RICHLY endowed by nature to reap the benefits of a surge in tourism, Pakistan has every variety of natural beauty found on Earth — from the sandy deserts of Sindh, where the bustling city of Moenjodaro once stood in all its splendor, to the inspiring plains of Punjab, to the rugged mountains of Balochistan, to the soft sandy warm water beaches along its long coastal belt, and to the breathtaking beauty of the Northern Areas, studded with tall peaks, land mass under glaciers and high altitude freshwater lakes.
Three of the mighty mountain systems — the Hindukush, the Karakoram and the Himalayas — adorn Pakistan’s forehead, a country, having a land mass stretching over 796,095 sq km. Forty of the world’s 50 highest mountains are in Pakistan. It has seven of the 16 tallest peaks in Asia. The description — the highest, the longest, the largest — and the relevant statistics are too enticing and baffling.
In Baltistan, over 45 peaks touch or cross the 20,000-foot mark, while in Gilgit within a radius of 104.6 kilometers, there are over two dozen peaks ranging in height between 18,000 feet to 26,000 feet. The awe-inspiring beauty of these mountains provided inspiration to a Pakistani poet to observe: “In Pakistan’s lofty mountain regions, reaching for the sky doesn’t seem too ambitious.”
There are a total of 14 main peaks soaring above 8,000 meters in the world. Out of these, five are located in Pakistan. It has become prestigious, rather a measure of attainment, for the mountaineers to scale these peaks. In fact, the north mountainous region of Pakistan, with an assemblage of 35 giant peaks over 24,000 feet high, is regarded to be the climbers’ paradise.
Many summits here are even higher than 7,925 meters, including 8,611 meters world’s second highest K2 or Mount Godwin Austin, which is only a few ropes short of the world’s tallest peak, Mount Everest.
The passes in the region are rarely lower than the summit of Mount Blanc and several others are over 18,000 feet. The Karakoram Highway passes through the region and connects Pakistan with China.
Pakistan has more glaciers than any other land outside the Poles. At an altitude of 13,123 feet above sea level, the legendary Deosai Plateau in the northern Pakistan is famous for its large freshwater Sheosar Lake and wild alpine flowers whose dozens of species break out in a riot of colors during spring.
The abundance of glaciers, high altitude large freshwater lakes and green valleys combine at places to produce holiday resorts, including Gilgit, Hunza and Yasin in the west and the valleys of Chitral, Dir, Kaghan and Swat in the east. Glistening silver rivulets meander though the valleys of Chitral, Dir, Kaghan and Swat, profusely dotting them with scenic spots, thick forests of pine and junipers and a vast variety of flora and fauna and earning the reputation of being the most enchanting tourist resorts on the Earth.