At the Khewra Salt Mines, guide Amir Ali shares an interesting fact: “The valuable discovery wasn’t made by people, but by animals. Alexander the Great’s cavalry noticed that their horses were licking stones in the foothills of the Himalayas, later realising that it was high-quality salt.”

In his important book, Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy, Henry Kissinger revisits the famous battle between Alexander and King Porus in the hills. The clash occurred in 326 BC. Porus used mighty elephants that initially unsettled Alexander’s cavalry. However, fear proved temporary and the outcome shifted.

Porus might have stepped back on the battlefield but secured a unique role as Alexander’s satrap on his estate. In Urdu literature, the symbolism of Porus’s elephants persists as a metaphor, signifying something that demands substantial resources but delivers limited returns.

The mine near the Salt Range along the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway is accessible via Pind Dadan Khan from the Lilla exit. Regrettably, the road connecting Pind Dadan Khan to Khewra is in terrible condition, making it impassable. Despite these challenges, heavy as well as light vehicles, including loaded trucks, must drive through. This has resulted in residential areas along this route being covered in dust and smoke.

The situation improves when you exit from Kallar Kahar at the summit of the Salt Range. Upon reaching Khewra, one can smell the salt in the air. Locals engage all visitors in friendly banter. The road to the mine passes through the heart of the city. One sees a hospital and school along the way.

As you step into the salt mine, you’re welcomed by neatly painted walls and robust security measures. After paying the entry fee, you enter a large parking area where mosques and an Imam Bargah stand out.

At this point, the visitors realise that the mine isn’t what they might have imagined: a dark and narrow place. There are two ways to get in: Buy a train ticket with a guide or walk along the edge between the train track and the mine walls. We chose the train option and waited for our turn.

The mine walls light up with colourful lights behind the salt crystals, making it look fabulous. It’s like a fun adventure for the kids on the train. Moms are cautious, holding their children back as they try to touch things to ensure it’s not virtual reality. It’s natural, though – a lot of colours in a dark tunnel, seen from a train ride.

The lights in the mine pale in the gloom of the area and its people.  

The train stops at Chandni Chowk. Here, everyone gets off the train to see a model of the Badshahi Masjid. Its walls are lit with various colours. The guide tells us it’s a unique mosque, unlike any in mines worldwide. The massive wall across from the mosque grabs your attention—it’s enormous and shines like a rainbow.

Narrow paths lead to extensive water ponds that form naturally. On the path to a large pond, a guard tells us that the pond’s roof has fallen, making it unsafe to visit.

As we move beyond Chandni Chowk, we face a model of Minar-i-Pakistan. It’s a huge structure built using salt rocks. It is well illuminated against a dark background.

The children are fascinated by this place. They stand in amazement. It’s a fantastic spot for taking photos. The water ponds near Minar-i-Pakistan is even more significant than the ones near the Badshahi Masjid. Small bridges lead to both.

The mine also showcases various salt products, including white, pink, dark pink and greyish pink rocks.

Pakistan is seeking UNESCO’s recognition for this mine as a World Heritage Site.

The information provided by the government to the UNESCO in support of this request has some fascinating details.

“The area is rich in paleontological finds: large and small land mammals dating to some 18 million years ago when the climate of this area was wet and humid; ichno fossils dinosaur track ways, which were imprinted in the limestone in the uppermost part of the Middle Jurassic period; a wealth of Cretaceous belemnites in the form of a “graveyard”; the 14 million-year-old fossil remains of Deinotherium discovered at Choa Saidan Shah; 12.3 million-year-old fossilised hipbone from a prehistoric ape named Siva pithecus indicus and the ten million-year-old Giganto-pithecus. The fossil record of the Salt Range represents a diverse range of floral and faunal fossils including well preserved complete body fossils of invertebrate and vertebrate fauna, their skeletal grains, faunal moulds and castes along with a large variety of ichno fossils,” it says.

These claims have been verified. The mention of 14-million-year-old fossil remains of Deinotherium found in the nearby Choa Saidan Shah is intriguing. On our way back, we opt for the Choa Saidan Shah route. The city sits atop a hill, offering a more picturesque view than Islamabad does from Monal in Margalla Hills. However, Choa Saiden Shah suffers from the same neglect as Khewra.

The government must take responsibility for preserving the heritage before seeking UNESCO’s recognition. The Khewra Salt Mine has been neglected as a tourism destination and as an institution. We learn that many workers are in courts with disputes relating to their jobs. There is a sense of helplessness as they sharing their stories with tourists, hoping that someone will help them. The lights in the mine pale in the gloom of the area and its people.

The writer teaches development support communication at International Islamic University Islamabad. He tweets @HassanShehzadZ.