By:
Lt Gen (R) Sardar Hasan Azhar Hayat
MD Pakistan Land Port Authority
Ex. MD Green Tourism Pvt. Ltd
On a beautiful Sunday morning, decided to join a group called Hikers Friend Islamabad. There are two groups active in Islamabad both were initially one but separated the other is Hikers Friends Pakistan. Social media has made it easy to track their activities.
Today was also World Tourism day (September 27), such is importance to this important economic factor that we mostly even don’t know this and are focused on non-issues. Marshalling was six in morning meaning you have to travel post namaz. Myself and my partner reached exact at six at given RV which was Metro Green stop opposite Lake view park, hardly 2-3 bikes and 4-5 persons had gathered! We had to wait for around 30 minutes and people gathered in large numbers, mostly on bikes, many being dropped by InDrive on landmark Suzuki Alto, some hopping out of metros but still around 20 on personal cars.
As I was sitting a gentleman walked over to me he had two more accomplices and said when I saw you I realised I have seen you somewhere then I goggled and you have been Corps Commander in Peshawar and introduced that he was from Peshawar, he felt very happy, I also greeted him warmly but again did not get a chance to meet him. I could make out crowd was big roughly I would say 150-180. I sensed this will be trouble. The organizer a young man may be in early thirties, he was from Khaplu, gathered the crowd and gave a basic briefing telling all that we have to go from here behind QAU to village Rumli and start trekking from there. All who did not have transport pooled in and organizers helped, 4-5 boys were active. We travelled another two kms to turn left from Kashmir Highway on Syed Nayer Bokhari Road who happens to be politician from same area. A single road passing through thick foliage. I was amused to see some buildings in area like National Institute of Heritage and Culture and Taxila Institute for Archaeology and Civilization! Never ever heard of this though I am always keen on this and even headed Green Tourism, they seem to be in bad shape, though big. We have so many organisations which we don’t know, plan visiting them as Kichi Sahib the minister of heritage is quite keen on such initiative and a decent man whom I have known over past two years. As we near Margalla Hills this is bushland and environment is beautiful I hope we don’t construct here.
We approached QAU from rear gate, and as I had predicted the security stopped us, and said if you were few we would have let you in but can’t allow such a big gathering. After parleys they let the motorbikes to go in but not cars. The management of group found another gate and we travelled back and on another small gate were able to enter QAU. I was visiting university after years and my heart sank, many of my cousins are graduate but would not like my children to be there. I was reminded of my Washington University years back, once passing by I told my friend to stop at main gate he asked why? I told him I am forgetting the date I said this was time when Mughals were building palaces for their wives and deers when this university was made. I happen to be alumni of two foreign universities one in Malaysia and other in Germany and my thoughts were on shabby condition of QAU, over growth all around, poor marking, old dirty buildings, broken windows, make shift sheds, poor condition of grounds, poor maintenance of canteens and above all slogans on walls which I can’t write here. This is what I saw and shows our priorities to education and youth. I am sure if anyone makes a detailed visit it would be same or worse. Probably this is why today people prefer to go to private universities and spend money and don’t want to join public universities.
Anyway as we travelled on a broken road, we reached Rumli village don’t know when university finished and when the village started. The name is probably after a saint and you find lot of hamlets and small villages all in basic shape though they are in Islamabad but of course beautiful and one can smell herbs all around. Under a big Banyan tree and water spring we parked our cars / bikes again a briefing was given. Confusion existed as did not know end point you had preference to return or go to Tilla Charouni or KP gate at Pir Sohawa. It was now 7:30 I just wanted to start and after an ill organized group pic we started climbing.
Rumli is a beautiful valley initially the track is single and mostly young boys and girls trying to pass each other. I could make out that gradient is steep as could make from relative height so told my partner maintain the pace and they will fizzle out soon. Mr Mehboob stopped us some time after and there were children and ladies and said wait for them, it was bit boring as there are serious hikers but this happens in large groups. On initial track you can’t see anything because of foliage but as you climb say around 40 minutes Islamabad with Rawal lake water body is seen clearly and how beautiful Islamabad is, but you can’t make out further extents as it has so far toward South of Rawal. An hour had passed and again we were stopped to wait for stragglers. I was becoming impatient and asked the route, few other people also asked if you can give a guide, but probably Mr Mehboob wanted to keep group together, not wrong as it was a big group, anyway he guided all those who want to go and told us to remain west and left don’t descend. We started to go ahead and left the big group, few young boys joined us. We did stop at an amazing banyan tree in rocks and from the trunk I can safely say is over 300 years old after all someone must be living or place of worship etc. We kept leading till we were at a distance and now we’re climbing steep could hear birds and enjoy the views of Rumli valley. At a junction became confused and stopped few young men joined us and amongst them a girl probably 13 years and asked me uff have we lost way. Initially I asked her if she was with these youngsters and she said no. Oh so who are you with and said with mother who has stayed back I explained her you should not move ahead like this and waited for sometime till a young couple came and explained to them and told the girl now move with them. We were again leading after deciding to take left track, we had now travelled for another km and in mountains it’s a lot suddenly I realised no one is following and we had descended. I told my partner this is not right, absolutely beautiful pine forest in middle of no where 😃 think of increased population of leopards in area as it was scary. I decided to turn back and reached that junction to find few souls on top of a hill in middle distance ! Chalo gee so we climbed that which was view point. You could see constitutional avenue and most interestingly I could see my office. Some boys explaining this diplomatic enclave and hardly anyone knew, I stayed quiet as they were enjoying I think many must not have been to this area. I could notice from top like a drone view that Islamabad is expanding towards Margalla Hills this is sad we must draw a line. We again started moving and the two young boys and few boys from Karachi enjoying themselves were leading. My partner asked them if they knew the way and they said no they got slow we were again in lead and guess what we were at same point from where we had returned ! This is beauty of mountains. But we decided to go ahead. Some people had retired from view point I did not want to go back we had now travelled for around 2 hours sun was also sharp. My partner said the big group will not be able to reach and will return from somewhere. As we reached a junction few following us the Karachi boys said we will take rest and snacks and sat there. 😃 The two other boys following us could be heard in distance but we remember our guide saying in briefing if you go right you go to Tilla Charouni and left to Pir Sohawa / KP gate. Suddenly my partner realised this route we had done when last week we went to Tilla Charouni, if you keep wandering in Margalla Hills you become quite conversant. We set towards Pir Sohawa and took us 30 minutes on a broad track to reach our destination. I had luxury of driver and told him to come up. The two boys and later few joined. I am not Generation Z I asked them you will go back now as your bikes / cars in Rumli and very confidently and seriously they looked at me and said no we will take Bykea or pool in for InDrive 🤣 I felt little sheepish as my driver was on his way up ! I offered tea from a local hotel but thanked me but a young boy around 19 joined I shared my fruit with them as when I am not confident of end point we never take fruit, dates or water and keep it for bad times.
Our car had come and we had space for one now I was wise! I asked young boy named Ibrahim will you walk back or take InDrive he said I will InDrive I said come with me. Mashallah a brilliant mind as we passed Monal which now sells Soda bottles and puts me down looking at the mess. I asked Ibrahim if he was studying he left Cadet College Hassanabdal as he was interested in Further Maths and had 8 A star ⭐️ in O level and 4 A in A level. His father was in KSA for long and family shifted back to Naval Anchorage. I asked him what will you do now he said he is getting scholarship in US and has already applied. He asked me some very interesting questions ! Let me share What’s your best day? I said when able to do some physical and give time to family as in service I have lived 23 years without family! Any repenting in life ? I said I could have been more religious oriented but still stand a chance! What you had most precious ? I said my mother & father’s prayers which are no more. He said what is your advise for him? I said go abroad work, explore world but never leave Pakistan this is our identity don’t be swayed by circumstances. We dropped him and he said pray for me and I said you pray for me! Thinking what a brain drain and how our youth is looking for opportunities and again I was reminded of Quaid-e-Azam university.
If we had stayed on course we could have done Rumli trail in 2 hours, it’s a must go but would suggest fitness and guide may be local. It was world tourism day and my mind was on two things we always talk of opportunities but don’t avail, secondly such a big group people need entertainment and life style we just need to give them opportunities. A Sunday well spent.
