventure point

Gorakh is an under development hill station of Sindh, Pakistan. It is situated at an elevation of 5,688 ft in the Kirthar mountains range's sindh Segment, 93 km North West of Dadu city. Gorakh is situated on one of the highest plateaus of Sindh, spread over 2,500 acres (10 km2), and because of its surroundings it is a pleasant adventure point for nature lovers.
Gorakh also serves as gateway for the villagers of Khuzdar District, Balochistan, who came to the village, Wahi Pandi, in Sindh's segment of Kirthar, about a third way downhill from Gorakh hill station... for purchasing food and other utilities.
The Gorakh hills summit can only be reached with 4x4 vehicles, which are available from Dadu and Johi towns. The hilltop is 93 km from Dadu. The last small town before the Gorakh hill is Wahi Pandi, settled in the lap of the Kirthar range. The road thereafter is towered slowly at the milestone of 53 km when one enters the Yaroo Sain Jo Luck. After crossing this pass 2,500 ft (760 m) above sea level, the journey continues in the mountains and at the milestone 76 km one reaches the base camp of another highest pass of the Kirthar range. It is known as Khanwal Pass (KP) on the elevation of 3,000 ft (910 m) and at the top of the KP the elevation is 5,000 ft (1,500 m) above sea level.
The distance between the KP base camp and the KP top is four kilometers. The four-kilometer journey is too zigzag. After reaching the top of KP, drive continues to the Gorakh hill top, which is the 13 km ahead. At the top of the hill there is a small rest-house, the only facility so far made available.
The Sindh segment of Kirthar mountains, has a large number of mountain peaks over 5,500 feet (1,700 m) high, and before Shaddan Shah's discovering the highest peak in Kirthar, at an elevation of 7,056 feet (2,151 m) plus/minus a few feet, via Google Earth Telemetry, at the exact co-ordinates of: 27 12.35 10 North, 67 09.33 88 East, another peak, in Sindh's Northern segment of Kirthar; known as Kuttay ji Qabr, at 6850, [plus/minus a few feet] was considered the highest peak. It is now the second highest peak of Sindh. Shaddan Shah, as the discoverer of the exact location and height of the highest mountain peak in Sindh, over 7,056 feet (2,151 m) high, has, in paying his tribute, named it Koh-i-Benazir, honouring Benazir Bhutto.
President Asif Ali Zardari has said that development projects should be started through public-private partnerships to boost growth and employment opportunities in the country and expressed his approval for the initiation of development of Gorakh hill station as a tourist attraction in Sindh. President Zardari urged to conduct international road shows in order to attract foreign investors towards local equities and to develop the country's capital markets, enabling the private sector to reap more benefits of finance through these avenues.
You can easily go by car to Dadu or take a bus. The bus is air-conditioned with comfortable seats and takes about five to six hours. One can stay at Dadu. Beyond Dadu, one can continue travel with car but the last fifty km (out of total 100 km from Dadu to Gorakh) can only be travelled by jeep. The jeeps can be hired from Dadu city. Rent depends on jeep condition and time of the year. If one makes a little effort, one can locate a contractor working for hill station that would willingly take one along and bring back safely.
There is a rest house and a water tank. But one must be prepared to sleep in own camp or in the open. Similarly, one is advised to bring all food provisions including water. The area is perfectly safe. No dacoity or robbery was reported during the last 10 years.
(The writer is Manager Publicity & Promotion Sindh Tourism Development Corporation.)