Restless Yasin Chaudhry, with a servant in company, is seen roaring off from his house in Chakwal early in the morning every other day in his Toyota jeep.

They return late in the evening from their exhausting 200 to 250 kilometres rough ride through some part of the hilly Chakwal district that they have not seen before.

Yasin’s wanderlust in the Salt Range is not for any financial gains. He is just out to discover and savour the beauty and the hidden history that the district has to offer.

A field of wild flowers, a rare plant, and the view of a mesmerising lake, or a captivating dam or just an eye-catching landscape fills his heart with joy and makes his day.

Adventurous Yasin Chaudhry has been scouring every nook and corner of Chakwal district for many years solely for self-satisfaction. But his tireless adventurism became result-oriented a few years ago when he created a cute Facebook page - Chakwal Ultimate Tourists Expert (CUTE) - and posted the photographs he had taken during his wanderlust there. That brought the fascinating natural beauty of Chakwal to the notice of thousands of web surfers.

Encouraged by the popularity of his page, Yasin hosted a jeep rally and few visits by groups of tourists from across Pakistan. A crowning moment came for his “virtual” efforts in February this year when, persuaded by Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor, the Managing Director of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif declared Chakwal as a model district for promoting tourism.

PTDC launched a Prime Minister Programme for Chakwal Model District for Tourism and Chakwal-native Dr Izhar Ahmad Khan was appointed as the focal person for the programme.

This official recognition of the tourism prospect led the Chakwal Chamber of Commerce to organise, in collaboration with the PTDC, a grand ceremony at the historic Hindu shrine of Katas Raj on April 9. Aimed at attracting investment in tourism industry, the ceremony was attended by leading businessmen from all over the country.

“Blessed with a number of fascinating sites, Chakwal has great potential as a tourist destination. Many new sites have been discovered by Yasin Chaudhry who deserves great applause,” provincial minister Malik Tanveer Aslam told the participants of the ceremony.

PTDC managing director Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor noted that Chakwal had great potential for religious tourism as it had Katas Raj, one of the holiest sites for Hindus all over the world. “We can make Katas Raj as our defence line,” he said.

Apart from the Katas Raj Temple Complex, Chakwal district has seven other historic sites - Kallar Kahar, Malot Fort, Kussak Fort, Makhiyala Fort, Sammarkand Fort and Nandna Fort. The district also has 22 dams and seven natural lakes.

Interestingly, the ancient geographer Alberuni measured the radius of the earth sitting at the top of Nandna Fort.

Over the centuries, invaders like Ghaznavi, Ghauri, Taimur, Babar and Ranjit Singh attacked these forts. The famous battle between the armies of Alexander the Great and Raja Porus was also fought in Salt Range area.

Fossils dating back to millions of years have been discovered in areas of Kallar Kahar and Dhok Bun Amir Khatoon near Katas Raj. The Katas Raj itself is a wonderful site that has survived the wrath of time and stands with its grandeur intact to this day. The hilly terrain of Salt Range which passes through Chakwal district is dotted with a number of lakes and historic sites.

“Chakwal is a unique place in the perspective of tourism. Unlike northern areas of Pakistan, roads here are not blocked by landslides or snowfall,” says Yasin Chaudhry. The Islamabad-Lahore Motorway provides easy access to Chakwal.

“Almost every kind of tourism is available in Chakwal. Water sport, survival tourism, hunting, trekking, mountaineering, night safari and much more can be enjoyed in Chakwal,” he says.

Dharabi Dam, the largest dam in the district, is just 4km away from Balkassar Interchange on the motorway. Its scenic environs can make the dam the focus tourism in Chakwal. Salman Taseer, a former governor of Punjab, had such a plan. He had purchased land on the bank of Dharabi Dam to build a hotel but his life was, unfortunately, cut short by his own official bodyguard.

Chehal Abdal peak near Basharat village is the highest mountain top in the three districts of Chakwal, Jhelum and Mianwali. A shrine on this peak attracts devotees as well as picnickers. The place can be developed into a tourist attraction.

“I have discovered more than one hundred fascinating sites including different lakes and rocks and all could and need to be developed for recreation,” says Yasin Chaudhry who has named some of the new lakes he discovered in the area.

One lake he has named as the Blue Pearl Lake, and another as the Sleeping Beauty Lake.

“My only mission is to promote Chakwal as a tourist destination by exploring its unexplored natural beauty,” he says.

Talking to Dawn, Dr Izhar Ahmad Khan, the focal person for Prime Minister Programme for Chakwal Model District for Tourism, said it was an honour for Chakwal as the prime minister only chose it as the model district for tourism from all over the country.

“A Safari Park at the hefty cost of Rs10 billion has been approved for Chakwal. It is promised to be a great attraction,” he added.

“The dream of making Chakwal a model district for tourism would be fulfilled through public-private partnership. I am highly optimistic. Businessmen have shown interest in investing in the tourism sector in Chakwal.”

According to the focal person, the PTDC would act as a supervisor and facilitator and prospective “investors would be provided every possible support”.

But he stressed that the construction of further cement plants in the area must be banned first, as existing cement factories were already playing havoc with the scenic beauty of Salt Range.

Published in Dawn, EOS, April 23rd, 2017