Iran to Pakistan - recent informatons
 

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

PAK - IRN border
 

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 beer (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.

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

Cheers

Omar

Thanks a lot guys. That helps...

See yaa

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?

Quetta to Lahore VIA Karachi
 

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...

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.

Thanks! Much appreciate the info. I'll be entering from Lahore in a year or two. The last time I came from Iran and pretty much had free roam of the country safe for the odd police escort. That was 2006 though.
Kevin

We didn't need any permission to go to KKH - and I never heard about it before.
But a NOC is required from Quetta. We were also not allowed to travel to Sibi - therefore we put the bikes on the train to Lahore - this was also quite an experience.....

More information on our website: 2 Live the Dream | Heike & Filippo Travel the World on Motorcycle

Jiwali borderpost
 

Hi,

a couple of months ago I read about a newly prepared borderpost called Jiwali, at the coast. Does anybody know is this borderpost open now and open for foreigners too? For travelling to Karachi this option seems to be much more convenient.

Anything you know about the Jiwali borderpost would be very welcome.

Thanks, Mathew

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.

Taftan is the only working border between Pakistan and Iran for foreigners. Jeewani was never operational as this part wasnt connected by road just a decade back.

Maybe one day.

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.

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.

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.

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).

Overland in Iran & Pakistan
 

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

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.

Just read there was another kidnapping yesterday, of two Czech tourists traveling from Taftan to Quetta. This is bad news :(

See: Two Czech women tourists kidnapped in western Pakistan - Yahoo! News

Crossing from Tajikistan/Kyrgyzstan to India over China
 

Hello, :oops2:

We plan to travel by own car over Iran and Pakistan to India (we are pair), but based on news from yesterday about two kidnapped Czech girls we have decided to change plans and get to India thru China.

Please does anybody have experiences with crossing of China from Tajikistan or Kyrgyzstan? We have heard about high fees for attributed guide in China but don t know where to find some details about this area.

Thanks a lot for your help.

I agree, if it really happened on the main road between Taftan and Quetta (that´s how I read from that link), then it is very bad news indeed, and should probably be put as a new thread in the "Travellers' Advisories, Safety and Security on the Road"-section as well.

quote:
"The incident happened some 100 km (60 miles) east of the Iranian border in the province of Baluchistan at around 6:30 p.m"
That´s right about sunset over there, and it is common knowledge to NOT travel in the dark there.. and if the location is correct, that is still about 2-2,5 hours away from Dalbandin, the next village of any size. I don´t know what they were doing there at that hour.

Previous security related issues, that foreigners have had in Pakistan, have almost always happened somewhere else than on that main road, that the authorities guide overlanders to follow (usually Taftan-Quetta-Sukkur-Multan-Lahore).

I don´t think that´s possible for a foreigner. Those countries have less than friendly relationships, and you´d be entering the disputed Kashmir region. Travellers go Kyrgyzstan-China-(Karakoram Highway)-Pakistan. To get into China you will need a guide, but the topic is widely discussed on this very site.

baloch kidnappings
 

Not traveling in own vehicle. I presume they were targeted, and that negotiations for a ransom will soon take place. I googled and found this link

Employer Of Kidnapped Czech Tourist Appeals For Her Release


Difficult to defend/avoid targeted kidnapping when there is only one road, and the ransom outweighs any risk to the kidnappers. A real risk for all travellers, especially if the bad boys get away with it time after time, kidnappings will increase

Safe travels

Peter, in Oslo

Traveling to India via China or Pakistan
 

S usan,

I do regularly Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan & China overland but in a contracted tour with a Chinese guide. We have been trying to get permissions to get some bikes and permits to China to do a motorbike tour in China, Nepal and Tibet. In the end we decided to do it over an agency and with their own bikes instead of ours. If you need to know the name of the 2 agencies I normally contact plz let me know. For crossing Pamir highway in Tajikistan & Kyrgyzstan you have to make sure that it´s summer and the borders are open both ways. As some times it´s only 1 way traffic! You can check some info about the border crossing on my blog at Country info in Central Asia, Silk Road, China, Pakistan & Iran | Not Just a Tourist

As for the danger in Pakistan, I guess if you go with your own vehicle and don´t drive at night it won´t be a problem. But you never know. This is actually the easiest, fastest and less problematic way (if they don´t take you hostage of course) to get to India over Iran & Pakistan. You might be able also to take a ship from Bandar Abbas in Iran to Dubai and then India or even maybe directly from Bandar Abbas to India (I have not tried this option).

Good luck!

visa procedures may vary
security situations may be little tough in some places, but still people are ling evry whr, if its tought you wld be supported by excorts or any other possible support.
but again thats not the issue that you enter a disputed kashmir without any alarm or you face . . . .
thousands of tourists cross pakistan, most of them after feb to oct, specially to enjoy north. otherwise from iran, pakistan india or if roads are not covered with snow some from iran to pakistan to china too

YOU ARE ALWAYS WELLCOME guys