Gorakh Hill Station is one of Sindh’s most distinctive mountain destinations, attracting visitors because of its high-altitude landscape, cooler climate, scenic mountains and natural beauty. Located in the Dadu district, Gorakh Hill has long been discussed as an important destination for promoting tourism in Sindh.
However, concerns surrounding the condition of the access road, tourism facilities and development work have once again brought Gorakh Hill into the spotlight.
According to reports and concerns raised locally, the access road has remained closed for an extended period, affecting visitors, tourism-related businesses and people who depend on the area for their livelihoods.
The situation raises a broader question: how effectively is Gorakh Hill being developed as a sustainable tourism destination?
Why Is Gorakh Hill Important for Sindh Tourism?
Gorakh Hill is widely regarded as one of Sindh’s major mountain tourism destinations. Its landscape is different from the plains for which most of the province is known.
The location offers mountain views, cooler weather during suitable seasons and opportunities for nature-based tourism. With proper infrastructure, road access, accommodation, safety facilities and tourism planning, the area has potential to attract visitors from different parts of Sindh and other regions of Pakistan.
The Gorakh Hills Development Authority (GHDA) was established through the Gorakh Hills Development Authority Act, 2008. The law provides for the planning, development and management of the Gorakh Hills and related areas.
Gorakh Hill Road: The Main Concern
For tourists, one of the most important requirements is reliable road access.
If the road leading towards Gorakh Hill remains closed or difficult to use for an extended period, the impact can go beyond tourism. Local transport operators, small businesses, guides, hotel and guesthouse operators and other people connected with tourism can also be affected.
Local concerns about the road therefore deserve clear information from the relevant authorities.
Important questions include:
- What is the current condition of the Gorakh Hill access road?
- What caused the closure or deterioration?
- What maintenance or rehabilitation work has been carried out?
- Who is responsible for maintaining the road?
- What is the official timeline for restoring reliable access?
- How much funding has been allocated for road-related development?
Providing public information about these issues can help visitors, local communities and tourism businesses understand the situation.
What Does the Audit Report Say About Gorakh Hill Development?
The issue becomes particularly important because the Auditor-General of Pakistan (AGP) has published a Special Audit Report concerning the Gorakh Hills Development Authority, with a special focus on the development of the summer resort.
The audit examined the period 2014–15 to 2021–22 and reviewed resource utilization, infrastructure development, tourism-related objectives and compliance with applicable rules and regulations.
According to the report, auditors identified a number of observations, including:
- Non-production of certain records
- Non-achievement of major tourism-related objectives
- Issues relating to rules and regulations
- Irregularities concerning employee appointments
- Work executed beyond the scope of the approved PC-I
- Issues involving consultant payments
- Delays in completion of development schemes
- Procurement and tendering-related observations
- Issues concerning financial and accounting controls
- Environmental assessment concerns
- Record-maintenance issues
These are audit observations, not by themselves proof of criminal wrongdoing. The appropriate authorities and established accountability processes are responsible for determining the status and resolution of individual observations.
How Much Money Has Been Spent on Gorakh Hill?
Public discussion about Gorakh Hill frequently focuses on government spending and development allocations.
Available audit material provides examples of significant public expenditure. One audit report records a Rs. 300 million budget allocation for Gorakh Hills Development Authority for financial year 2020–21, with reported expenditure of approximately Rs. 299.231 million. The same audit material records observations amounting to Rs. 1,399.200 million, including procurement-related observations.
However, it is important not to confuse an individual year’s budget, total expenditure, audit observation amounts and cumulative development spending. These figures represent different things.
Therefore, claims about the total amount spent on Gorakh Hill over many years should be checked against the relevant annual budgets, development schemes, releases and audited accounts.
This is one area where greater public transparency could help answer an important question:
How much money has actually been allocated, released and spent on Gorakh Hill development over the years, and what physical work resulted from that spending?
Development on Paper vs Development on the Ground
A development project cannot be judged only by the amount of money allocated to it.
For tourists and local communities, the visible results are equally important.
These can include:
- Safe and reliable roads
- Proper accommodation
- Clean drinking water
- Electricity and basic utilities
- Waste management
- Tourist information facilities
- Emergency and safety services
- Parking and transport facilities
- Employment opportunities for local residents
- Proper maintenance of existing infrastructure
If facilities deteriorate after construction, maintenance becomes just as important as the original development project.
For Gorakh Hill to become a sustainable tourism destination, development needs to be accompanied by long-term maintenance and management.
Local Employment and the Future of Tourism
Tourism can create opportunities for communities living around a destination.
At Gorakh Hill, tourism-related employment could potentially include transportation, hospitality, guiding services, food businesses, accommodation, handicrafts and other local services.
A sustainable tourism strategy should therefore consider not only infrastructure but also the participation of local communities.
Questions about local employment are important because tourism development should ideally create economic opportunities for people living in and around the destination.
Accountability and Public Information
The Auditor-General’s reports provide an important mechanism for examining the use of public resources.
The AGP’s official audit records include a dedicated Special Audit Report on Gorakh Hills Development Authority.
At the same time, audit observations should be understood in their proper context. An observation identifies an issue requiring clarification, correction, recovery, compliance or further action; it does not automatically establish wrongdoing by a particular individual.
This distinction is important when discussing public development projects.
For Gorakh Hill, greater transparency could include publicly available information about:
- Approved development schemes
- Project costs
- Funds released
- Actual expenditure
- Contractors and completed works
- Road maintenance plans
- Tourism facilities
- Audit observations and their current status
Such information would allow citizens to compare approved plans with work actually completed on the ground.
What Is the Future of Gorakh Hill?
Gorakh Hill has the natural characteristics needed to become an important tourism destination in Sindh. But natural beauty alone is not enough.
Successful tourism requires reliable infrastructure, road connectivity, safety, cleanliness, accommodation, environmental protection, professional management and long-term planning.
The future of Gorakh Hill therefore depends not only on new development projects but also on maintaining existing infrastructure and ensuring that public investment produces practical benefits.
The questions being raised about road access, development spending, tourism facilities and audit observations deserve factual answers from the responsible authorities.
A Documentary Investigation by Online Sindh
Our documentary looks at the current concerns surrounding Gorakh Hill and examines the wider questions surrounding tourism development, infrastructure and public spending.
The purpose is not to blame any individual or institution without evidence.
It is to document the issues, examine available public records and ask questions that matter to visitors, local communities and the people of Sindh.
Why has the road remained closed for so long?
What development work has actually been completed?
How much public money has been allocated and spent?
What is the plan for maintaining Gorakh Hill in the future?
And perhaps most importantly:
What should sustainable tourism development in Sindh look like?
Watch the full documentary by Online Sindh and share your views responsibly.
Documentary Credits
Documentary by: Shahzad Lashari
Narration: Sindhu
Platform: Online Sindh
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References
Auditor-General of Pakistan – Special Audit Report on Gorakh Hills Development Authority:
The official report covers the Authority’s development activities and resource utilization for 2014–15 to 2021–22.
Auditor-General of Pakistan – Audit Reports:
Official AGP audit-report database, including the Special Audit Report on Gorakh Hills Development Authority.
Sindh Laws – Gorakh Hills Development Authority Act, 2008:
The official Sindh Gazette publication establishing the legal framework for the Gorakh Hills Development Authority.
