Pakistan: visa, security and other issues

PAKISTANI VISA

The tourist visa to visit Pakistan can be requested through this link: Pakistan Online Visa System - Government of Pakistan (nadra.gov.pk)

Luckily for some of us, like Spanish citizens, for a few years the process has been completely online, without having to go to any embassy/consulate to present documentation or collect the visa. According to my experience and from what I have spoken with other travelers, the resolution times, as well as the duration of the visa, vary a lot (probably depending on the official on duty to whom your visa application is received). For example, in 2019 they gave me a one-month visa, while in 2021 they gave me three.

For those who want to stay longer (I'm sure you will!) I have good news: it's very easy. You simply have to apply through the NADRA website. Likewise, the response may take a while, but as long as the application is in progress you don't have to worry about anything, even if your visa has expired.

All information about the requirements for each nationality, price and more on the NADRA website.

SECURITY

Escort in Dir, Pakistan

I understand that many people are afraid of Pakistan (I also had my prejudices), but all the travelers who have come have left the country delighted. In addition to an extraordinarily hospitable and friendly people towards foreigners, the country has worked in recent years to provide security and strengthen tourism. In fact, in the most conflictive areas we are assigned an escort (covered by the Government) or they do not allow us to enter. You will see how as soon as you set foot in Pakistan your fear and preconceived ideas will be erased. The Pakistanis are going to take care of it.

Kalasha friends, Bumburet

Frequently the locals will invite you for tea, lunch, their homes, take you to meet their family, friends, neighbors and also to explore their proud fields of crops, fruit trees, flowers, rivers and forests. Free camping is allowed and I find it very safe (note that I say this as a man).

The areas that foreigners cannot enter are the formerly called “Tribal Areas”, next to the border with Afghanistan, as well as a large part of Balochistan. You can also find yourself surrounded by police in other places like Dir, part of Sindh and southern Punjab. Unlike other countries, the Pakistani police and military are very friendly and helpful to foreigners.

On the other hand, the road and health infrastructure are not the best in the world. The journeys along these tracks are going to be an adventure (especially in the north); It is a generally dirty country and it is very common to get sick from food or water. You have to learn to love bathrooms: they consist of latrines (or holes) and taps (to clean your ass with water, since there is no paper). The showers are also not what Western minds dream of, based on buckets of cold water. Traveling is also (or above all is) getting used to local customs ;)

Pakistani road

OTHER ISSUES

Whenever we travel we must respect the chosen country and culture. Far from the stereotypes we have about the Pakistani people, the people of these lands are very understanding and tolerant towards some things that foreigners can do and that will surely shock them. Even so, we must adapt to their customs, especially with regard to religion. Pakistan is a VERY Muslim country. Thus, for example, entering houses, and of course mosques, requires taking off your shoes first.

However, the most difficult thing to manage (at least for me) is the absence of women in the most conservative areas (especially among the Baloch and Pashtun ethnic groups, bordering Afghanistan). It is without a doubt the most sex-segregated country I have ever been to and this, unfortunately, means that in certain regions women stay at home, going out as little as possible and covered from head to toe. Be careful, it is not mandatory by law for women to have their hair covered, and in fact in other areas of Pakistan many wear it freely, but here family or social pressures come into play.

In certain areas of Pakistan this is the typical image of women

The division (and invisibility) is such that the houses usually have two parts: the main one, where the family lives, and the guest house, where the men of the house receive visitors. Foreign women, on the other hand, can dress however they want and can sit and have tea with local men without being judged, whether in a home's guest house or at a street stall. Furthermore, unlike male travelers, you girls can penetrate the feminine world of these conservative societies. For example, talking to them in the kitchen or bedroom of a given family's house. That is, you are a kind of hybrid that can be with both men and women. This topic is very complex and would deserve an entire post. I emphasize, to be clear, this Man's World does not exist in all of Pakistan.

Sonia, from Taiwan, watching a football match in Lower Chitral

Finally, it is good manners to accept offerings and invitations: tea, food, a walk, your home... It is a common thing they do because of their enormous hospitality and curiosity towards foreigners. You will surely end up as a guest of honor in more than one house and make friends for life. The fact that many Pakistanis speak English allows you to delve deeper into topics, but be careful, here you also have to be careful. Especially with taboo topics like sex, drugs... and religion. If you can't or don't want to accept an invitation, reject it (or rather, try to reject it) with a smile.