BRIGADIER MASUD KHAN SATTI aka "Tommy Masud"

Massaud Khan Satti aka “Tommy Masud” was born on 7th March 1912.

Date of Commission, 01 Sep 1932 (or 28 January 1932) 

Parent unit: 7th Light Cavalry.

Alma Mater: R.M.A.S (Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, UK)
R.I.M.C. (Prince of Wales, Royal Indian Military College), Dehra Dun (India).

He was commissioned as 2/Lt on the Unattached List for the Indian Army 28 January 1932 (or 01 Sep 1932). He then spent a year’s attachment to the 2nd battalion Lancashire Fusiliers in India, joining the 7th Light Cavalry on the 4 January 1934. He was affectionately called “Tommy Masud” by his friends.

He was the first Muslim CO of 11 Cav in 1947. He spearheaded move towards Srinagar in 1948 with his Stuarts armoured cars without clearance from GHQ.

“Tommy Masud” thrashed a British officer (Commandant Punjab Centre) at Jhelum Club in 1948. He was then thrown into the swimming pool by 11 Cav officers. Being a Sandhurst graduate and with a King’s Commission, action could not be taken as it required assent of the king. Tommy Masud was very famous figure in Lahore Gymkhana, finally settled in Lahore, where he died in the late 1990s.

The unit conducted very aggressive actions under his able leadership, one of the proofs of which i.e two captured Indian Armour-ed cars of the 7th light Cavalry still adorn the front of the unit quarter guard. Tommy Masud was remembered with great respect and admiration by many reservists and old timers both from the officers and the rank and file who were attached with or visited the unit. 

Capture of Bhimber, Baghsar and Mirpur

Through their daring and bold actions, Bhimber, Baghsar and Mirpur were captured and the threat to Mangla head works and Jhelum was eliminated.

"As well entrenched Dogras could not be dislodged, Colonel Masud Satti, known as Tommy Masood, dispatched armoured cars under Captain Nawaz, they hit the Dogra Citadel at dawn on 24th of October, causing panic, and Dogras abandoned the town in confusion." 

In November 1947 Colonel (Later Brigadier) Masud Khan volunteered entirely on his own to attack Srinagar along axis Murree-Srinagar which if done would have led to Srinagar’s capture.Major General Akbar Khan wrote about this incident in his book and described it in the following words; ‘On return to Pindi,I was immediately able to find Masud who volunteered to take not two,but a whole squadron of his unit (P.A.V.O 11 Cavalry) armoured cars. His men he said would go in plain clothes and without official permission and at their own risk’ (Refers-Page-41 & 42-Raiders in Kashmir- Ex Major General Akbar Khan,D.S.O-Pak Publishers Limited-2 Victoria Road-Karachi-First Printed-1970).

Akbar wrote that he was thrilled and held a meeting with Brigadier Sher Khan (then probably DMO) Lieutenant Colonel Arbab and Raja Ghazanfar Ali Khan who as per Akbar ‘stoutly opposed the idea. And so the proposal was abandoned’ .Thus the chicken heartedness of these men ie Brigadier Lion Khan and the Raja etc led to the failure to grasp a fleeting operational opportunity when Indian Armoured cars were about three to four days march from Srinagar which they reached only on 7th November! (Refers-Page-276-The Indian Armoured Corps-History of the Indian Armoured Corps-1941-1971-Major General Gurcharan Singh Sandhu-Vision Books-New Delhi-1993). Thus Srinagar was lost between 30th October and 4th November when this fateful conference took place, not because Pakistan did not have armoured cars, not because there was an all weather road to carry armoured cars between Murree and Srinagar; but because it lacked the political and military will,and its Muslim League Ministers as well as army Brigadiers like Sher Khan who were at the helm of affairs did not listen to indomitable men like Tommy Masud! No wonder that Tommy Masud ever went beyond Brigadier! He lacked the suitable ethnic qualification, to give him that particular quota boost, about which all old officers of the pre 1971 era know; or the peculiar professional qualification of being a drill sergeant major type soldier, which was very much in demand, for promotion to higher ranks, in the army of the period 1951-1966 to go beyond the rank of brigadier!

We are lucky to have an independent account confirming Masud’s initiative written by another brilliant artillery officer who was the architect of Pakistani success in Grand Slam and at Chawinda but was not promoted because he lacked the quality of mulish lack of intellect which was a must for artillery officers to have, in order to go beyond brigadier in the pre 1971 army! This is what Brigadier Amjad Ali Khan had to say about the affair of the P.A.V.O armoured car initiative: -

‘ I remember an afternoon in October 1948,in Rawalpindi when I attended a conference of general Tariq who by now coordinating the operations of the tribesmen and Mujahids in Kashmir.I was then Adjutant 2 Field Artillery Regiment. The tribesmen and the Mujahids had been stopped 4 miles outside Srinagar by an Indian Battalion. There was a requirement of armoured cars to break this ring to enable the Mujahids and tribal lashkars to continue their advance into Srinagar.Major Mohammad Masud of P.A.V.O Cavalry Regiment, who was there,sought permission to use a troop of his armoured cars to break through the thin layer of enemy infantry and open the way for the mujahids to enter Srinagar . The reaction of some of those attending the conference to this suggestion surprised me .One of the objections raised was that the tribesmen might damage the palaces of the Maharaja .Another dissenting voice pointed out that it would indicate the presence of Pakistani regular troops inside Kashmir. While this discussion was going on Raja Ghazanfar Ali ,who was at that time a Central Minister,entered the conference room accompanied by Mr. Hameed Nizami. The Minister after having been briefed expressed his regret that no regular troops could be permitted to enter Kashmir’ (Refers-Page-6-September 65-Before and After-Brigadier Amjad Ali Khan Chaudhry (Retired)-Ferozesons-Lahore-1976)

I have reproduced this incident particularly for civilians who do not understand why the army’s younger lot in 1950 was disgusted with the civilian leadership,and why the so called Pindi Conspiracy case occurred.The men who were part of the Pindi Conspiracy were not as ridiculous as painted by a civil servant in a book written in the late 1990s (Zaheer’s book on the Pindi Conspiracy).Mr Zaheer knew about the military facts of the Kashmir War only as much as a spinster ! These men had proved their mettle in WW Two and in 1948 war and were genuinely disgusted with the civilian as well as the higher military leadership,as can be imagined from the above mentioned incident.Had there been a man with Patel’s resolution and decisiveness to assist the Quaid,the army would have had nothing to be unhappy about!The army that took over in 1958 was however not composed of men who had fought well in WW Two,but of clever extension seekers who had nothing to do with the 1948 War.

This then was our tragedy.The old man leading us without having done any armed forces war course, had the ‘Coup d Oeil’ in October 1947 to order that one brigade should advance along axis Sialkot-Jammu and capture Jammu while another Brigade advance along axis Murree-Srinagar and capture it’ (Refers-Page-343- Report of November 7,1947- Mountbatten’s ‘Top Secret’ Personal Reports as Viceroy of India -India Office Library-L/PO/433. Page-154- Looking Back- Mehr Chand Mahajan- Asia Publishing House London-1963) .Nehru had a Patel,while Jinnah had no Patel;and this included the entire cabinet,whether Hindustani Punjabi Bengali Sindhi or Pathan, consisted of decent amiable men who had been good British subjects, and most unfortunate even no Thimaya or Bucher or Cariappas.We had Akbars and Masuds ,but these were sidelined!They did not have that pleasant personality that could please a politician and could get extensions,or the height or frame to be a Hollywood hero!They were men of action known for decisiveness in the crossing of Chindwin…rather than tactical timidity and poor war record while serving in a Chamar regiment in Burma!No wonder that Mr Jinnah complained in 1930s about the Muslim leaders that he had ,who in his words asked the Deputy Commissioner before doing anything!

Source : A.H AMIN

                                                       

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Photo contributed by Lt Col Salman Aslam, Retd (2nd SSC).

EX BRIGADIER SADIQ KHAN SATTI - MILITARY CROSS

By: Agha.H.Amin

Brigadier Siddique Khan Satti was from Kotli Sattian Rawalpindi District, he had been commissioned from Dehra Dun in 1936, he had commanded a battalion in the Kashmir war in the Poonch Sector, and was commanding 102 Brigade at Bannu in February 1951. He was from later 9 FF.

Sadiq Khan Satti was a brave warrior against a set of hopeless politicians who dared not step into Kashmir during the entire time that 1947-48 war was fought, although Nehru was roaming around in Kashmir as if it was a market place behind his house in Delhi.

It was through the memorable poetry of Ex Brigadier Siddique Satti MC of the Pindi Conspiracy fame that I discovered what the Indian Army had gone through in the First World War. "My brother was blown to bits in Flanders, my cousins died of Maggots in their wounds at Kutalmara" so ran Siddique's verses. He had spent some years of his life incarcerated in the notorious Mach Jail and it was a treat to spend an evening with him. His anecdotes, recollections and Yarns were a finer substitute for a chemical substance of another kind. It was through Siddique that I discovered that the Indians had done something at the Suez Canal in the First World War. Saddique wrote brilliantly, His writings contained that pain and bitterness which only a political prisoner can discover in the ice cold cells of Mach Jail, A jail where the sunlight never reaches many cells.

When Pakistan came into being,Brigadier Sadiq Satti was attending Staff College Course at Camberly (England). An Indian General met him there and

offered him early promotion, if he joined the Indian Army. In response, Brig Sadiq posed him a question: "Sir, my village is located at a hill top. Do you know what I would do, if the whole of my clan decides to jump down?"
The Indian General thought that being an educated man, Brig Sadiq should have persuaded his men to refrain from such a suicidal action but he was shocked when Brigadier Sadiq Satti told him, "Sir, I would jump with them. It is Immaterial whether I survive or die. This is how we live. My village has Decided to join Pakistan. I am with them."

I met Brigadier Saddique Satti in Islamabad in 1981. He was then busy translating Iqbal’s verse in English. Man never suffers defeat , without perishing he goes into retreat , so Saddique translated Iqbal's thoughts. He translated Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal's "Baang-e-Dara" in English, which was published in 1984.

He lived in Islamabad’s F7 sector and later shifted to the E sector. Islamabad was dripping with US Dollars of the Afghan war and was being Transformed from a ghost town with few cars into a dirty rich capital of a state whose policy has always been to sell its soul and its soldiers for US Dollars. Saddique Satti was a spirited old man, Old in years but young in spirits. He had much to share about how the Pakistani state was buggered and destroyed right from the early years by its own politicians and generals. His nephews had been my father’s class fellows and friends at the Gordon College Rawalpindi. It’s a tragedy that Saddique Satti did not leave any reminiscences .These would have been a first rate source for initial military and political history of Pakistan.

The Sattis that I saw in the military were nowhere near Saddique Satti in caliber or elan . But then Saddique Satti was a great man not beacuse he was a Satti but because he was great. I am extremely skeptical about the assertion that belonging to a tribe can make a man great, A typically flawed assertion.

I was particularly impressed by one Major Zohrab from 15 SP in August 1984, He was a member of a court of inquiry and supported me fearlessly. He also Was my commander in 15 SP with whom I was attached from 09August 1984 to mid october 1984 at Kharian and Qila Sobha Singh. Zohrab was an Abbasi from the Abbasi clan of Murree and had some qualities of the Abbasi rebels of 1857. Zohrab was bitter about the manner in which the army dealt with its officers welfare and was convinced that if anything happened to him his family would be the loser and no one in the army will bother. This is what happened to the families of the Kargil soldiers. A sad and disgraceful chapter of Pakistani military history, Although the architects of that disgraceful failure Musharraf , Aziz , Javed Hassan and Masud Aslam did extremely well, But war is hell. And the only ones who Discover this are the families of those killed in action and they dont deliver lectures in Harvard or Yale So the lies remain in circulation and the truth is buried in obscure unknown rocky wilderness.
It was ironic to hear from NLI friends that some of the widows of the Kargil war were literally forced to do follow most undignified courses in life. But Who cares in this half dead state called Pakistan about to crash into total oblivion. In the Pakistan Army as one officer put it you have to be a general or dead to get any benefits. I would state that the widows of the Kargil soldiers from ranks were even denied this privilege.

Sadique Satti was a great man.

Although few know him today, May God Bless his soul..

Click here to know more about Brigadier Sadiq Satti

DANOI FOREST REST HOUSE, KOTLI SATTIAN

The rest house was built in 1928 and is right in the middle of the beautiful pine forest, during the early land settlement in Punjab. The history of this dated back to annexation of Punjab by British and subsequent and early establishment of forest department in the Punjab province.

 It is constructed on a leveled piece of clear land surrounded by tall pine trees, and the rest house is situated in a picture postcard setting. You can also spend the night here through an advanced booking from the forest department office near Sawan station, Rawalpindi.

Total traveling distance from Islamabad to Danoi rest house is around 60 kilometers, and it is at approximate altitude of 1300 meters.

Danoi Rest House   

Just a few steps from the rest house, there will be many paths climbing upwards. You can take any of these which will cross the road at a few points before joining it back. Road can also be skipped if one continues to climb up a little towards right to reach the ridge. One can also spot some arrows for the directions which are marked by ASG but they are getting diminished with time. Continuing with the shortcuts and the road, the road turns in to a rough jeep track. Soon, you will be able to see Murree and Patriata on your left towards west. Enjoying the pine forest and the beautiful views hike trek offers, you will reach a place where there are big boulders stretched over a large area. This part is the specialty of this trek. Nowhere else in the whole region, you will find any thing like this. It is not just these large stretched boulders, throughout the trek you will notice large rocks of very unique size and structure. These rocks are also very tempting from rock climbing point of view however I am not sure if anyone has ever attempted them. At some places they offer a scary vertical drop of rock with a height of more 100-200 ft. Continuing on the trail will take you to Panjpeer which can be spotted from the distance by a large junk of jumbled up trees on the top. If one keeps walking along the edge and skip the road turning right, towards the shrine, one can reach the end of ridge with a nice view point from where river Jehlum can also be seen. Total travel time from Danoi to this place or the shrine is 2-3 hours. On clear days, from the top, you can see Makra and other mountains of Kaghan area on your north while different peaks of Kashmir are visible on the east.

There is also a 1908 Narrar Forest Rest house near the shrine; however, that is currently in use of security forces and not accessible being close to Kahuta. Danoi is not only connected to Narrar Rest House through a proper trek but also to Lehtrar Rest House Down the hills.

MURREE-KOTLI SATTIAN-KAHUTA NATIONAL PARK

Murree-Kotli Sattian-Kahuta National Park is located in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan. This park is established in September 2009 and area of this park is 5,7581 hectare.

There are 29 national parks in Pakistan. 21 of them are under the supervision of local governments and remaining 8 are taken care by privately. Parks were mainly carried out by a National Conservation Strategy 1992 in order to protect the nature. Importance of environment has already been included in the concurrent constitution of 1973, however it was 90s when Pakistan established 10 new National Parks.

As per legislation, a National Park is an area that is protected by government for the conservation natural scenery and wild life in a natural state. National Parks are made accessible to public for research and recreation. In order to promote public usage of National Parks, construction of a limited roads and rest houses are permitted however all other factors that can pollute environment or can destruct wildlife, are banned in these areas.

Pakistan starting establishing National Parks in 1972 and up til 2015, there are total 29 national parks in Pakistan. They have been listed alphabetically below.Under a Sept 15, 2009 notification issued under the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Act 1974, the areas of Murree, Kotli Sattian and Kahuta were declared ‘national park area’, where the clearing or breaking up of any land for cultivation, mining or for any other purpose is prohibited.

Panjpeer Rocks    (Moqvi Photos)

                                                                 Patriata Rest House 

Lehtrar Rest House, Kotli Sattian Near Islamabad

There are some serene pieces of history which you should explore on your day trips out of Islamabad. Begin on the road to Lehtrar from Chak Shahzad. As you cross Nilore on your right, the road forks into two at Chirah chowk. The left road goes to Patriata bypassing Simli Dam; take the right one to Lehtrar. As you cross river Soan, the road becomes hilly and after crossing a few villages on the way, you reach Lehtrar. Ask anyone and they shall guide you to the Lehtrar Forest Rest House just off the main road.

Total distance between Islamabad and Lehtrar town is around 40 Kilometers. Rest house is behind the petrol pump just a little ahead of the main bazaar. The hike starts behind this rest house and is actually an abandoned jeep road. In a couple of hours, this path reaches Danoi rest house while passing through a beautiful pine forest.

The Lehtrar rest house comprises of two small bedrooms, constructed in late nineteenth century with picturesque valley views. With expanding villages all around, the views have been compromised but still worth a peaceful evening picnic. If you carry on the main Lehtrar road towards Kotli Sattian, another twenty minutes from Lehtrar, take a u-turn to your right on the road to Danoi village. You should reach the Danoi Forest Rest House in about ten minutes.

Over time all of these rest houses would be known as ‘Dak bungalows’ as postal service was considered by the British as the most vital service to be maintained at all times.

                                                                       

KOTLI SATTIAN POPULATION - CENSUS 2017

According to latest census data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), population of Kotli Sattian Tehsil is 119,312.

In Rawalpindi district, the population of Kahuta tehsil has increased to 220,576 from 155,080, Murree to 233,471 from 176,426, Kotli Sattian to 119,312 from 81,523 while the population of Kallar Sayyedan tehsil increased to 217,273 from 158,120 during 1998-2017.       Click here for more details

15 Schools of Tehsil Murree and Kotli Sattian upgraded to higher levels

 The Punjab government has upgraded 15 schools to the levels of elementary, secondary and higher secondary in the constituency of PP-1 Punjab. These schools are situated in different Union Councils of Tehsil Murree and Kotli Sattian. 107 posts are also created following the demand of the staff after the up-gradation of 15 schools recently approved by Punjab Government.

While talking to Capital Times Arshed Abbasi PMLN leader and coordinator to Provincial Minister for Labour and Men Power Raja Ashfaq Sarwar confirmed the news and said that keeping in view the need of the students to upgrade these schools Provincial Minister and PMLN leadership of the area made every efforts and finally 15 schools are upgraded to next levels.

A senior official of the education department told Capital Times that the ruling party’s leader Raja Ashfaq Sarwar had recommended the schemes which the provincial government approved.

“We are happy that we will have to go nowhere else as our own school has been upgraded to high school,” said Maria, a student. “We are from poor families and it was difficult for us to send our daughters to remote areas to seek education for matric classes. Upgradation of the school has resolved our problems,” said a group of parents.
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SIMLY DAM AND BEYOND

The urge to travel is once again upon me; unaffected by a sixteen hour abstinence from sustenance because of Ramadan. This time it was the sight of a geyser of ice cold water and spray shooting up from the punctured pipe line that supplies water to Islamabad from Simly Dam . I had seen this water reservoir from a distance many years ago, when we (self, elder sibling and family) took a ‘cookout’ trip to Karor, but at what was, on closer look, a beautiful artificial lake ringed by pine clad hills. This place had always been on my itinerary. It was my son in law, who provided me with an opportunity to undertake the trip.

Simly Dam can be approached from two directions – the metalled road that runs past Ali Pur Farash and then bifurcates near Nilor to begin the steep winding ascent towards Karor. The other route is more interesting and simple – the Simly Dam Road that passes through the center of Barakahu and at its very end turns right through a tunnel to the CDA Rest House overlooking the Dam . I found however, that the most picturesque view of the lake can be had if one continues past the rest house turn off and rejoins the main road to Karor. It is some distance along this road that the visitor gets a bird’s eye view of the lake, which is enough to make you stop and dally a while. 

Pine trees begin to appear just short of Karor, where rows upon rows of large and small poultry sheds are indication that the place is a big poultry farming center. The pine forest on the far side of the town and beyond, is ideal for family picnics and cookouts, since one can get almost anything from the small local bazaar. 
The town of Chawan lies a few kilometers ahead of Karor at a height of around five thousand feet above sea level. It has a main bazaar, a basic health facility and a forest rest house dating back to the 1880s. The weather here is as cool as one would expect to find around Sunny Bank Murree and the shops are well stocked with food. I found the forest rest house nestling under some ancient and magnificent Chinar trees and its two rooms in a reasonably good state in spite of the fact that the building had been erected some one hundred and thirty four years ago. A short drive ahead of Chawan is Ban, which boasts a children’s park and an eatery. This road ultimately takes visitors to Murree.

The trip including a brief nap under the Chinars at Chawan, had taken the entire morning and early afternoon and we decided to turn back so as to reach Islamabad before dark. As we drove back, I began to wonder as to why someone hadn’t considered the possibility of developing these places (especially Chawan) into a hill station. The location had an invigorating climate, water, road connectivity, large tracts of flat land and above all it lay a mere sixty minutes’ drive from the Federal Capital.
I felt exactly the same way when I visited Kotli Sattian a few years ago. This place is the home of prosperous families, bureaucrats and generals, who prefer to live in the glitz and glitter that is Islamabad. I was enamoured by this beautiful place, which has all the makings of a hill resort to present an alternative to Murree. 

The aim of this piece lies in the hope that it catches the eye of some one with the means and power to explore my suggestion. This would not only provide additional summer resorts to people, but improve road and utility networks, and enhance employment opportunities for locals, bringing economic prosperity to an area well deserving of some love and attention.

By : Chauburji (The Nation)                   Click Here

CHAWAN REST HOUSE KARORE, KOTLI SATTIAN

The rest house was constructed in 1888 during the early land settlement in Punjab. The history of this dated back to annexation of Punjab by British and subsequent early establishment of Forest department in the Punjab province

How To Get There

Take Lehtrar road from Islamabad and turn left at Chirah chowk towards Simli Dam and Patriata. In about thirty minutes, you would bypass Simli Dam and see the spill way on your left, drive another thirty minutes through hills and it will lead you to Karor.
Ask anyone about the Chawan Forest Rest House and they will put you in right direction to a nice two bedroom rest house on a small hill with breathtaking views of the valley.
The visitors’ book kept at the rest house is a treat to read with one Sultan Mohammad Khan complaining perennially about malfunctioning chimneys while the watchman complaining about ‘police methods and harassment’ by an unauthorized police officer who barged in with his camel men and other followers. Similarly, the watchman is being warned for allowing a naib tehsildar to stay and all this bickering is going on the page which also mentions ‘we were very well looked after’ by General Ayub Khan who was there from Dec 18-19, 1950.

Apart from Ayub Khan, the rest house hosted Roedad Khan, General K.M Arif, General Rafaqat and a number of Imperial Forest Service and Indian Civil Service officers. Mrs Tahira Izhar in 1984 mentions listening to ‘ Ghungroo’ (ankle dancing bells) and firing sounds which made her fearful; however Tehmina Khan from Government College Sialkot takes the prize by giving vivid details in 1985 of deadly howling dogs throughout the night who were trying to enter the rest house.
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You can always come back from Karor and after crossing the Simli Dam spill way, take a turn towards right to Simli Dam and lake. But to enjoy a cup of tea at the picturesque Simli rest house, you need prior permission from Capital Development Authority.

PANJPEER ROCKS

Just a handful of people in Islamabad know about this exciting hiking opportunity very near to them. Panjpeer is the highest point of the Danoi Ridge in Kotli Sattian/Kahuta. It is called Panjpeer because of a shrine it has at the top. Locals believe this was a place where five saints came and got settled. It is at an altitude of approximately 1800 meters. In winters the top gets a few ft of snow each year.

Danoi hike  starts from the Lehtrar rest house on the Lehtrar Road. This road links Islamabad to Bagh via Kotli Sattian. Total distance between Islamabad and Lehtrar town is around 40 Kilometers. Rest house is behind the petrol pump just a little ahead of the main bazaar. The hike starts behind this rest house and is actually an abandoned jeep road. In a couple of hours, this path reaches Danoi rest house while passing through a beautiful pine forest. Danoi rest house Is at an approximate altitude of 1300 meters.

Danoi rest house

If you have lesser time, another option is to skip the first part and start the hike right from Danoi rest house itself where a metalled road joins from Lehtrar. To reach rest house on a vehicle, follow the Lehtrar road for a further few kilometers towards Kotli Sattian till a place called as Thun Mor from where a road turns right towards Baba Saeen Matka Sharif shrine in Kamra. There is also a sign board indicating this shrine. Total traveling distance from Islamabad to Danoi rest house is around 60 kilometers. If you are coming on your own vehicle, you can park it here. Tell the rest house guards to take care of it, and they will do it well. The rest house was built in 1928 and is right in the middle of the beautiful pine forest. You can also spend the night here through an advanced booking from the forest department office near Sawan station, Rawalpindi but they are generally reluctant to entertain people without reference.

Just a few steps from the rest house, there will be many paths climbing upwards. You can take any of these which will cross the road at a few points before joining it back. Road can also be skipped if one continues to climb up a little towards right to reach the ridge.  One can also spot some arrows for the directions which are marked by ASG but they are getting diminished with time. Continuing with the shortcuts and the road, the road turns in to a rough jeep track. Soon, you will be able to see Murree and Patriata on your left towards west. Enjoying the pine forest and the beautiful views hike trek offers, you will reach a place where there are big boulders stretched over a large area. This part is the specialty of this trek. Nowhere else in the whole region, you will find any thing like this. It is not just these large stretched boulders, throughout the trek you will notice large rocks of very unique size and structure. These rocks are also very tempting from rock climbing point of view however I am not sure if anyone has ever attempted them. At some places they offer a scary vertical drop of rock with a height of more 100-200 ft. Continuing on the trail will take you to Panjpeer  which can be spotted from the distance by a large junk of jumbled up trees on the top. If one keeps walking along the edge and skip the road turning right, towards the shrine, one can reach the end of ridge with a nice view point from where river Jehlum can also be seen. Total travel time from Danoi to this place or the shrine is 2-3 hours. On clear days, from the top, you can see Makra and other mountains of Kaghan area on your north while different peaks of Kashmir are visible on the east.

Panjpeer Rocks

From Panjpeer, you can walk down back to Danoi if you have your vehicle parked there. Otherwise, another option is to drop down on the other side towards East to the Jehlum river through Narh. This path ends at Azad Pattan where a bridge links Azad Kashmir to this part of Punjab over river Jehlum. Public transport can be taken from Azad Pattan that will reach Islamabd in around 90 minutes via Kahuta and Sihala. Though it seems much less from the top, the trek on the way down takes around 3-4 hours.

Salman Rashid explored Danoi rest house and has mentioned it in one of his articles here.  Also, check this post for another account of the same hike done by backpacker.

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