It is a vast plateau in the west of Kirthar and Sulaiman mountains. The average height in this area is between 600 to 900 meters. The mountains in the north eastern Balochistan is higher on the south than the ones on the west side.
It is also dry area like Potowar plateau and the Toba Kakar and Xhagai ranges separate this plateau from Afghanistan. In the north western side of it is Kharan desert. There are many temporary lakes in this sandy area which have water only in the rainy season otherwise they remain dry and are called ‘Hamuns’.
There are many minerals discovered in this region like coal, iron, natural gas, chromate and copper. The climate is severe cold in winters and extremely hot in summers with the exception of the high mountain areas.
In Balochistan, there is a common shortage of water making the water reservoir and natural springs and very precious assets. The average altitude in this large plateau is 2,000 feet and there are many geographical features like mountains, dry lakes and basins.
There are also many rivers carving Balochistan plateau land including Zhob Loralai, Hingol, Hub, Porali and Dasht. River Zhob in the area is a tributary to the River Gomal. The four rivers namely Hab, Poral, Hingol and the Dasht in the south of the plateau fall into the Arabian Sea.
There are several mountain ranges in this area including: Toba Kakar, Central Brauli, Hala, Pab, Chagai, Makran coastal range and Raskot range. These ranges are eroded by seasonal streams formed after rainfall. Zhob Loralai basin is the most important ones among many basins present here.
Many of these rivers flows in to the Indus and some drain into dry lakes and some in the land forming inland drainage system which is a unique feature of Balochistan plateau. The famous Bolan Pass which connects Quetta with Kachhi Sibbi plain is present in the Balochistan plateau.
