Level: M.Sc.

Pak Study

Course Name: Geography of Pakistan I

Course Code: 4655

Assignment # I

Semester spring 2022

Q.1 Highlight the northern and western mountains of Pakistan in detail. Also
describe the advantages of these mountains for the citizens of Pakistan

The north western ranges of our country are also known as western branches of the
Himalayas Mountains. These mountains consist of series parallel ranges and are lower in
altitude than the northeastern mountains. As most of these ranges lie outside the course of
summer monsoons coming from Arabian Sea, and so there the rainfall is low and they are
almost bare of natural vegetation. These mountains act as a boundary between Afghanistan,
Iran and our country. These mountain ranges lie north to south, having some passes in river,
beds in the valleys. So the northwestern mountains can be sub-divided into following
divisions:

Between the Indus and Kabul rivers lies the Hindu Kush range. The average height of this
range is between 10,000 to 16,000 feet above sea level. The highest peak of this area is
known as Torch Mir, having an altitude of 25230 feet. Most of the mountain remains snow-
covered during winter months. The Kabul, Swat, Panjkora and Kunar flow through months.
The minor ranges of this mountain. These entire rivers join the Indus from the western side.
The famous Khyber Pass lies south of the Kabul river. This pass is a historical trade route
between Peshawar and Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.

South of the Kabul River up to Kurram pass lies the Safed Koh range, which runs east and
west. These mountains have an average height of 12,000 feet and are often covered with
snow in winter. The rover Kurram lies to the south of this range. The Kurram pass, which
provides an easy route in to Afghanistan, is situated near this range. Kohat is an important
military base situated at the end of this pass.

Between the Kurram and the Gomal rivers lies the Waziristan hills area. These hills have low
altitude. The Tochi River joins the Kurram River from the west in North Waziristan. These
rivers after passing through Tochi pass join the Indus. Similarly Gomal River coming from
Afghanistan joins Indus near Dera Ismail Khan. Bannu at Tochi pass and Dera Ismail Khan at
Gomal pass are the important towns and military centers.

In the south of the Gomal river lies the Sulman mountain. It rims southward for a distance of
about 300 miles. Its highest peak is known as Takhat-I-Sulaimani, whose height is 11,100
feet above sea level. At the southern end of the Sulaiman mountain, the Bugti and Mari hills
run from the southeast to the northwest. The Bolan is the main river of this region. The Bolan
river passes through the Bolan Pass, which provides communication facilities between Iran
and Pakistan . Queta is and important base at the northern end of Bolan pass.
In the west of lower Indus plain lies a hilly area known as “The Kerther hills”. These hills are
not high enough, their average height being about 7000 feet. The Kerther hills are drained by
the Hab and Layari stream join the water of the Arabian sea near Karachi.

Northern mountains are the sources of rivers.

Northern mountains are natural barriers that prevented invasions.
Northern mountains cause rainfall by blocking winds in North Pakistan
Northern mountains protect us from cold winds of Central Asia.
Northern mountains have been a boon for the Indian subcontinent. This is primarily because
it is the source of rivers like the. It protects us from cold winds of Central Asia. Northern
mountains also cause rainfall by blocking winds in North Pakistan. This region has been
serving as a natural barrier that prevents invasions.

Western Mountains are bare of vegetation, the climate does not support vegetation as it is dry and
water availability is less. Canal irrigation is not possible. Mostly these mountains are rich in minerals,
limestone and clay. Limestone’s and sandstones are the main minerals in these areas. The landscape is
mostly rugged. These mountains are rich in mineral resources, but could not explore because of
lacking finances.

Q.2 Discuss the importance of Potohar plateau with regard to incidence of

rainfall in Pakistan.

ANSWER
Potwar Plateau, tableland in Rāwalpindi, Attock, and Jhelum regions, Punjab Province, Pakistan.
Lying between the Indus and Jhelum streams and limited on the north by the Hazāra Hills and on the
south by the Salt Range, its changed scene is continually impacted by disintegration. Its rise fluctuates
from 1,000 to 2,000 ft (300 to 600 m) in an arrangement of remaining slopes and hillocks framed
from cold trash as leftovers of the Ice Age. The Kāla Chitta Range pushes toward the east across the
level toward Rāwalpindi; the valleys of the Haro and Soān streams cross the level from the eastern
lower regions to the Indus. The greater part of the slopes and waterways are lined by analyzed gorge
belts. The streams, because of steady restoration, are profound set and of little use for water system.
Farming is reliant generally on precipitation, which midpoints 15 to 20 in. (380 to 510 mm) every
year; precipitation is most noteworthy in the northwest and declines to bone-dry circumstances in the
southwest. The central yields are wheat, grain, sorghum, and vegetables; onions, melons, and tobacco
are filled in the more prolific regions close to the Indus. The Potwar Plateau is one of the most thickly
populated areas of Pakistan. It contains the old city of Rāwalpindi and the new public capital,
Islāmābād, worked starting around 1961. The level is the area of Pakistan's significant oil fields, the
first were found at Khaur (1915) and Dhuliān (1935); the Tut field was found in 1968, and
investigation went on nearby during the 1970s. The oil fields are associated by pipeline to the
processing plant at Rāwalpindi. The city's site was picked by a commission in 1959 after Karachi was
seen as unsatisfactory as the capital. Development started in 1961 with a work to mix conventional
Islamic engineering with present day examples and necessities. Such widely acclaimed names around
arranging and design as Konstantínos Doxiádes, Edward Durell Stone, and Gio Ponti have been
related with the city's turn of events. It is a reduced city (region 25 square miles [65 square km]),
lying at rises going from 1,500 to 2,000 feet (450 to 600 meters). The second period of development
finished with consummation of the Secretariat, Pakistan House, President's House, National Assembly
Building, Grand National Mosque, and lodging for government staff. The University of Islamabad
was laid out in 1965 and the People's Open University (later renamed the Allama Iqbal Open
University) in 1974. The conflict with India in 1971 eased back development for a brief time. The
metropolitan region is partitioned into eight zones: regulatory, discretionary, private, institutional,
modern, and business regions, a greenbelt, and a public park. It incorporates an Olympic town and
nurseries and dairy, poultry, and vegetable homesteads, as well as such foundations as the Atomic
Research Institute and the National Health Center. The name Islamabad ("City of Islam," or "City of
Peace") was decided to mirror the nation's belief system. The arranged capital area of 350 square
miles (906 square km) is a spread of regular porches and knolls encompassing the city. A further
1,400 square miles (3,626 square km) of hinterland, known as the Specified Areas, is likely to
arranging control, with the Margala Hills, 3,000 to 5,000 feet (900 to 1,500 meters) high, in the north
and upper east. The southern part is an undulating plain. It is depleted by the Kurang River, on which
the Rawal Dam shapes a lake holding around 50,000 section of land feet (61,650,000 cubic meters) of
water. Pop. (2017) city, 1,009,832; capital region, 2,001,579. The Pothohar Plateau on the other hand
spelled Potohar, Potwar or Pothwar) is a level in ... Punjabi is additionally spoken alongside the Urdu
Other than that Shahpuri ... Horticulture is reliant generally on precipitation, which midpoints 380-500
mm ... The level is the area of significant Pakistani oil fields The focal piece of the level comprises of
plain and gorge locales, with a slope going from 8% to 40%. It is a significant food creation place in
Pakistan (Amir et al., 2019), and is likewise a political and social focus (Islamabad is situated in the
northern piece of the Pothohar Plateau). Potohar level is situated in the north of Punjab and west of
Azad Kashmir for example north-eastern pieces of Pakistan. It has a particular language and culture.
Attock District, Jhelum District, Chakwal District and Rawalpindi District comprise the Potohar
Plateau. Urban communities, for example, Gujar Khan, Rawat, Attock, Mandra and so on additionally
lie around here. Stream Jhelum and River Indus go through this level. Various mountain ranges which
incorporate the Salt Range and Kala Chitta Range additionally lie in it. Horticulture is reliant upon
normal precipitation predominantly. Other than this, few oil and gas investigation destinations lie in
the Potohar Plateau demonstrating that alongside ripe soil, this region is wealthy in normal assets. The
historical backdrop of the way of life of this area traces all the way back to old human advancements.
Proof has been found that the Indus Valley Civilization additionally involved this region. Certain
stones and stays of old civic establishments are found which are a piece of legacy of this area. These
have been protected in the Taxila Museum. Taxila is a piece of UNESCO World Heritage Site. It
comprised a significant piece of the Gandhara Civilization. It was the focal point of learning for
Hindu and Buddhist people group. It went under the control of Persians and Alexander the Great.
Other than this, the impact of Ghakhars, Sher Shah Suri and Mughls managed this region later on.
Significant verifiable spots in this area incorporate the Rotas Fort, Rawat Fort, Mankiala Stupa,
Pharwala Fort, Katasraj Temple and so on.

Q#3 Discuss in detail the process of formation of mountain soils. How can
we utilize mountain soil for agricultural productivity? Elaborate.

Formation of mountain soils

The soils are formed due to mechanical weathering caused by snow, rain, temperature variation, etc. The
soil is loamy and silty in valley sides and coarse-grained in the upper slopes. It is acidic with low humus
content in the snow-covered areas. mountains soils are rich in humus, slightly acidic and are fertile.
Mountains soils are also deprived in lime and potash content.

Mountain soil for agricultural productivity

Agricultural landscapes cultivated in hilly and mountainous areas, often with terracing practice, could
represent for some regions historical heritages and cultural ecosystem services. For this reason, they
deserve to be protected. The complex morphology that characterises them, however, makes these
areas intrinsically susceptible to hydrogeological instability, such as soil loss due to surface erosion or
more severe mass movements. We can identify three major critical factors for such landscapes. The
first is related to the socio-economic evolution of contemporary civilization, that increased the land
abandonment of several rural regions, leading therefore to a lack of maintenance. A second element is
the unsustainable agricultural practices, such as excessive heavy-mechanization that cause soil
compaction thus accelerating degradation. Finally, the climate change forcing, with the increasing of
the extreme rainfall. In this complex framework, it is necessary to find innovative solutions for the
mitigation of hydrogeological risk and to respond in a well-prepared way to the possible future critical
scenarios. Therefore, the use of sustainable agricultural practices, which allow the production of
quality agricultural products in perfect harmony with the surrounding environment, becomes crucial.
Suitable solutions must respond to the criterion of multidisciplinary, where the various stakeholders
collaborate by offering their specific knowledge in a shared intention of problem-solving. The
discipline of geography may become a valuable asset in this framework. In particular, thanks to the
recent technological advances in the topographic survey (e.g. innovative remote sensing techniques
such as drones and airborne laser scanning), it is possible to exploit digital terrain analysis to
synthesize key information for decision-makers, in order to plan sustainable interventions. Moreover,
thanks to the high-resolution and accuracy offered by digital topography and the advanced
morphometric algorithms, it is possible to tackle the problem of hydrogeological risk from a unique
and privileged perspective: that of prevention.

Q.4 Explain the contributions of livestock in Agriculture productivity of

Pakistan.

Livestock Contribution

The livestock sector has been performing well below its potential. Research has shown that
overcoming the weaknesses of this sector can reduce income variability and provide better
employment for women. Government of the Punjab will create a policy environment that helps
farmers by smartly deploying public investments in core public goods and inducing private
capital in the sector.

1. Increasing per animal productivity, via a number of measures including genetic

improvement, cross breeding and compliance to international standards
2. Increasing the coverage and results of extension services
3. Improving animal husbandry
4. Improving regulation in livestock sector and focus on transformation of livestock
business from subsistence to commercial ventures
5. Developing and implementing a Livestock Export Strategy
6. Providing nutritious food and improving the quality of semen
7. Bringing livestock farmers into formal sector through collective services
 8. Adoption of modern techniques such as e-monitoring while encouraging farmers to
use modern technology

The agriculture sector contributes 19.3% of GDP of Pakistan, which consumes 46% of direct
workforce, coming from 67% of the population. Out of agriculture, the share of livestock sector is
60.6%. However, the headcount involved in both sectors is same as livestock and agriculture
supplement each other in the rural landscape. Livestock’s value exceeds the combined value of all
the major and minor crops by about 6.1%. The share of livestock products in the generation of
foreign exchange is about 13%. More significantly, livestock is an integral part (30-40%) of
livelihood of about 30 to 35 million rural farmers. Presently, the reported gross value addition of
livestock stands at Rs. 1466 billion, whereas livestock share in export is 8.5%. Poultry sector is
one of the most vibrant sub-sectors of the livestock. The current investment in poultry industry is
more than Rs. 700 billion. This industry is progressing at an impressive growth rate of 8% per
annum over last few years. Pakistan has become the 11th largest poultry producer in the world
with the production of 1163 million broilers annually. This sector provides employment
(direct/indirect) to over 1.5 million people.

Q.5 Highlight the advantages of the forests in detail.

Advantages of forest
Forest provides us with numerous amount of things and protects us from many disasters. Listed below are
the advantages of forest.

1) They help maintain oxygen levels in the atmosphere, facilitating the breathing of humans and other
animals.
2) Forests help regulate the climate.
3) They help the ground absorb during floods, reducing soil loss and property damage by slowing the
flow.
4) Forests are of vital economic importance to humans. For example, the plantation of forests provides
humans with wood and timber, which can be exported and used in a wide range of applications.
5) Forests serve as a habitat for millions of animals.
6) Forests help in the regulation of ecosystems.
7) Forests help reduce certain types of pollution such as noise pollution.
8) Forests provide many important natural medicines.
9) Forests help to control the Earth’s temperature and combat global warming.
10) The natural beauty associated with forests is valuable.
11) Forests are responsible for several jobs.