Page 34 - The Majestic Balochistan

Ancient name of Balochistan
Balochistan was anciently known as “Gedrosia”, which was given by the Greeks to the arid
area of southern Baluchistan. The name ‘Gwadar’ has also derived from it.

NOWRUZ
Nowruz is a festival indicating the start of spring which falls on the day of vernal equinox,
celebrated on March 20-21 each year. The name comes from Avestan meaning “new day/day-
light.” It is celebrated in the regions of Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz-
stan, India, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan. According to some Islamic traditions on
this day:

God made a covenant with the souls before creation.
It marks the rst day when the universe started its motion.
Adam was created.
Ibrahim (AS) destroyed the pagan idols that were being worshipped by his father and
others.
The Quran was revealed to Muhammad, the night of Layla tul Qadr – Night of Power.
Muhammad (PBUH) took Hazrat Ali on his shoulders to smash 360 idols in Mecca.
Hazrat Ali (AS) was born in the Kaaba that was built by Ibrahim (AS) and Ismail (AS) and
The migration of Muhammad (PBUH) from Mecca to Madina.

Largest Salt Re nery in the World
The rst salt manufacturing company of Pakistan, Hub Pak Salt Re nery is being built as the
largest salt re nery in the world in the Hub Industrial Zone of Balochistan. Currently, the
biggest salt re nery in the world is situated in Mexico, which stretches over 86,500 acres. It
produces 10 million tons of salt annually. The Hub Pak Salt Re nery spans over 150,000 acres
and will take the current annual salt exports of Pakistan to 30 million tons. The country will
earn over $1 billion each year once it becomes functional in 2023.

Ziarat Juniper Forest
The Ziarat Juniper forest, Also called Sanober, Is Pakistan’s largest reserve featuring the species
Juniperus Macropoda/ excelsa covering about 110,000 hectares. It is believed that the forest is
the second largest of its kind in the world. The juniper species found there are of global signi -
cance because of their advanced age and slow growth rate. In fact, the Junipers of Ziarat are
among the oldest living trees in the world. It was declared a Biosphere Reserve in 2013 by
UNESCO, as a model region for researching and demonstrating successful approaches to
protection and sustainable Development.