Coming from Quetta and going to Lahore I have identified two ways:
1) Quetta, Zhob , Dehra Ismail Khan, Jihang, Lahore (829 km)
2) Quetta , Dehra Ghazi Khan, Multan, Lahore (922 km)

The 1) is slightly northern, 2) more central.
Which is the best, as condition of roads, touristic interest, safety?

Thanks
Roberto

I went the first way.
The road from Quetta to Zhob was undergoing large amounts of work when I was there about 4 months ago, at the time it was about 60% metalled with the worst of it being flood damage in the mountains which as far as I could see wasn't being repaired, though the mountain road is pretty cool in places.
When I went through there'd been an earthquake in that area not long ago which probably didn't help the condition of the roads...

Also while I was there there was a protest on that road which got me caught up in a mob of people who beat me with sticks and threw stones at me...
Isolated incident though I'm sure!

I suspect you'll probably get directed further south by the cops, I was told not to take the Zhob road a few months ago. In Dera Ismail Khan, I really struggled to get a room as no one wanted a foreigner in their hotels as it was a major security risk. A few days after I was there, I understand there was a suicide bomb. I was heading west and was advised to go down to Dera Gazi Khan where I ended up with police escorts to Kingri. After that I had no more escorts until the Iran border but I've heard you'll probably get an escort from the border if you're heading into Pakistan.

But surely you'll be going over to Islamabad and then up the KKH too? That was the best bit for me.

__________________
Mike


www.singapore-scotland.blogspot.com
www.argentina-alaska.blogspot.com
My little Vid: India/Pakistan

BMW R1150GS
Suzuki DR650 SE: Ride it like ya stole it. Oh, somebody just did...

Hi,

I'm new to this website. Very helpful and informative!
I am planning to ride from Delhi to Europe in June. Can anyone tell me about taking the southern route down the valley from Lahore towards Karachi, turning off at Shikarpur and crossing at Pishin / Turbat into Iran. Is this safer than taking the route via Quetta? are the roads ok? Or is it still a better ride staying further north? It seems this is the more common route.
Thanks,
Jez

Bomboliere, local conditions decide, I arrived in Quetta intending to drive over Lorelie towards Lahore in oct. '08. The earhquake, and aftershocks, and social consequences with displaced people, forced me to make an unwanted detour through the Sind desert to Sukkur. There is a lot of tension in Pakistan at the moment, so one can risk being dettoured. Police escorts, and rerouting, are part of your day, but it's all on a daily basis, your safest/most interesting route can change overnight.
Jezz - I'm afraid you don't have any choice, there is only the Taftan - Zahedan border crossing available for tourists. The southern route is not safe, and the wonderful road on the Pakistani Gov website does not exist - yet! Stay clear of Karachi, in fact the Punjab is more or less off limits to tourists, but ask around (police, PTDC, other travellers) for updates. It's no joke to be caught up in civil unrest, or be taken hostage in a local conflict, and this is a possibility in this area. People are so friendly, especially to overland bikers, that it's hard to believe things can go wrong so quickly in a mob situation.
Peter, in Oslo

"Too much of a good thing......is just wonderfull" - Mae West

Sorry Peter, I really must disagree with some of this, I think you're being far too cautious on the subject - we can all read the FCO for this.

The Crossing between Mand (west of Turbat) to Pishin is cloised to foreigners (I've been to both sides), not due to safety concerns but due to the fact that there are no customs or immigration facilities. The 'danger' in Balochistan is rather hyped - it is a desolate area, often slightly lawless, with friendly but very conservative people, and with very few settlements or water sources, but it does NOT suffer from the genuinely dangerous situation of, say, many parts of NWFP. The coast is actually safer than the interior, as people are more used to outsiders and a little more open minded - I was welcomed with nothing but smiles, warmth and hospitality. The area is probably safer than that which the main Quetta to Taftan road traverses. The more dangerous area of Baluchistan is really across the border in Iran, though I had no problems (police aside) driving throughout this stunning region.

I'm not sure which road you are accusing does not exist, but if you mean the Makran Coastal Highway, this is 100% real - I drove over 600km of perfect (and I mean perfect) asphalt from the Quetta - Karachi Highway to Gwadar. I would say it's one of Asia's great drives, there are some heart-stopping beaches along here, and they are of course totally deserted. Gwadar and Pasni are lovely little towns too. There is also a very ancient hindu pilgrimage site, the most westerly in the world.

Karachi has it's moments of civil strife, but so do Paris and LA. It doesn't deserve being labelled a no-go. If you want to see the 'real' Pakistan, Karachi is the place to come. The Liari Expressway has just been completed and opened (westerly) easing congestion. The worst part of Karachi is the traffic, comparable to Tehran or Dhaka.

As for Punjab being more or less off-limits for tourists, this is absolute nonsense! Not even the FCO recommends this. Punjab is the most prosperous and stable province of Pakistan. There have been recent clashes in Lahore, but this is not representative of the whole province. Most of Punjab is peacefull, timeless countryside. The worst thing to fear is the stupefying summer heat. The same goes for Sind - outside of very rare instances of violence in Hyderabad, Sind is totally peaceful, and very interesting. I highly recommend visiting the Tharparkar desert - where you can see in full technicolor that Pakistan is nowhere near 100% muslim. I have a very close friend in Hyderabad, have toured Sind extensively, lived there for some time. It really is safe. Ten to twenty years ago, there was a problem with banditry / dacoity, but this has largely disaoppeared, and daytime travel is safe.

Pakistan is not without it's problems, but please only dispense advice which comes from experience... this is not useful to travellers.

Daniel

__________________
4.5 years around Eurasia in a Toyota Hilux|http://eurasiaoverland.wordpress.com/
Pictures Here|https://picasaweb.google.com/113619413612674951960