5 of the most serious dangers of traveling in Pakistan. Beware, the country is not for those weak of heart… or stomach.
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Pakistan is one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Governments have strongly advised against travel there, and for good reason: as a foreign traveler, you’ll be in constant danger from a variety of causes the second you set foot in the country… but they might not be the ones you expect.
Terrorism
As with many things in life, everything you’ve heard on Fox News is completely true: Pakistanis are terrorists. We’re not talking about your run-of-the-mill, AK-touting, Jihadi Joe kind of terrorists, but something much more sinister… culinary terrorists.
Often disguised as a plump, loving Pakistani mother or grandmother, culinary terrorists are everywhere. They can be found lurking behind every door to every home, ladles at the ready, waiting for their chance to stuff you so full of food that you burst like the human bomb they think you are.
There’s no way to escape it–they will find you, they will sit you down, and they will feed you until you pop. Once you’ve been assaulted, there’s no getting away until they decide that you’re done. You’d be safer staying at home, far away from the sinister cells of feeders and their delicious delectables.
You can see the calculating look in her eyes, pondering how best to stuff some more food into our bellies before we depart.
Kidnappings
Kidnappings are a daily occurrence in Pakistan. Foreigners wander aimlessly through the streets, and are often accosted by random Pakistanis along the way. Before they can call out “embassy!”, they are whisked away to the closest stand or apartment for many a cup of chai and conversation. It doesn’t stop there: many foreigners have reported being transported to their captors’ homes, where they are held hostage in comfy beds while being tortured with food, chai, and love.
Resistance is futile, and refusing chai is dangerous: it will only encourage your captors to torture you with more. Beware, captors do not accept ransom, and will refuse all offers to pay from their victims.
We were held hostage by the family behind Let’s Go to Pakistan, and forced to eat a delicious iftar and many a dessert with them. We’re not sure our bellies will ever recover.
Violence
Violence runs rampant on the streets of Pakistan. No matter where you go, throngs of people will swarm you, seeking a warm handshake or selfie. They will assault your eardrums with questions about your travels, and your opinion of their country. Things can escalate quickly, especially when food is involved–many will assault you with food and hospitality until your body can take no more.
Be particularly cautious of those wanting to become Facebook friends. It is not uncommon for these aggressors to stalk your travels online, in hopes of being able to provide you with more help and hospitality in the future.
Forcibly assaulted and forced to pose for photos on the train to Lahore. To make things worse, our assailants helped us carry our heavy backpacks off of the train. Suspicious.
Scams
The rumors are true: Pakistanis are scam artists.
Some will deceive you into thinking you can treat them for their hospitality, only to sneak away and grab the bill while you’re not looking. Others will conspire with waiters to ensure they ignore your attempts to snag the bill at the end of a meal. Pakistanis use every trick in the book to ensure your attempts to pay are futile.
Many will tell you that a hotel is full, or that there is no public transportation, so that they can drive you and host you themselves. Unless you’re prepared to be bathed in love and affection for several days, be on full alert if forced to interact with local people.
Despite our greatest attempts at cunning, our host in Larkhana managed to pay for everything during our stay there. We tried to outsmart him at Moenjo-daro, to no avail.
Theft
Pakistanis are the greatest thieves in the world. We’re not sure how they do it, but they have mastered the art to perfection: there’s no way to travel through the country without your heart being stolen by the people of Pakistan.
Terrorists? Thieves? Kidnappers? What do you think?
For a more serious take, check out my in-depth guide to safe travel in Pakistan.
Want to know more about traveling in Pakistan? Check out our Pakistan travel guide!
Very nice article. We are currently looking at traveling there as a family of 4 from the US. Not a lot of data out there giving the perspectives of westerners who have actually been there.
I appreciate your patience for such wonderful post ❤️
Is it same for Indians visiting Pakistan?
I would love to visit Pakistan someday,
but I’m still not so encouraged to do it.
I have some hope that I’ll cross through vagha border and visit Pakistan someday.
I think many Pakistanis would love to meet you and learn about life over the border 🙂
When I read the first sentence I was like “oh gosh no, please tell me they don’t truly believe this” thank goodness I kept reading! This post was so refreshing, and wonderful! People shouldn’t believe everything they hear on the media, for the most part, it’s an inaccurate representation of the culture and it’s people. We shouldn’t judge an entire culture based on the actions of a few.
Hi ,
I’ve been in Pakistan for a couple of times and , despite the CNN, FOx news, It was completely pleasant experience – really positively surprised .
I love this article, and the way it’s written! I wish it could be published in The NY Times to grab people’s attention to the warm-hearted people of Pakistan and Central Asian republics. Your write up sounds like Tajikistan. Nice read, thanks for sharing and hope to go to Pakistan sooner than later, even with my US passport.
Cheers Alex! Don’t let concerns of traveling on a US passport deter you; there’s a good number of Americans (relatively speaking) who visit Pakistan each year without issue. I’ve not been to Tajikistan, but I’ve only heard excellent things and I’d love to make it there myself in the coming year 🙂
This is truly amazing!! You couldn’t have said it better. Hope you keep visiting! ❤️
Came here after reading your IG story. 😀 Not sure if I mentioned this when we met in Majuli, but I think I am one of those rare, ordinary indians who actually can confirm all these points about Pakistan.
Back in 1999 (during the heights of the Kargil war), my flight from Muscat to Mumbai had to stop for an emergency refueling. In Karachi, of all places! We were roughly 70 Indians on the flight who had to wait a full day in Karachi for the issue to be sorted out and I remember a co-passenger actually shat himself when we landed there (the cause could be fear or the food. It was an air-india flight ????).
While all the foreigners were housed in top-end hotels, the Indians were made to stay at a military/police camp in Karachi. I first thought this was discriminatory, but then I figured out that it was for our safety. Putting us in a regular hotel would have exposed us to the danger of some crazy nationalist/patriot trying to harm us, and an army camp was the safest place at that time. Moreover, all of us were sleeping in the rooms of army officers, and I dont even know where those officers slept during that time.
And about the culinary terrorism, you are bang on! It was roti, dal and gosht (*drools*) for morning, lunch and dinner. And it was only at dinner that I saw a Pakistani army guy actually test our food (if anybody tried to poison us), before serving it to us. I think I was personally responsible for a full lamb losing all its kneecaps that day. I was 16 then, and at that age I couldnt process the amount of bravery, compassion and benevolence showed by the Pakistani armed forces on that day to 70-odd hapless people of a country they were at war with.
Now, when I think of it, the only Indians who hate a pakistani are those who have never met one in real-life. And I am sure the opposite is true in Pakistan too.
(Yeah, I got too much free time these days 😉 )
Very nicely written. Thanks for the kind words about Pakistan.
Regards,
Faris
has to be one of the best internet articles I’ve read in a long time. Kudos!