CHAMAN:
Thought-about an engineering marvel of its day – Khojak Railways Tunnel is likely one of the longest in Asia. It’s situated within the Toba Achakzai mountain vary in Qila Abdullah district of Balochistan close to Pak-Afghan border.
This is likely one of the many hidden and lengthy forgotten jewels scattered within the size and breadth of this dream land referred to as Balochistan with nice tourism potential.
The almost four-kilometer tunnel snakes by way of Pakistan’s frontier area with Afghanistan and was as soon as thought of of strategic vital for the British India.
It was constructed to move military models quickly within the occasion of a Russian advance on, what was referred to as essentially the most treasured jewel within the British crown, India – a land of spices, unbelievable riches, mighty rivers and lots of various cultures since historic instances.
So it’s immediately linked with the romantically interesting nice recreation and the colonial previous of the Subcontinent.
The Shela Bagh Railways Station situated within the sleepy and dusty city of the identical identify and the three.9-kilomter tunnel have been in-built late Eighteen Eighties and each have withstood the check of time regardless of all of the abuse and negligence thrown at them for the reason that creation of Pakistan.
Being a border area, the realm has a wealthy historical past and its personal distinct id which charms the guests.
However visiting the railways station is somewhat bit difficult for the vacationers as a result of they don’t seem to be allowed to take image or movie on account of ‘safety considerations’ by the district administration or railways authorities.
Nevertheless, there are solely two railway guards deployed for the safety of the station who wouldn’t cease guests from taking images or capturing movies of the ‘delicate tunnel’ as a result of conventional Pashtun hospitality.
It might be higher if brochures are printed with all of the details about this historic marvel which may entice 1000’s of native and worldwide vacationers if promoted correctly by the Balochistan Tourism Division.
A steam engine safari from Quetta may additionally put it again on the world tourism map however the provincial authorities and railways have utterly ignored this vital side.
Selling it should assist native residents and the complete province. The tunnel attracts customer however in very restricted numbers.
Just lately the tourism division has additionally taken an initiative to plan plan to advertise the historic web site to draw vacationers.
“We’re critically contemplating the promotion of this web site as a vacationer attraction,” Zia Khan Kakar, a well-placed official within the Tourism Division, Balochistan instructed The Categorical Tribune.
He mentioned that the tunnel was constructed from 1888 to 1891. The main goal behind the development of the tunnel was to counter the Russians who have been keen to annex Afghanistan and overrun the Subcontinent on the peak of nice recreation.
The British have been involved concerning the attainable Russian assault by way of Chaman and Khyber Go in order that they constructed railways observe from Delhi to Chaman within the late Eighteen Eighties to make sure a well timed army response to Russians within the case of any assault.
A picture of Kohjak Tunnel was additionally revealed on Rs5 foreign money word from 1975 to 2005 by the federal government.
“It was very difficult for the British to dig the tunnel within the rugged mountains. Since there was no fashionable transportation means, engineers and technicians used mules, donkeys and horses to shift heavy stones from one place to a different.
Nevertheless, native laborers additionally performed a key position within the development of the historic tunnel.
Printed in The Categorical Tribune, October 24th, 2022.
