The sale of Saiful Maluk

For years the eco-system of Balochistan has been mercilessly plundered by visitors from rich Middle Eastern states. Trampling upon large tracts of our territory, each year they indulge in mass killing of endangered Houbara Bustards – classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Sadly the massacre is patronised by none other than the government of Pakistan, whose foreign ministry, despite the orders of the two high courts, continues to issue illegal hunting permits.
Sindh could be proud of its rich history and ancient historical sites. The ‘5000-year old’ ruins of Mohenjodaro, for want of care and preservation, are now plagued with cigarette butts, tins and wrappers – littered by the modern inhabitants of the 21st century. Negligence and cluelessness are the first impressions as you approach the premises of one of the world’s earliest major urban settlements. Absence of instructions and defined walkways allow visitors to climb and trample any wall, construction or mount. The same is true for the historical mosque linked to Mohammad Bin Qasim and the majestic forts at Rani Kot and Kot Diji.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could not have been far behind in this race for self-destruction. Having already distributed the premium housing plots of its magnificent ‘Gulliat’ forests to the rich and powerful, it has now come up with a malicious plan to destroy the finest jewel in its crown – the magnificent Lake Saiful Maluk.
The government wants to build a ‘Chairlift Resort’ at Lake Saiful Maluk. The project will be spread over 94 kanals and have a lease of 30 years – enough to completely convert this exquisite gift of nature into a huge dump of plastic bottles, empty cans, cigarette packets, wrappers, smoke, dust, litter, and pollution of every conceivable kind.
Lake Saiful Maluk was formed some 300,000 years ago by glacial residues that blocked the streams of icy water that passed through the Kaghan Valley. Located at the feet of Malika Parbat, amongst the high mountain ranges of the Karakorum, this stunningly scenic and serene lake is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. It is filled with ice cold water that has a light green tinge that adds to the attraction and tranquillity of the lake.
Blessed with rich eco-diversity, the lake holds many species of blue-green algae. It is home to large brown trout, while about 26 species of vascular plants exist in the area around the lake. The legendary lake is named after a Persian prince Saiful-Maluk who fell in love with a fairy princess – a folk lore immortalised by the sufi poet Mian Muhammad Bakhsh, in his collection of poems titled ‘Qissa Saiful Maluk’.
The perennial splendour of Saiful Maluk is already on the decline. The increase in tourists and absence of facilities and management have begun to show the plunder it has been subjected to. Wrappers, plastics and other leftovers are littered all around the lake and many can now be seen floating on the waters that remained untouched and pure for centuries. With the implementation of the ‘chairlift’ project, tourists will now be able to participate in the lake’s destruction by dropping litter bombs from the air.
Carbon-emitting noisy generators, obscene gas-guzzling SUVs, junk food restaurants, non-degradable plastic bottles, security barriers and a crowd in pursuit of ‘selfies’ will define the new Saiful Maluk. Scores of hysterical people clinging to chairs and cables, travelling overhead, will only inflict pain and sorrow to the serene waters of the lake.
The lake needs to be preserved in its perennial form. No vehicles or equipment must be allowed within an eight kilimetre radius. On the pattern of Mount Kilimanjaro, the last 6-8 kilometres of track to the lake should be limited to walkers only. Walking could be encouraged by improving the trail and creating rest facilities at every two kilometres. Tourists must be strictly forbidden from carrying any food items or throwaways in the last two kilometres before the lake.
Lake Saiful Maluk belongs to the people of Pakistan and their future generations. Contractors, bureaucrats and politicians have no right to destroy in a few months – and forever – the splendour and serenity that has stood the test of 300,000 years. Can the people of Pakistan unite and force the KP government to stop the destructive corporatisation of our natural heritage and shelve its sinister ‘Sell the Saiful-Maluk’ scheme?
The writer is a management systemsconsultant and a freelance writer on
social issues.
Email: naeemsadiq@gmail.com