Mastung (Balochistan)
Mastung is a district in Balochistan Province at the distance of 50 km in mountainous area from Quetta on Quetta-Taftan Highway N-40. There are number of beautiful valleys in these mountains, which attract several tourist from all over the country.
Mastung has common boundaries with Nushki, Quetta, Killa Abdullah, Harnai, Kacchi, Sibi, and Kalat districts. The Quetta-Taftan Highway N-40 runs across the district and provides access to other locations in the district. The Quetta-Jacobabad Highway N-65 also used to access Mastung from the Sindh province. The RCD Highway is another main road in the district to get access from Karachi. It is also connected railway track on the Quetta-Taftan track.
Mastung was listed by Al-Muqaddasi and Istakhri as a town in the province of Balis, whose capital was Sibi in Balochistan. Mastung was served as Royal residency in the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar in late 15th century. It was protected with a mud brick fort. After the Mughal Empire, it was included in the princely State of Kalat during the British Regime.
Mastung valley mountainous valley with barren mountains and with plains having shrubs and herbs. Along these shrubs, it has vast area with orchards of best quality fruits such as apples, grapes, apricot, peach, etc. There are several streams flowing from the Sulaiman Mountain range along with you can see several fruit orchards. The bronwish rocky mountains with lush green fruit orchards give splendid view of the valley. You can also see these fruit orchards with full of fruits along the roads.
Koh-i-Chiltan is located between Mastung and Quetta district. It is the summit of a steep and rocky mountains, also known as Chiltan, in the Sulaiman Mountain Range. Lwarrh Saar is major and highest peak in the Chiltan range at an elevation of 10,479 feet. It is the third highest mountain in Balochistan. The range is covered with forests of juniper trees on the mountains having height between 2000 and 3000 meters along ridge tops and on moderate to steep slopes. There are several species of juniper plants in these mountain ranges. Juniper plants are famous for essential oil of the juniper that has antioxidant qualities and can be used in various medicines. It also a place for various wildlife including Sulaiman markhor, Asian black bear, urial, golden jackal, etc. It also homeland for various birds such as chukar, black throated thrsh, mistle thrush, etc. In winter season, these mountain also receives much snowfalls, that also reduces the temperature in other parts of the district.
The weather of Mastung district is moderate hot in the summer season, whereas it becomes cold in the winter seasons. In winter season it also receives some snowfalls around the Koh-i-Chiltan hill and other surrounding mountain ranges. Most of the time temperature falls below zero point in winter season, even there is no snowfall. It receives considerable amount rainfall due to monsoon as well as Siberian winds.