Shirt a Phobia

Sample Page

Basharat (Urdu: بشارت) is a village and union council of Chakwal District in the Punjab Province of Pakistan, it is part of Choa Saidan Shah Tehsil.[3]

Geography and Biodiversity

It is home to the Chehel Abdal Peak, the second highest peak in the Salt Range at the height of 3,701 ft,[4] and tallest in the three districts of Chakwal, Jhelum and Mianwali.[5]

The Ara-Basharat National Park was established here for biodiversity conversation[6] and wild olive plantations have been carried out here.[7] It is also one of the only places in Pakistan with Butea monosperma or “flame of the forest” trees.[8] Ficus religiosa, Rose, Tulips, Jasmine, Morpankh[9] and several other plant species[a] as well as the endangered Techomella undulata are also found here.[10]

It is also one of the only places in Pakistan, home to the endangered Punjab urial.[11] A population of endangered Indian pangolins is also found here.[12] It is also home to significant populations of red fox and golden jackal.[13] In June 2025, it faced severe rainfall and landslides during the 2025 Pakistan floods.[14]

Archeology and history

Fossils of Paleocene and Eocene dinocysts[b] have been discovered here and Spore-Pollen Biostratigraphy and Paleoecology of samples taken from Basharat dating to Mesozoic and Paleogene show the presence of several species.[c][15]

It has ancient Jain/Buddhist remains from between 1st and 12th century CE, showing the first era of Jain presence in the region. In 1971 Jain sculptures and artifacts were excavated and transferred to the Lahore Museum from here. A red sandstone slab with footprints was also found at Chehel-Abdal.[16]

In the year 980 AD, Raja Mal immigrated from Jodhpur or Kannauj to Punjab, taking control of this area and founding Rajgarh, later named Malot. Thus, establishing the Janjua state. He had five sons, and the territory was divided amongst them with Raja Jodh taking the salt mines of Makrach and Makshala town, where he built a fort, and renamed the place to Makshala Makhiala. His four sons Raja Rahpal, Raja Sanspal, Raja Jaspal and Raja Jaipal, divided the territory further ruling from Kussak Fort, Nandana Fort, Malot Fort and Makhiala Fort. Raja Jaipal from Makhiala and his descendants were the ruler of this area and remained it’s rulers until the Sikh Empire under Maharaja Ranjit Singh invaded and besieged the forts, forcing them to surrender.[17] Basharat today still has significant Janjua presence,[18] despite Awan being the dominant tribe today.[19]

There is an alter, at the top of the mountain with its namesake being the Persian word “Chehel” meaning forty and “Abdal” being a stage to becoming the “trusted deputy of God”, with mythology being that 40 pious brothers from Central Asia meditated for 40 days at this place.[20][4] This claim is disputed by some as the alter might’ve been a place for ritualistic sacrifice to “Mother Earth” in pre-Islamic era.[21] On Thursdays, a bazaar is set up here with goats and chickens, slaughtered and cooked.[22]

Mining Industry

It has a significant mining industry with several coal mines.[23][24] Thus, it was also home to a significant immigrant Afghan population, working primarily in the coal mines,[20] prior to the deportation of undocumented Afghans from Pakistan. Limestone is extracted the Sakeasar Limestone outcrops in Basharat, serving as a source of raw material for the nearby Gharibwal cement factory.[25]

Infrastructure

A rural health center was founded here in 2010[26] and was fully operational as of 2019.[27] It also has a Higher Secondary School[28] and a women’s college.[19] There is also a police post in Basharat.[19]

References

  1. ^ a b Population and Household details from Block to District Level, Chakwal (Punjab)
  2. ^ Basharat, Chakwal – Postcode – 48410
  3. ^ Tehsils & Unions in the District of Chakwal Archived January 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ a b Nabeel Anwar Dhakku (22 September 2025). “Neglected Chehel Abdal Peak holds untapped tourism potential”. Dawn.
  5. ^ Nabeel Anwar Dhakku (23 April 2017). “Turning Chakwal into a model district for tourism”. Dawn.
  6. ^ “Punjab Wildlife & Parks Department”. pwl.gop. 15 August 2023. The department has created vibrant ecosystems by establishing Ara-Basharat National Park and Kheri Murat National Park
  7. ^ “KP Governor, CM visit Chakwal to witness concept of olive grafting, plantation”. Business Recorder. 9 February 2021. they visit Chakwal district and checked the olive plantation drive in the Ara Basharat Towns, where Wild Olive grafting and plantation was being carried out on 15,000 Acre of land
  8. ^ Nabeel Anwar Dhakku (3 June 2017). “Chakwal’s cherished ‘flame of the forest’ disappearing”. Dawn.
  9. ^ “Heaven of District Chakwal, “the Basharat”“ (PDF).
  10. ^ “Vegetation Composition And Biological Spectra Of The District Chakwal, Pakistan Using Multivariate Analyses”. Pakistan Journal of Botany. 54 (6 ed.): 3, 5. doi:10.30848/PJB2022-6(22).
  11. ^ “Some observations on the population status of Punjab Urial (Ovis vignei punjabiensis) in District Chakwal, Punjab”. Records of the Zoological Survey of Pakistan. 18. 2008. In Ara Basharat area, population of urial was estimated 152 animals whereas the observed population was 37 urials which consisted of 11 males, 20 females and 6 youngs
  12. ^ Mahmood, Tariq; Irshad, Nausheen; Hussain, Riaz (January 2014). “Habitat preference and population estimates of Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) in district Chakwal of Potohar Plateau, Pakistan”. Russian Journal of Ecology. 45 (1): 71. Bibcode:2014RuJEc..45…70M. doi:10.1134/S1067413614010081. especially around Basharat hills, its occurrence was recorded at high elevations approximately at 2300 ft
  13. ^ Muhammad Farooq; Tariq Mahmood; Muhammad Sajid Nadeem; Hira Fatima; Faraz Akrim; Nadeem Munawar (30 July 2025). “Niche Segregation and Habitat Suitability of the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) and Asiatic Jackal (Canis aureus), Two Sympatric Canids in Northern Punjab (Pothwar Plateau), Pakistan”. Zoological Studies. 64 (64) (17 ed.): 337–344. doi:10.6620/ZS.2025.64-17. PMC 12560949. PMID 4116396. High abundances of red fox signs were recorded at Ara Basharat (n=10)…Notably, high density of golden jackal signs was recorded at…Ara Basharat (n=10)
  14. ^ “New monsoon spell looms as nation reels from rain carnage”. Tribune.pk. 19 July 2025.
  15. ^ “Regional Studies of the Potwar Plateau Area, Northern Pakistan”. United States Geological Survey. pp. 56, 80.
  16. ^ Muhammad Hameed & Muzaffar Ahmad (2020). “To Whom Belong The Pre-muslim Jaina Heritage Of Pakistan And The Question Of Taking Its Ownership?” (PDF). Ancient Punjab. 8. University of the Punjab: 43–44.
  17. ^ Nabeel Anwar Dhakku (12 August 2018). “Once a seat of power, Makhiala Fort now in ruins”. Dawn.
  18. ^ Tribes and clans of the Pothohar Plateau
  19. ^ a b c “Gazetteer (District Chakwal)”. Government of Punjab. pp. 113, 120.
  20. ^ a b Awais Manzur Sumra. “At the top of Potohar”. Jang. we soon drove past the town of Basharat — a town with a sizable population at that time of Afghans who worked in the myriad coal mines that dotted the area
  21. ^ “Chehel Abdal”. 25 August 2021.
  22. ^ Salman Rashid (11 March 2018). “Heritage: Chillas And Picnics”. Dawn.
  23. ^ “From one tragedy to another, coal miners hang on to perilous life”. 5 August 2024. Archived from the original on 2025-07-23. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  24. ^ Nabeel Anwar Dhakku (21 September 2014). “Lives of coal miners in peril”. Dawn.
  25. ^ “Engineering Properties Of Potential Aggregate Resources From Eastern And Central Salt Range, Pakistan”. Geol. Bull. 44. University of Punjab. 2009.
  26. ^ Nabeel Anwar Dhakku (26 March 2015). “Two dozen villages in Jhangar Valley without basic health facilities”. Dawn.
  27. ^ “Primary & Secondary Healthcare”. Government of Punjab.
  28. ^ “Detail Of Posts Notified In BS-19 (Male)”. School Education Department (Punjab, Pakistan).

Notes

  1. ^ including Lantana camara, Parthenium hysterophorus, Cannabis sativa, Calotropis procera, Melia azedarach, Chrysopogon serrulatus, Cynodon dactylon, Cenchrus ciliaris, Zizyphus mauritiana, Zizyphus nummularia, Dalbergia sissoo, Heteropogon contortus, Prosopis juliflora, Dodonaea viscosa, Justicia adhatoda and Acacia modesta
  2. ^ Areoligera sp, Cribroperidinium giuseppei, Diphyes colligerum, Homotryblium sp, Lejeunecysta sp, Muratodinium fimbriatum, Operculodinium sp, Wetzeliella astra, Polysphaeridium subtile, Spiniferites, Adnatosphaeridium multispinosum and Apectodinium hyperacanthum-paniculatum
  3. ^ Psilodiporites hammenii, Triporopollenites cracentis, Triatriopollenites dubius, Cricotriporites vimalii, Echitriporites trianguliformis, Proxapertites sp. A, Proxapertites assamicus, Proxapertites operculatus, Proxapertites cursus, Proxapertites emendatus, Spinizonocolpites prominatus, Clavainaperturites cf. C. clavatus, Longapertites psilatus, Longapertites retipilatus, Longapertites discordis, Longapertites dupliclavatus, Longapertites aff. L. sahnii, Longapertites sp. F, Matanomadhiasulcites maximus, Brevitricolpites vadosus, Tricolpites reticulatus, Myrtacidites secus, Warkallipollenites medius, Rhombipollis geniculatus, Porocolpopollenites aff. P. ollivierae, Callophyllumpollenites aff. C. rotundus, Cupanieidites aff. C. flabelliformis, Cupanieidites flaccidiformis, Cupanieidites granulatus, Polygalacidites clarus, Retistephanocolpites sp., Dandotiaspora dilata, Dandotiaspora telonata, Lakiapollis ovatus, Psilodiporites bengalensis and Retitribrevicolporites matanomadhensis