Mangoes...

Although no definition of mango is necessary however here it is none the less. Mango is a tropical fruit widely known for its sweetness and juicy taste around the world. It is termed by many as the king of fruits. It is grown around the world in tropical regions but majority of its production occurs in the subcontinental region of south Asia and east Asia i.e. Philippines. A common belief is that this fruit is native to the Indian subcontinent.

The mention of mangoes here is because not only does Pakistan is the fifth largest mango producer in the world it also produces the tastiest as opinionated by many. Among the few reasons Pakistanis are jubilant on the arrival of summers is the availability of mangoes. Main source of mangoes in Pakistan are Sindh and Punjab with contribution from other two provinces as well. In sindh alone we have 125 types of mangoes. Fifty percent of mangoes come from Sindh which amounts up to more than 5 lac tons. Lower Punjab is also famous for its mango orchards which start from Multan. In Rahim Yar Khan, the fruit is cultivated on 26 thousand acres.

The reason I included mango here is because Pakistani mango is known around the world for its sweetness and taste. According to a blog this sweet and delicious fruit is being sold at $6 for a box of six pieces in America. One of my personal acquaintance who lives in UK told me that in his personal observation the most awaited mangoes in UK are from Pakistan. Still like everything else in Pakistan mango production and export is facing a lot of challenges. The factors are the same like everything else. No awareness of procedures and no maintenance of quality. Only from 2008 America started importing mangoes from Pakistan as it finally had some trust on pest control and quality maintenance procedures in Pakistan.

Reko Dik: Gold in Pakistan

Reko Diq is situated in Chagai district of Baluchistan along the border of Iran. It is home to an extreme weather: summers with 40-50 degrees while winters are around -10 degrees.

In 1978-79 geologists from the Gelogical Survey of Pakistan discovered here huge reservoirs of copper and gold. During the 80s proper consultants were hired to get an exact figure on these reservoirs. Reko Diq has 38 million ounces of gold which translates to 260 billion dollars (for both gold an copper). Kindly note that the total debt of Pakistan to IMF is 56 billion dollars. Currently a legal war is being fought between TCC (Tethyan Copper Company) and Baluchistan government.

TCC is the company which carried out exploration and feasibility study of Reko Diq. The deal with this company gave Baluchistan only 25% of the share out of Reko Diq which in simpler terms is peanuts.

Pakistan nearly lost the mine but the matter was brought public by Dr Samar Mubarakmand, a nuclear scientist and now due to his efforts the case is being handled by the supreme court of Pakistan. He revealed: “A small part of the Reko Diq gold and copper mines (EL-5) have deposits worth $273, while a similar kind of reserves have also been discovered in North Waziristan.” His constant reminders and warnings concerning the project through TV and other media are what saved us from this national theft. Someone surely tried real hard to sell our national assets like he was selling 'banyans' in a jumma bazaar. Many flaws and deceitful approaches have been noticed in the reports submitted by TCC which could have led the government into a bad deal. At latest Balochistan Chief Secretary Ahmed Baksh Lehri has said that they have placed a few demands before TCC and failure to compliance will aloow the government to say no to them. TCC's exploration license has alreayd expired. His demands include a complete and honest feasibility report, refining to be done in Pakistan so that a refinery can be setup and job opportunities arise and the agreement should consider welfare of local people.

Reko Diq has the potential to be the world's largest gold an copper mine but we Pakistanis, ever so courteous. We had to do something that plunge us deeper into the well of despair. Lets just hope for better outcome of the case.

Nanga Parbat - Deadly beauty

Nanga Parbat is a Sanskrit word meaning nude mountain (nude for its barren steep slopes) . It is the western pillar of the Himalayas and is located in Astore district of Gilgit - Baltistan, a little south of the Indus river. Physically it is one of the most dynamic mountains on earth and is still growing at 7mm per year, which is the fastest growing rate for a mountain. Upto 2010, 322 climbers have conquered it while it have claimed the lives of 68. It has never been climbed in winter.

It has three faces Rupal, Rakhiot and Diamir. Rupal also referred to as the highest mountain face and precipice in the world lies to the south. It is 4600 meters above its base with 4 kms in width.

Rupal Face

To the north the Rakhiot face rises 7000 meters from the Indus valley to the summit in just 27 kms. This is one of the 10 greatest elevations on earth in such a short distances. Its the face as seen from the famous fairy meadows.

Rakhiot Face

Diamir is its gentle face and is the most attempted one among mountaineers.

Diamir Face

This mountain also contains the world's longest ridge, the Mazeno ridge which gives this giant the appearance of a wall. It contains eight 7000m peaks.

Mazeno Ridge

The first men to die on Nanga Parbat was Alfred Mummery, Ragobir Singh and Goman Singh in 1895 while trying to be the first to climb it. In subsequent years different expeditions were sent from around the world but remained in vain as it claimed more lives and gained notoriety. Upto 1950 it claimed 31 precious lives and in 1958 an Austrian climber Hermann Buhl finally made it. Here is just a glimpse of the perilous journey in Buhl's own words: "I now left the ski-sticks behind and - I could do it in no other way - scrambled up on all fours, suddenly I realized that I could go no higher. I was on the summit. I was not, I confess, at the time fully conscious of the significance of that moment, nor did I have any feeling of elation at my victory." Many people ascended Nanga Parbat after that but none has the story like that of the Messner brothers.

Two Italian brothers, Reinhold and Gunther tried to climb it in 1970, only one i.e. Reinhold returned. He staggered into the camp while every one was thinking he is dead with toes and fingers turned black with frost bite. He kept saying that his brother has also completed the ascent but was lost in a avalanche on the way down. Very few people believed him. Then in 2005 his brothers remain were found on the other side of the mountain indicating that Reinhold was indeed telling the truth.

Reinhold Messner's second ascent of Nanga Parbat which he achieved alone in 1978

The curse of Nanga Parbat still haunts the climbers. It once took lives of 16 climbers at once. In 2009, the best female climber of Asia Go - Mi Young lost her life on Nanga Parbat as she was planning to be the first woman to do all 8000ers. After Nanga Parbat only G-1, G-2 and Anapurna were left for her.

The Nanga Parbat is beautiful yet an unforgiving natural beast. Its beauty is unmatched, an impenetrable wall of ice and rock formed when the Indian subcontinental plate collided with Asian continent 400,000 years back. It takes one back to nature, to one's primal instincts of survival and fight for life. As in Messner words: "On Nanga Parbat I understood the reality of my own death."

The Nanga Parbat from an air plane to Skardu. The sunny face on the left is Rakhiot, under the shade of the mountain on the right is Diamir. The long ridge in the right sarting from the summit is the Mazeno Wall.