Pishin - Valley of Red Mountains (Balochistan)
Pishin district is located at a distance of 50 km from Quetta in the northwest of Balochistan near the Afghanistan border, a real beautiful valley as consist of thousands of gardens full of fruits and flowers. It is the good source of crops, fruits and vegetables.
Pishin district is bounded with Killa Abdullah, Quetta, Killa Saifullah, and Ziarat districts. It also has its boundaries with Maruf in Kandahar province of Afghanistan. Kuchlak-Zhob Highway N-50 runs on the south side of the district, that connects with the Barshar road. Barshar Road runs in the center of the district and gives an easy access to all of its major towns. It is also connected with railway track on Quetta-Chaman track.
Its old name was Pushang. It was founded in 1883 by the British Government as a result of the Anglo-Afghan Wars. During World War II, the British also built air base in the town of Pishin.
Most of the areas in the Pishin valley are mountainous with long and narrow valleys. On the northern part, the great Toba plateau of the Toba Kakar Range lies that extends toward the Kadanai River in Afghanistan. Toba Kakar Range is a southern offshoot of the Sulaiman Mountain Range, those extending into the Kandahar and Zabul provinces of Afghanistan. The historical Bolan Pass is also located in this mountain range, that was the main trade route between Middle East, India, and China.
The real attractions of the Pishin Valley are in the winter season, when white layer spreads out on the valley. The temperature falls below freezing point. Most of the tourists normally visit the valley during snowfalls and enjoy the hot tea or qahwa there.
The main profession of the people of the district is agriculture and farming. The valley is fertile to produce best quality fruits and crops. It can produces some quality of wheat, corn, and barley, whereas fruits such as grapes, apples, peaches, and apricots are grown more abundant in quantity.
The Pishin Valley is famous for its unique mountainous landscape. These mountains change their color after rain and become red, that gives an entire different unforgettable scenic view of the valley. You can see red ranges of mountains and peaks along the both of the sides of the road, and you can enjoy the panoramic view of the Pishin Valley at the point where road runs on the top of the mountain range.
Khushdil Khan Lake and Bund Khushdil Khan is situated in the town of Pishin at an elevation of 1,539 metres on the foothills of a mountain range near the Barshar road. It is beautiful attraction and an ideal location for one-day picnic trip in the Pishin Valley. It is natural water lake created due to temporary streams and rain waters. The water level depends upon the quantity of rainfalls and snowfalls in the surrounding hills and areas. It is also a place for local as well as migratory birds from Siberia and other regions. So it gives splendid scenic view in summer as well as in winter after rainy days. Khusdil Khan Rest House is also located near the Band Khushdil Khan, where you can enjoy food as well as stay for a night to enjoy the pleasant night of the Pishin Valley.
The weather of Pishin district is moderate hot and dry in the summer season, whereas it becomes extreme cold in the winter seasons. In winter season it also receives some snowfalls around the hilly areas and temperature falls below freezing point. Therefore, it becomes an attractive place in winter season due to snow fall on the surrounding hills. It receives considerable amount rainfall due to Siberian winds in the winter season.