Quetta

The biggest city in Baluchistan and ninth largest city in Pakistan. The people of Quetta and the Baloch people once referred to their land as Moka or Maka, a word which later became Makran. Quetta is derived from word KAWATA, Quetta is also spelled Kuwatah, which is a variation of Kot, a Pashto word meaning "fortress". It is believed that it relates to the four imposing hills (Chiltan, Takatu, Zarghoon and Murdaar) that surround the city and form a natural bulwark.. It is a natural fort, surrounded as it is by imposing hills on all sides. The encircling hills have the resounding names of Chiltan, Takatoo, Mordar and Zarghun. It is believed that the earliest inhabitants of the city were the Pashtun Kasi Tribe. Quetta was first mentioned in the 11th century when it was captured by Mahmood of Ghazni on one of his invasions of the subcontinent. In 1543 the Mughal emperor Humayun rested here on his retreat to Persia, leaving his one-year-old son Akbar until he returned two years later. The Ghilzai power in Kandahar at the beginning of the eighteenth century, simultaneously with that of the Baloch in Kalat, Quetta and Pishin became the battle-ground between the Afghans and Baloch in the region. Ahmed Shah Durrani finally handed Quetta over to the Khan of Kalat Mir Noori Naseer Khan Baloch for helping him with his Baloch Army against 1751 against the Marathasin the Battle of Panipat (1761), and against the Sikhs in 1765. Today, it is an important city on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Quetta has more than 30% pashtoon population mainly Kasi, Kakar, Daavi, tareen, Achakzai , etc.The population of the city is estimated to be approximately 1,140,000.

This is one of the fastest developing cities and is gaining importance due to CPEC. In past 4 years the landscape of the city has changed rapidly due to arrival of multinational brands the development being carried by government with help of Chinese has played an important role. The city also has a beautiful cantt. A visit able place indeed.