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Pasni ( پسنی ) - A town in Balochistan, Pakistan



Pasni (Balochi: پسنی ) is a medium-sized town and a fishing port in Balochistan, Pakistan. It is located on the Makran coast on Arabian Sea about 300 km from Karachi. Administratively, Pasni is the headquarters of the Pasni sub-division of Gwadar district that includes Pasni and Ormara Tehsils as well as Astola Island which lies 40km ESE of Pasni, in the Arabian Sea. The city of Pasni is itself administratively subdivided into two Union Councils.

The topography of the area is marked by low jagged hills of the Makran Coastal Range, while flat land is more common towards the coast. Jabal Zarain is a small hill astride a promontory (Cape or Ras Jaddi) south of Pasni and marks the highest point (416' ASL) in the area. The unspoilt and pristine beaches of Pasni offer some of the most enchanting sceneries along the Arabian Sea. Shadi Kaur (river) fed by adjoining rain water streams, drains into the Arabian Sea just north of the town. Vegetation is sparse and consists mostly of hardy desert shrubs. Most of the non-marine edible products are brought in from Turbat as well as faraway Karachi.

Pasni town, like the rest of Makran Coast, is affected by a seismic fault line (Makran Accretionary Front) caused by the northward movement (40-50 mm/year) of the Arabian Plate against the Eurasian Plate. Tectonic activity emanating from this subduction zone in the Arabian Sea causes occasional, low intensity quakes. On 28 Nov, 1945, a tsunami, triggered by a submarine earthquake (7.8 Richter), completely destroyed Pasni town.


Various kinship groups exist side by side in Pasni. These include Rais, Khodai, Kalmati, Sangur, and Shahzada who belong to traditional ruling communities and currently, tend to dominate land ownership and the fishing industry.
Pasni also has some other cast such as Barr, Jadgaal, Wadaila people living in this small town, but the working classes have traditionally comprised Medh, Darzada, Push, Maqsoodi and Naqeeb, some of whom are groups that were historically slaves of the ruling families. People of East African ancestry commonly known as 'Sheedis' can also be found in Pasni in small numbers; this African lineage is found at low frequency in the rest of Makran, as well as Karachi. 'Sheedis' are mostly descended from female slaves brought in as concubines in the early 19th century, when slave trade flourished under Omani Sultans whose suzerainty extended over Gwadar till 1958.

The town houses a modern fish harbour and Port of Pasni, with fishing being the main occupation of the town dwellers. Frozen catch is also sent to Turbat and Karachi for sale in the larger markets.

A joint-user airfield is shared by Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Pakistan Navy and civil aviation. PAF as well as PN-Aviation operational facilities are housed nearby. Daily commercial flights link the town with Karachi.

In 2008, the government approved the construction of Shadi Kaur storage dam near Pasni, which is expected to alleviate some of the power deficiency of the region.
Other than being a small fishing village, the town does not figure much in history. Alexander the Great is said to have stopped at Pasni (called 'Cysa' in Arrian's treatise Indica) while unsuccessfully trying to rendezvous with his admiral, Nearchus, during a disastrous exodus via Makran after the Indian Campaign (325 BC). According to one theory, Admiral Nearchus' well-stocked fleet was supposed to have continuously provisioned Alexander's army as the latter marched West along the barren coast towards Persia. In the event, a major portion of Alexander's route through Makran (Bela-Averan-Hoshab-Turbat and then south to Pasni-Gwadar) turned out to be much further inland than expected, apparently due to faulty knowledge of the terrain.

An unexplored Harappan-era settlement known as Sokhta Koh is tucked away in the low hills, about 25 km north of Pasni. It is conjectured that this was an ancient Harappan outpost which traded luxury wares with Mesopotamia and Persian Gulf settlements.


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7.Winter in Ziarat City in Balochistan Province of Pakistan


8.Turbat - A City In Balochistan Province Of Pakistan


9.PAKISTAN - Who Was Behind the Murder of Three Balochistan Nationalists?


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Comments

  1. LONG LIVE BALOCHISTAN. DOWN WITH PAKISTAN AND IRAN

    ReplyDelete
  2. Long live Pakistan and Balochistan is Part pf Pakistan, we love Balochistan.

    ReplyDelete
  3. very nice pictures, i was there last week, i love pakistan!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lovely nice pictures i wish go there, Best wishes to peoples of Balochistan I love my great country Pakistan.

    ReplyDelete
  5. All Pakistanis are equal. It does not matter if we are Punjabi, Pathan, Sindhi, or Balochi. Lets all love our country equally! Long Live Pakistan!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Pasni My Home Town, I love It. GOD Bless Pasni,Balochistan & Of course Pakistan.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dear all,

    Thanks for your comments. Pasni Balochistan really is beautiful place.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Balochistan is part of Pakistan and most of balochi people love Pakistan. only few morons wants balochistan separate from Pakistan... only in there dream
    May Allah bless Bless Pakistan and balochistan.... love each and every part of Pakistan

    ReplyDelete
  9. it was a good knowledge about my home town. but i do not agree with your information about the ruling class and the working class.there is nothing such you have mention. because i am living in pasni and it is my native place and further more i say that there should be survey and gathering of information and then it should be published. and you are talking about a huge period ago. i think u should fist of all visit to pasni and the see the condition of the town.

    OK

    NAME; MUEEM SABIR AZAD BALOCH
    FROM; PASNI BALOCHISTAN

    ReplyDelete
  10. Dear MUEEM SABIR AZAD BALOCH,

    Thanks for your comment. You are right about the importance of local knowledge and first hand experience.I would love to hear from you about the local issues of Pasni and feel free to post anything that you believe should be higligted on this blog.

    Many Thanks
    Sikander Hayat

    ReplyDelete
  11. kaash main yahan visit kr skta
    long live balochistan
    long live pakistan
    Allah pakistan main aman ki soortehaal paida kray

    ReplyDelete

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