Deserts of Pakistan
Pakistan has four major deserts: Thar in south-eastern Sindh, Cholistan in southern Punjab, Thal between the Indus and Jhelum, and the Kharan desert in Balochistan. The Thar, shared with India, is the only subtropical desert in the world with a substantial rural population, at roughly 1.6 million people on the Pakistani side.
Desert pages cover geography, rainfall, the pastoral economies that survive there, and the forts and festivals of the arid belt, including Derawar Fort and the Cholistan Jeep Rally held each February.
Quick facts
- Major deserts
- 4
- Cholistan area
- About 26,000 sq km
- Derawar Fort bastions
- 40
What this section covers
- Thar
Tharparkar, Nagarparkar, Mithi
- Cholistan
Derawar Fort, the Hakra bed, the jeep rally
- Thal
The Indus-Jhelum doab
- Kharan
Balochistan's sand sea
In this section
The Thar desert in PakistanThe Thar desert covers roughly 20,000 square kilometres of south-eastern Sindh, continuing east into India. Its main Pakistani district is Tharparkar, which unusually for a desert supports dense rural settlement, with a population of over 1.6 million dependent on monsoon rain, wells and livestock.- Cholistan and the Hakra riverCholistan is a desert of about 26,000 square kilometres in southern Punjab, formed along the dry bed of the Hakra river. Around 400 archaeological sites have been recorded along that course, many contemporary with the Indus Valley Civilisation, and a chain of mud and brick forts including Derawar guards the old route.
Detailed pages
Individual pages for these topics are being researched and written. The overview above is complete and sourced; continue with the Pakistan index or the related sections below.
Key dates and milestones
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| c. 1900 BCE | The Hakra river dries, leaving Cholistan's abandoned settlement mounds |
| 1733 | Derawar Fort rebuilt in its present form by the Abbasi rulers of Bahawalpur |
| 2005 | First Cholistan Jeep Rally held near Derawar |
Practical notes
- Visit between November and February; summer temperatures exceed 45 degrees Celsius.
- Desert travel needs a 4x4, a local driver and your own water.
- The Cholistan Jeep Rally takes place each February and fills Bahawalpur's hotels weeks in advance.
Where in Pakistan
Sindh · Punjab · Balochistan
Frequently asked questions
- How many deserts does Pakistan have?
- Four major ones: the Thar in south-eastern Sindh, Cholistan in southern Punjab, Thal between the Indus and Jhelum, and Kharan in Balochistan.
- Is the Thar desert inhabited?
- Yes. The Thar is the only subtropical desert in the world with a substantial rural population, roughly 1.6 million people on the Pakistani side, living by pastoralism and rain-fed farming.
- How big is the Cholistan desert?
- About 26,000 square kilometres, extending from Bahawalpur district to the Indian border, where it continues as the Thar.