Why Sindh is the ‘real’ Pakistan
There, I said it. It night not have the mega industrial cities of Punjab, the mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan, the mystique of Khyber-Pukhtoonkhwa or the untamed wild of Balochistan. But Sindh, in many ways, is where Pakistan’s greatest asset, its culture, is at its most vivid.
Minaret of Masum Shah, Sukkur
Don’t get me wrong – I love Lahore and Punjab to the core of my heart – but there’s something about Pakistan’s southern province that holds a place in my dreams. Apart from mountains, Sindh has it all – fabled Sufi traditions, time-honoured hospitality and culture, multicultural neighbourhoods where mosques and Hindu temples exist nearly side by side, shrines to poets whose works are devoted to the love of the divine, wide open desert landscapes where you feel completely free of the rigours of the road, rugged hills topped by spectacular fortresses, silent lakes, lonely beaches, ancient civilisations, more recent historic sites, and it’s all anchored by Pakistan’s most cosmopolitain megacity by the Arabian Sea.
Travel in Sindh is rough – some parts are among Pakistan’s least developed, and tourist infrastructure are pretty thin on the ground. In some places no Urdu, let alone English is spoken – it’s just Sindhi, and a local dialect at that. Many of the attractions are well off the beaten track – Sehwan Sharif, Mohenjodaro, Bhit Shah and Daraza Sharif are not near any major bus stations, and only the latter two are on a major highway. Hotels often don’t accept foreigners unless they’ve been ‘approved’ by the local police force. Karachi is undeniably a hotchpotch of the elite and the poverty stricken, with some serious crime and social problems thrown in for good measure. The temperatures are hot in winter and punishing in the height of summer. All of this has kept Sindh off most people’s (including most Pakistanis’) travel radars. But it’s their loss for sure, because despite the provinces major problems, Sindh a culturally, historically and naturally rich region which is just waiting to be explored.
Don’t believe me? Check these out;
Shrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai
Karachi skyline from Clifton
Sunset over the Sindhi desert
Indus River at Sukkur
The ancient, ruined civilisation of Mohenjodaro
The incredible Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalander, Sehwan Sharif
Sunehra Beach
Ranikot Fort (Image: Baigaqeel)
Keenjhar Lake (Image: Furqan and Imran)
Colours of Ajrak, traditional Sindhi fabric
Baba Khushi Ram Mandir, a Hindu temple in Rohri, near Sukkur
Alam base at Qadamgah e Mola Ali a.s, Hyderabad
What’s your favourite place in Pakistan? Comment below!
you have to be careful of authorities there – they like to re-Sindh your travel permit! 😉
but seriously looks amazing, beautiful photos
lol, very punny.
I guess that would depend on whether or not you had Sindh 😉
Hi Tim, I enjoyed your Sindh blog immensely. Family tell me travelling in Sindh is too dangerous because of dacoits. Your perspective?
Thanks Robert! There are definitely parts of Sindh that are safer than others, but if you are familiar and comfortable with travelling in Pakistan, I’d say it’s not prohibitively dangerous. Avoid travelling at night time, try to travel with a friend, don’t flash your (relative) wealth and stay in larger cities with well established accommodation options. I travelled there twice with no problem, following the above advice. Safe travels!
I haven’t heard of Sindh before but it definitely seems like a place I’d love to visit, Tim! It looks like a very colourful and charming place. Do I need a guided tour to explore it or I can do it on my own?
You can go there on your own, but in some parts travellers are given a guard at no extra cost – they will act as a guide while you’re there. However it might be easier to travel in a tour if you’re not familiar with travel in Pakistan – parts of it are quite undeveloped, and travel can be rough.
True and Well Said Sindh is the ‘real’ Pakistan.
Nice to read it Tim. I expected it as long article but you shown only few pictures to support your statement, beautifully described.
Being a Sindhi and from a little village, I can say you still miss lot of Sindh colors. Let me know when you have next visit. i can show you lot of things you had ever heard. We are also know as great for hospitality.
Thank you, sir! I hope I can see you in Sindh one day soon! Which part of Sindh do you come from?
Lahore lahore aye😂
Aur Sindh Sindh hai! :p