17-Sep-2005 -- On Saturday, we started the journey at 9:55 am from Islāmābād. This time Jawad Ahmad my colleague in IT department is with me. Last time I went to the CP from Chakwāl.

We drove on GT road (grand Truck road) till to Chakwāl turn at 10:38. There, we turn right to Chakwāl-Pindi road. After Dudiāl at 11:27 am we turned to right at Chak Nurang towards Chak Umra. The road was bumpy and rough; only one vehicle at a time can pass. But there is work going on and the new local body election has accelerated the process.

Lying at the beginning of the Potohar plateau and the Salt Range, Chakwāl is a Bārāni district and the terrain is mainly hilly, covered with scrub forest in the southwest, and levelled plains interspaced with dry rocky patches in the north and northeast. The tribes clans and castes that inhabit this area are the Awans, Rajputs, Mehr Minhases, Kahuts, Mughals, Gujars, Gondals, Syeds, Arains and the Sheikhs. The physical features of the district, its tribes, its society and its economy all combine to make Chakwāl one of the main recruiting areas for the Army and the Air Force. Other main occupations of the people are agriculture and mining. Transport and poultry business is also important.

The culture of Chakwāl is primarily based on the way of living as taught in Islam; but owing to the fact that Chakwāl before independence was an area where a large number of Hindus lived, it is influenced by Hindu rites, rituals and even ideas. The people of Chakwāl live a simple and straight life as enjoined by their religion.

Our car was stuck in stones, where the road is being rebuild. The labours help us. Anyway, we reached the CP at 12:00 noon. But there, our GPS reading take 15 minutes to be stable at zeroes.

At 12:30 PM, we started the journey to our next destination 33N 72E.