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Wild west
Fort Munro, the only hill station in Southern Punjab, is a retreat for both locals and tribal chiefs
By Omar Mukhtar Khan
About 60 kilometres to the west of Dera Ghazi Khan there’s a single hill resort of Southern Punjab, Fort Munro at a height of 6470 feet. Passing by the ancestral abode of Legharis, Choti Zarin, one enters the tribal area where laws of the country don’t apply. On the way one also passes by the tomb of the famous sufi saint Sheikh Sakhi Sarwar.
After a few hours of travel the road ascends and travellers enter the Rakhi gorge. This is the only travel-worthy mountain pass in Southern Punjab which joins Punjab and Balochistan. Although passenger traffic is comparatively thin, trucks and pick-ups carrying commercial goods like fruits and vegetables make driving difficult. But overall the road is in good condition. As the altitude increases and temperature decreases, the road becomes trickier with mountain rocks over-hanging the road.
Travellers cross several small hamlets on the way until they arrive at Khar, the last known town before they enter Balochistan. The road leads to the top of the hill originally named ‘Loilaresir’, renamed by the British as Fort Munro. The top of the hill is actually a wide platform where the colonial residence of political assistant ¶, Sandeman Lodge, is situated. Besides Sandeman Lodge there are other buildings including the Commissioner House and DCO House.
The history of Fort Munro goes back to the late 19th century when Sir Robert Sandeman was sent to the area. Sandeman established himself at the strategic hilltop of Loilaresir and named it after Colonel Munro, the Commissioner of Derajat Division. According to one account, the British wanted to establish themselves somewhere in Gurchani’s area but Sardar Jamal Khan Leghari, the grandfather of the former President Sardar Farooq Leghari, requested the British to give him the pride of the Raj. Sardar Jamal marked an area for the British called ‘Bara Pathar’. It was the sole domain of British and a no-go area for the locals, who could only enter with the permission of PA. The British spent summers at Fort Munro while winters at DG Khan.
The folklore says that the local people were quite afraid of the white race, and to remove this fear, British used to leave stuff like onions and gur behind when leaving for DG Khan to assure the people of their friendliness. With passing time, people started respecting the institution of PA. It is said that PA was carried from Fort Munro to DG Khan on a man-made palki.
It was in Fort Munro that Rev Father T.J.L. Meyer published the first English-Balochi Dictionary in 1909.
Fort Munro is the summer headquarters of this tribal territory. It is headed by a PA who also heads the Baloch Military Police that is responsible for maintenance of law and order. The system works on the principle of ‘collective responsibility’, somewhat similar to the tribal traditions in NWFP. The PA also commands the Baloch Levis. However, after the implementation of the devolution plan the PA doesn’t have much fiscal independence and the results can be seen in worsening civil facilities like health, infrastructure and water supply.
There are a few places to look around while at Fort Munro. There are numerous pine trees all around with hillocks limited only by horizon. The landscape here is not very green rather it is somewhat semi-arid with shrub vegetations. The nights at Fort Munro can be made worthwhile by enjoying a bonfire in sprawling lawns of Sandeman Lodge or one has an option to play billiards in the reasonably-maintained colonial-era billiards room.
Just outside the PA House, at the edge of the hill overlooking the valley, is a 1950 monument commemorating the union of Baloch tribes with Pakistan. The names of all prominent Baloch sardars including the Mazaris, Gurchanis and Legharis are inscribed on this stone plaque. At this place there is a tall pole for hoisting the national flag. According to the tradition, whenever the PA is in Fort Munro, the flag is hoisted. The tribals from remote areas then know that the PA is around and they can visit him.
All that remains of the fort at Fort Munro is a tall burj that is in ruins. An interesting walk can be to the British cemetery situated just around the DCO House. In total there are about five graves – two of infants Walter, son of Mr and Mrs W.C. Oram, and James Fedreick, son of Captain J.W.C Hutchinson. It is the oldest grave at the cemetery. Then there is the grave of Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons Horace Alleby Smith, a medical officer, and one N.H. Smith, who drowned in the Dames Lake at Fort Munro.
An intriguing story surrounds the fifth and the last grave of Maud Evelyn, the wife of Captain M.L. Ferrar of Indian Punjab Commission and the only daughter of an ICS Officer. She died on Oct 13, 1906 at the age of 30 while giving birth to a baby boy at Khar. Some reports suggest that around 20 years ago, a letter was received by the tribal area’s political administration from a British official who claimed that his mother had died during his birth at Khar. He requested the administration to take special care of the grave of his mother Maud Evelyn.
Now the captivating part is that as per media reports on Sept 15, 2006, around eight foreigners entered Fort Munro which is out of bounds for any foreigners. These suspicious people stayed in Fort Munro for three days and allegedly stole the coffin and remains of Maud Evelyn and drove back in full police escort. The issue was investigated by the government but we do not have record of the outcome of this investigation. So apparently we could not secure the grave of the maim sahib despite the iron cage around the grave.
Fort Munro is the only hill station of the area and all local tribal chiefs including Legharis and Khosas have their summer retreats here. Another beautiful place to visit is Dames Lake. This is a small lake surrounded by orchards with boating facilities. The lake keeps on transforming from lake-to-pond-to-lake depending on the annual rainfalls. With a TDCP hotel and restaurant at the banks of the lake, it is the best place for having a dinner and especially the traditional Balochi Sajji at Fort Munro.
Having several government guest houses as well as some private hotels at Fort Munro, the Government of Punjab plans to develop some orchards, rest houses as well as chairlifts, actions that would definitely boost the tourist potential of the area.
