 | Pakistan Warnings or Dangers 
 
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 | Pakistan Warnings or Dangers | Tips 1 - 10 of 41 |  | ||
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 | Tribal and Political Tensions: April 2006 |   |  |
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 |  on April 25, 2006 |
Pakistan has its problems and no traveller can deny that especially in the Northern Tribal areas as well as the Sindh province. The Northern Areas (NWFP) are for adventurous travellers but not for the mis-informed travellers. Travellers must do their homework before wandering into these areas because 10 km in an area like the NWFP can mean the difference between life and death. Pakistani law is limited in the province and most of the time they dont want to get involved with Tribal disputes. My personal advice is dont go to any place that the local travel agencies and local people speak cautiously about and that may seem like common sense but it does happen. Most governments advise against non essential travel to the NWFP but that is slightly misguided in that it really applies to the borders near Afghanistan including areas near the Khyber Pass where problems can arise in a flash. North Waziristan and South Waziristan should be avoided at all cost. It is EXTREMELY dangeous and home to floods of Islamic Militants. The Sindh Province is extremely volatile as well with Karachi being the crime capital of South Asia. The local statistics show that Karachi witnesses more than 40,000 crimes per year and despite travellers recommendations or advice this place is common for abductions, bombings and recently occasional beheadings of foreign workers. Baluchistan is probably the second most dangerous place in the country and Musharraf's Government continues to hunt down militants and bomb suspected training grounds making the bus or overland journey to and from Iran a risky option. The Baluchis want financial benefits from the pipeline that is being built along with benefits from the local resources but the Government denies them any right or funding. The result is constant bombings, theft and killings that will probably not stop in the near future. John Z April 26 2006. |
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| Travellling By Bus | | |
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| on June 19, 2006 |
Traveling by bus in Pakistan is usually regarded as safe but you cant forget where you are and you will probably be reminded of this when you get on a Daewoo bus from city to city. The security is tight and you will be searched before you get on the bus and you will be filmed by security personnel before the bus sets off for its destination. Please note that once your bag is put under the bus you will not have access to your bag again until the bus reaches its final destination so if you have contact solution etc don’t forget to take it with you on the bus |
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| Permits in Chitral |  | |
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 |  on March 23, 2006 |
Salut Mes Amis, As soon as you arrive in Chitral town then one has to need a pemit to tarvel in and around Chitral whihc could be obtained from the Police department and the office is open from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. You would be demanded where ever you travel in Chitral whether in Kalash valleys or in the hot spring valley. A bien tot, Warm welcome to Pakistan |
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| Landslides | | |
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 |  on November 15, 2003 |
The Karakorum Highway is normally open for traffic from June to October. But even in this Summer months the road can be closed due to landslides or even snow. When I went up to the Khunjerab Pass in Mid-June, the weather was fine. But two days before, people could not cross the pass because of heavy snow-storms. |
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| Drugs | | |
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| on December 12, 2006 |
Hash is a major problem in Pakistan along with other illegal substances and they are usually smuggled in from Afghanistan or Central Asia. Apart from opening up yourself to being taken advantage of, penalties for possession, use or smuggling are huge in Pakistan and they can even lead to death. Be wary of absolutely anyone , local or tourist who approaches you for a sale. Some dealers work in police and set you up only to see you paying a hefty bribe to get out of the situation. I seen a lot of travellers especially in Lahore (qawwali night) getting blasted with the locals and if they would have gotten caught they were done. The drugs that night is why I left to go home early. Be careful. |
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| Photography: Photography in Pakistan | | |
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| on March 22, 2006 |
Salut Mes Amis, During your trip to Pakistan please keep few things in your mind. Do not photograph the women. Avoid taking the photographs of women whether in the streets of Peshawar or among the Kalash tribes of Hindukush. Avoid taking the photgraphs of bridges, military installations and Army cantonments. Welcome to Pakistan%f* , |
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| Flight confirmation in Pakistan | | |
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| on March 25, 2006 |
Salut Mes Amis, If you arrive in Pakistan by flight and you will take the same flight back then before laeving for mountains you better reconfirm your seats in the relevant airline office in the main cities of Pakistan, like Islamabad, Lahore or Peshawar whether PIA or Qatar airways or Etihad. As soon as you are in the areas like Chitral, Gilgit and Hunza sometimes the connection is not pretty promissing as a result you can not confirm it on phone. I welcome you to Pakistan, A bien tot , |
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| Transport | | |
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| on April 25, 2006 |
Most of Pakistan is covered with almost every possible form of transportation but this causes most places to be overloaded with buzzing rickshaws and taxis. Crossing the streets in Pakistan requires patience and luck and lacking solid road rules it is easy to get clipped if your mind wanders when crossing the road. |
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| People: Driving can drive you crazy. | | |
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 |  on April 16, 2005 |
Driving conditions in Pakistan are no where close to what you have in the UK, Europe, the UAE or the USA. The honking cars and no adherence to traffic regulations reminds one of Egypt though. Although Islamabad, the capital is good traffic wise, old portion of Lahore and most of Karachi is a driver's nightmare. In Pakistan, cars, motorcycles, rickshaws, wagons, buses, camel, oxen and donkey driven carts also ply on the same roads, as does the normal traffic. To foreign tourists, I will not suggest driving a car. Rented out cars with a driver is the best bet. If the group is 6 to 10 strong, I would suggest hiring an airconditioned wagon / coaster. However, driving on national highways is strictly regulated. Another wise thing to do in Pakistan is to hire the services of professional tour operators of repute, who will be able to take care of all these details for you. Due to low value of Pak rupees vis-a-vis US$, the deal may turn out to be extremely economical. Again, the package may be negotiated / haggled, as is everything else in Pakistan. More on haggling under shopping tip. A guided tour can let one observe such off the beaten path marvels as the Kotri Barrage near Hyderabad, constructed by the British in the 19th Century. My elder brother from the USA (picture) took several hours to observe gigantic water distribution system on the upstream side of the barrage and the environmental degradation due water shortage in the estuaries on the downstream side. |
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| Canadian Govt Warning Number Two | | |
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| on December 28, 2006 |
Acts of terrorism, including bombings, occur. Westerners have been kidnapped, and there have been attacks and threats against embassies and other international facilities, although these have declined in the past years. Petty crime is common throughout Pakistan. Rallies and demonstrations should be avoided. They can occur on very short notice and can lead to violence.There is a potential threat from terrorists posing as street vendors or beggars in busy streets. Canadians who regularly travel between their place of residence and their workplace should vary their times of travel and routes. Exercise vigilance in traffic situations and be particularly alert to possible attacks when waiting at traffic lights. Try to avoid busy, heavily congested traffic routes when possible.Sectarian violence is a serious problem, particularly in Karachi and other cities in Sindh and Punjab provinces. Canadians should exercise caution and avoid public transportation and crowded areas.Violent crime is high in Karachi. There have been outbreaks of ethnic and sectarian violence including bombings, shootings, and mass demonstrations, resulting in deaths and the imposition of curfews. Do not travel after dark. Do not travel overland into Sindh province unless police are notified well in advance and are able to make the necessary security arrangements.The province of Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, is notorious for cross-border smuggling. Serious ethnic violence can lead to gun battles in the streets. Curfews have been imposed. Travel in certain areas of Balochistan requires advance permission from the government of Pakistan. Mountain climbers in the disputed areas face a significant risk of injury or death. Travel to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and the North-West Frontier Province is dangerous and requires advance permission from the government of Pakistan. Ethnic, political, or sectarian violence may still be encountered outside the tribal areas. |
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