Iran to Pakistan - recent informatons

[nicolumbus]

Hey guys

Can anybody who traveled recently from Iran to Pakistan or opposite, give me some informations about the crossing and situation in general?

When I drove this April from Islamabad to the north and into China, I got informations from other Overlander's that the police did not allow them to drive to Taftan / Zahedan (border).

How is the situation? Anybody?

Thanks for useful informations.

Roman

[jeroen berghuis]

we crossed the border at Taftan with five bikes last week. No real issues, you get police escorts all the way in Iran from Zahedan to the border, which can be a pain as you'll have to wait in between handovers (can take up to an hour...). In Pakistan we were able to ride without escorts most of the time but had to stop at checkpoints and were taken off the road at sun set as the police doesn't allow you to ride at night. The hotel in Danbaldin is fine with free wifi and (not free obviously...)

In Quetta we couldn't leave the hotel without police escorts and got a NOC to travel to Lahore over Karachi as the more direct route (over Sibi and Sukkur) was deemed too dangerous.

All in all a great experience.

[Omie]

Taking train is always an option although should only be used if absolutely necessary.
Rural Pakistan is fascinating and shouldnt be missed

Cheers

Omar

[nicolumbus]

Thanks a lot guys. That helps...

See yaa

[pecha72]

Originally Posted by jeroen berghuis

In Quetta we couldn't leave the hotel without police escorts and got a NOC to travel to Lahore over Karachi as the more direct route (over Sibi and Sukkur) was deemed too dangerous.

Do you mean you had to go from Quetta to Lahore via Karachi?? If so, then that is one big detour.. quickly looking at the map, Sukkur is some 500kms from Karachi, and on the route from Karachi to Lahore.

Or you mean from Quetta you had to first head towards Karachi to Kalat and Khuzdar, and from there turn east?

[jeroen berghuis]

we actually had to go from Quetta all the way to Karachi (750km) and then turn north-east to Lahore (1700km). The road to Sukkur over Sibi was deemed too dangerous / impassable by the Quetta police commissioner... No idea if this is still the case, it seems that the situation changes on a daily basis...

[Mombassa]

So was there no way to go to Islamabad? Did they just give you the safest route out of the country? Or did you not inquire about the Karakoram highway?

[Spasha]

Originally Posted by Mombassa

So was there no way to go to Islamabad? Did they just give you the safest route out of the country? Or did you not inquire about the Karakoram highway?

Foreign nationals can certainly ride to islamabad without any hinderance. But to venture further onto KKH or Northern areas, you must posses a permit to do so. The permit is issued by National Crisis Management Cell, Ministry of Interior, Govt of Pakistan. Applications with an iteniary and copies of visa and passport can be posted or faxed to the folowing address atleast 8 weeks in advance:

Mr Farid Ahmed Khan
Director
National Crisis Management Cell
Room No 407
4th floor
S Block
Pakistan Secretariat
islamabad
fax: +92519211225
Tel: +92519205501 and 9205475

The issuance of the permit or NOC is a lengthy process requiring clearance from security agencies. Your application would need a vigrous follow up and persistance. The authorities here are concerened about the safety of westerners in the KKH area and try their not to let any one go. However some foreigners do get to ride on the KKH without any permit as during the summer season from june to august, the KKH sees a lot of traffic and they are unable to check every vehicle or motorcycle.

[imadingo]

Roman, your off again.
(Its Sam from Lahore/Islamabad/no mans land between Krytzistan and Tajikistan here).

This information is from late March, early April. As you know, I wasn't travelling with a vehicle and certainly I do think the process with your own wheels would be much much much easier (took 3 days for me - as getting kicked off buses by the police, having to wait for new ones to pass etc). Providing they can give you security the whole way, it would be easy to do in a day from Taftan to Quetta. I'd probably stay in Bam and leave early, drive to Zahadeen, to the border and cross. Stay at the police station in Taftan and drive to Quetta. If the road to Sukkur is open, defiantly take that as the pass (name escapes me) is quite nice.

You defiantly can't travel at night, as mentioned above (which was the problem for me, as the public buses leave Quetta in the late afternoon/early evening).

I'm not sure at what point the escort will leave you (they did not pick me up until I left Quetta). But I wouldn't be surprised if they had one all the way to Multan.

I really feel that the dangers off this road are incredibly overrated. Certainly, it does not feel anywhere near as intense as any road in Afghanistan. I've never actually heard of any traveller who has had problems on the road (other than a couple of incidents with Shiite pilgrim tour buses).

Matthew, there is no way that that border would be open to foreigners. The Makran coast in Pakistan has not been open to foreigners for quite a while.

[lbendel]

Originally Posted by imadingo

I really feel that the dangers off this road are incredibly overrated. Certainly, it does not feel anywhere near as intense as any road in Afghanistan. I've never actually heard of any traveller who has had problems on the road (other than a couple of incidents with Shiite pilgrim tour buses).

Uhhh.. there was this couple Swiss who got kidnapped over there a while ago, driving in a van - it doesn't take much more to tighten the rules.

[imadingo]

The Swiss couple did not get kidnapped from Taftan to Quetta. They were up near Loralai, on the Quetta to DG Khan Road. Even locals don't believe its safe for them to go that road, nor will the police permit you to go that road. Many villages in the area have been the epicentre of the Balochi rebellion.

[lbendel]

Right, so those overlanders were free to travel on their own and they strayed out of the safe road and got kidnapped. Therefore they now enforce an escort to make sure those stupid white guys don't get in harm's way. It all adds up.

[afr81]

We recently crossed from Taftan to Lahore, took us 9 days total but we aren't that fast on the Vespa (two people on one 125cc). The processing time for the NOC was 1 day. The route was from Quetta to Sukkur then up to Lahore. Had escorts almost the whole time, they disappeared for 30 km here and there, and then had no one from Sukkur to Sadiqabad. We were told the recent deviations to Karachi were due to the September flooding in the region close to Jacobabad. Also met a guy who tried to cross the short route on his own to Lahore through Loralai and he was fired at by some 'Taliban', (luckily he turned around and wasn't hurt).

[mahsita]

Hi all,

I just got back from a road trip on bike in Iran and Pakistan. I have posted some useful information about Pakistan part on my blog as well as some pics. You can check out the info on Country info in Central Asia, Silk Road, China, Pakistan & Iran | Not Just a Tourist as well as my last post about security and traveling in Baluchistan part Overland on motorbike in Baluchistan/Iran | Not Just a Tourist

Generally, I found Iran & Pakistan quite safe. The only thing is that from Pakistani border in Mir Javeh or Taftan you will be accompanied by some security guys that will slow down your trip considerably and some times foce you into staying where they want. However, it could be fun too. You will not be allowed to go wherever you want. We could not go from Quetta to Islam Abad as you need a permission and it´s not given to overlanders. So we had to head for Lahore and we were escorted till Multan. In some cities we had problems finding a hotel as they were told to inform the police and the police would take you the hotels that they would consider safe and we would consider expensive. But in Quetta there was no problem at all and in the rest of country either except for Karakoram highway that due to some ethnic problems we were not given permission to continue either. Anyway it was to snowy and cold to be on the road.

Pakistanis are very nice and friendly although camping will be a bit difficult in populated areas as you will never be alone. The emptiest part is the Baluchistan, where it will be only you, your bike and maybe the escort.

Enjoy!

Mahsa

[Rami]

We crossed Balochistan December 2012 and I was not too convinced about the work of security organizations there. In Iran the escorting was mostly theater. What can one serviceman do if he has to hitchhike on a truck.

In Pakistani side same thing continued. Levies escorted us with mopeds in the villages and we rode long distances without them. I don´t think that bad guys are waiting you in the desert. But if there´s not proper escort, why do they make us to wait and get attention at checkpoints ?

Ok, I don´t have the intelligence data which they have, but after fast car escort from Dalbandin we had to wait so much that night came before Quetta, and we had to spend a night in check point. They we´re very hospitable, captain even gave his own room for us.

When we we´re in Quetta there was a hand grenade incident in bar, two got killed and after some weeks this major blast in billiards hall so you never know...

Officers in Foreign and tribal affairs office promised car escort all the way to Jacobabad when we applied LOI´s. In reality we rode through Bolan pass without and even military asked in their checkpoint how we can be there alone...

And even if you have the escorts... Bad guys shoot levies in Mastung after one week we we´re there.

I guess that is because lack of resources. We had very effective and fast escort in Punjab which is one of the safest and most peaceful places in whole country and you really don´t need escorting.