Pakistan - Pakistan

The Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany has one for this country Partial travel warning released (Web link). Warnings are given against traveling to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (formerly the Northwest Frontier Province, NWFP), to the tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan (the so-called Federally Administered Tribal Areas, FATA) and to Balochistan. Warnings are issued against entering and leaving the country via the Pakistani land border with Iran. Date of the last travel warning: 08.11.2018.

Pakistan located in South asia. Bordering countries are the Iran and Afghanistan in the West, China in the north and India in the East. The country controls the Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, the traditional land routes between Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

Regions

Pakistan is divided into four provinces and one federal territory:

• Balochistan
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • The Federally administered tribal areas (Federally Administered Tribal Areas - FATA) became part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province with the ratification of the 31st Amendment by the President on May 31, 2018.
• Punjab
• Are
• Capital territory Islamabad

In the north of the country is located between Pakistan and India disputed region Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistani-controlled parts of Jammu and Kashmir are incorporated into the Territories Gilgit-Baltistan and Asad Jammu and Kashmir structured. They are de facto part of Pakistan, but the Pakistani side does not count them as part of the official national territory.

Cities

Cities from south to north:

• Karachi - Former capital on the coast and largest city in the country (16 million).
• Rawalpindi - Old Town; Twin of Islamabad
• Faisalabad - known for its textile industry.
• Islamabad - Capital; a new city foundation with a geometric floor plan.
• Lahore - second largest city in the country (11 million), capital of Punjab and one of the country's cultural and religious centers
• Peshawar - Capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and center of the Pashtuns in Pakistan
• Quetta - Capital of Balochistan
• Sialkot - city in Punjab; world's largest producer of hockey sticks, soccer balls and surgical instruments.

Other goals

North of cashmere is the 8,611 m high K2, the second highest mountain in the world.

background

British India gained independence in 1947. Since Hindus and Muslims could not agree on a common state, India was divided into the new states India and Pakistan (Punjab-Afghania-Kashmir-Sindh-Balochistan). After the new border had been established, there were riots and evictions on both sides of the new border. In 1971, East Pakistan split off as "Bangladesh".
As a result, India and Pakistan waged war several times, mainly over the disputed area cashmereDue to the fact that many peoples and languages ​​live together in Pakistan, tensions arise time and again, some of which are also carried out through violence and terror.
The entire country is traversed by the Indus Current.

getting there

It should be noted that depending on the political situation, the border crossings to both India and China may be closed for a longer or shorter period of time. The Khyber Pass is currently closed to foreigners.

Entry requirements

Responsible for entry permits in Germany for residents of the acceding area, the Hanseatic cities and Schleswig-Holstein is the

Residents of the remaining seven countries of the FRG turn to the

For Switzerland:

Austria:

eVisa

Austrians, Germans, Luxembourgers and Swiss (not Liechtensteiners) can be a tourist eVisa or E Visa on arrival apply for. In both cases, a letter of invitation is required. The former are valid for up to three months, can be extended and can also be granted for multiple entries upon request. The processing time is 7-10 working days. Fees vary, Germans pay US $ 50 for one-way entry.
With the electronic visa on arrival it is an “electronic travel authorization” for single entry, which should be submitted at least 72 hours before the planned arrival. Extensions are not planned. The prices correspond to those of the normal visa.

Restricted areas

Large parts of the country can only be visited by foreigners with difficult-to-obtain special permits. In principle, these are military areas (“cantonements”), large parts of Balochistan and ten miles from all national borders, with the exception of certain roads. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides one detailed list on-line.

By plane

The airports that are important for international traffic are the one that opened in 2018 International Airport of Islamabad, Allama Iqbal International Airport from Lahore and Karachi Jinnah International Airport (KHI). The cheapest way to get there from Central Europe is to change trains on the Persian Gulf.

By train

The Samjhauta Express, runs between Old Delhi St. and Lahore Junction. The visa is checked when purchasing a ticket. The Thar Express connects Karachi with once a week Jodhpur via the Munabao / Khokraparand transition

Only freight trains run to / from Iran.

By bus

The Delhi-Lahore bus route runs three times a week from Delhi Gate in Delhi to the Lahore-Delhi Bus Terminal in the Gulberg-III at Libery Market in Lahore. Fare about US $ 40 one way. Security measures are strict and early arrival is required.

A bus line travels over the Khunjerab Pass on the Karakorum Highway in two days Kashgar in China.

Car, motorcycle, bike

In theory, you can travel overland from Europe. At the moment, however, only a trip through Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan to Sinkiang, China, should be practicable Karakoram Highway to use. Alternatively, it would go through Turkey, Georgia, Iran. In both cases, enormous bureaucratic efforts are to be expected for the last-named countries. A transit through Afghanistan is not recommended due to the security situation there.

Coming from India, travelers only have the option of crossing the border Wagah to enter, which is open to tourists every day until 4:00 p.m. Wagah is about 40 km west of Amritsar and is famous for its daily military parade, which is canceled in times of political tension.

By boat

There are no regular ferry connections to other countries.

mobility

From the time of colonial rule, Pakistan still had a decent railway network operated by the state Pakistan Railways (Timetables), otherwise buses run to all localities. The road network has been massively expanded for several years and the connections between the larger cities are partly on a European level. Most of the motorways and national roads are subject to tolls; there is left-hand traffic.

language

Each ethnic group in Pakistan speaks its own language. The distribution is roughly as follows:

• Punjabi 50%
• Sindhi 22%
• Pashto 15%
• Urdu 8% (official language)
• Baluchi 5%

English is widely spoken in commerce and administration. However, the majority of the common population can only speak English to a limited extent. It is therefore advisable to acquire a few simple phrases and expressions in Urdu - or alternatively Hindi - if you intend to move outside of touristic areas.

to buy

Alcohol is not available outside of large luxury hotels. However, as a non-believer in the Koran, you can apply to the Office for Excise and taxation (sector F8, Islamabad), get a drinker's certificate, which involves a certain amount of bureaucratic effort. You can then buy 5 bottles of schnapps or 100 cans of beer per month in so-called “permit rooms” (usually a back room of said luxury hotels).

Pakistan has a significant industrial sector and manufactures many consumer goods for export. This means that export items can be obtained directly from the manufacturer in the country for much less than at home. However, a lot of child labor is used in manual production.

Major consumer goods manufactured in Pakistan are:

• Clothing, textiles
• Leather goods
• Sports equipment (hockey and cricket sticks)
  • Soccer Balls - 80% of the world's soccer ball needs come from Sialkot
• surgical instruments
• Carpets

kitchen

nightlife

accommodation

Learn

Work

security

The border area with Afghanistan, the so-called Tribal areas are only partially under government control and are considered a refuge for the Taliban. Travel to these areas requires special permits. The security situation is also poor due to frequent terrorist attacks in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Sindh, Punjab and the capital territory are considered to be relatively safe.

Bomb attacks occasionally occur in the major cities of Lahore, Quetta and Karachi. Dozens of deaths occur regularly. The attacks are mostly aimed at institutions belonging to religious minorities, in particular Shiite or Sufi mosques and temples of the Ahmadi. But Christians are also increasingly becoming the focus of the attacks. In the years since 2014, several hundred people have been killed by American drone attacks.^[1] In Balochistan, especially on the streets of Iran, there are occasional kidnappings of foreigners.

However, road traffic poses a far greater threat to life and limb. The general traffic rules as usual in Europe are hardly observed here, there is often honking, motorbikes often snake through the traffic, one should not rely on the right of way at a green traffic light outside of large roads.

health

The WHO has been warning of the occurrence of polio in the country, the vaccination protection should be refreshed. In general, vaccination protection for hepatitis A and B should also be present.

The state hospitals, especially in the countryside, do not meet European standards. In the larger cities there are private clinics where there are very good treatment options, but also at a handsome price. The military hospitals also offer good but chargeable treatment.

Climate and travel time

The best travel time depends on the destination. For example, if you want to travel to the south around Karachi, it is advisable to use the winter months, as summer is generally very hot. From around May it is midsummer by European standards. The mountain regions, on the other hand, are also quite cool in the summer months, in winter there is snowfall and sub-zero temperatures there just like here. In summer there is abundant monsoons in the eastern part of the country, and roads can be flooded for a short time.

behaviour rules

The vast majority of the Pakistani population lives by the Koran. Anyone who as a traveler wants to get a deeper insight into Pakistani culture must not miss the necessary respect (even if that can be difficult at times). Women are not forced to wear a veil by law, but if they are unveiled, they find themselves (even) more difficult to settle into a male-dominated society. It is therefore advisable as a woman to cover the body, so no shorts or skirts. The shoulders should be covered for both women and men. The Pakistani national clothing "shalwar kamiz" is highly recommended. Anyone who is a believer himself (or at least acts like that) will quickly get to know Pakistani hospitality and notice that respect in Pakistan is primarily based on reciprocity.

The strict blasphemy laws in Pakistan provide for long-term imprisonment up to the death penalty (which, however, has never been carried out) for despising the Koran or the Prophet Mohammed. It is therefore advisable to avoid the topic of religion in personal conversations; especially so as not to get the Pakistani interlocutors into a mess. Likewise, critical statements made against the military or the government are sometimes severely punished by the state.

Post and Telecommunications

literature

Web links