Pakistan – part 1

My Pakistan travel summary (part 1):

Visited: October 2023

Duration of visit: 7 days (total Pakistan: 12 days)

Capital city: Islamabad

Population: 231 million (2023)

Pakistan travel blog (part 1) reading time: 12 minutes

• Karachi, labeled by the memoirs of the first governor of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
• Mingling with locals on a night train ride from Karachi to Lahore.
• Incredibly friendly Pakistanis (men).
• Feeling the passion during the Flag Lowering Ceremony at Wagah border.
• The capital Islamabad – planned, organized, clean and exclusive.

My Pakistan travel adventure was part of a journey that also included Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan in autumn of 2023.

Mid-October brought pleasant temperatures in the south, while autumn colors, cool weather, and clear skies made my journey to the north unforgettable.

In this article, I describe the first part of my Pakistan travel adventure in 2023: Karachi – the first capital of Pakistan, chaotic traffic, meeting locals, Lahore – the center of education and culture, the Flag Lowering Ceremony at the Wagah border, and planned Islamabad.

More articles about my Pakistan travel adventure are available here:

“Do you have a return airplane ticket and a hotel reservation?” asked me a serious migration officer at Karachi airport while reviewing my eVisa.

“Of course. All documents are in order!”

I answered confidently, but knowing that my air ticket from Kyrgyz capital Astana to Budapest wouldn’t convince him easily. There was no need to. With a smile on his face he greeted me:

“Welcome to Pakistan!”

I was ready to visit the 140^th country on our planet.

In general, I dislike arriving to any unfamiliar place at 4:00am. SIM-card selling points were closed, only official, expensive airport taxis were available. I crossed the parking lot, reached the main road, and found a run-down car that served as a taxi.

A bearded man connected the wires to start the ancient engine and drove me to my guesthouse for under 4.00USD.

I felt safe from the moment I stepped out of the airport, surrounded by a relaxed and easy-going atmosphere. After 26 hours of travel and two sleepless nights, I wanted nothing more than a comfortable bed.

After changing money, my first mission was to get a local SIM card. A guesthouse cook drove me around on a motorbike to several mobile operator offices, but nobody would issue a SIM card without a local ID and police clearance report. Finally, the staff at the central office of Jazz seemed to understand what was needed.

Well, not really! It took two visits, three hours of waiting, and a lot of patience to solve the mystery of my phone not being registered in Pakistan.

The first capital of Pakistan is not a major tourist destination with limited attractions and things to do. Its history is closely linked to the founding of Pakistan in 1947, when British India was divided into predominantly Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah governed Pakistan for only a year before illness and the effects of chain smoking caused his death. He left a respected legacy, with countless streets, roads, and localities named after him.

His mausoleum, Mazar-e-Quaid-e-Azam, and the Mohatta Palace Museum exhibition about his final year commemorate his importance. With temperatures still high in mid-October, I was happy to explore some indoor landmarks.

In the evening, I joined a local group of guys who I previously contacted through social media. Ahmed and his friends are petrol and geology engineers, who moved to Karachi for better work opportunities.

In this male-dominated society, men spend much of their time together studying, working, and socializing. Interaction with women before marriage is uncommon.

After marriage, they dedicate more time to family life while maintaining lifelong friendships as an important part of their lives.

Prearranged marriages mark a turning point, with men providing for the family and women managing the household and children. Modern couples may share work, but traditional roles often remain.

We first visited a colonial house converted into a museum with a rooftop café. As a vegetarian, I tasted only limited in choice but delicious meat-free dishes. We ended at Karachi’s famous Burns Road street for the best desserts.

My first impression of Pakistani people was extremely positive and continued throughout most of the trip. A real surprise was the kindness of strangers who often refused to let me pay for taxis, food, or drinks.

“You are my guest in our country. You are welcome.”

I was surprised to see some women with uncovered hair. Dress choices is driven more by culture and family values than by law. Some women smiled at me, but social norms made direct interaction complicated.

I expected traffic jams to be much worse in a megacity with population of 15 million people. An organized chaos of motorbikes, cars, rickshaws, buses and animal pulled vehicles was moving constantly.

From my first ride in a taxi car, I soon downsized to rickshaw and moto taxi. At first sight scary, classic locally made motorbikes are comfortable if passenger pedals are properly fixed, which is rarely the case. Obviously, this is rarely the case.

Motorbike drivers rarely look back or check both sides before slowly changing direction. The scariest part is driving against traffic as a shortcut, which is common if done carefully.

I used the InDrive app for private transport, which offered quick options and never disappointed me with the service quality.

Travelling by night train from Karachi to Lahore was a pleasant and predictable experience. Even though I apparently bought the last available ticket in Business class for the 1,214 kilometers long trip, I was alone in an air-conditioned, 6-berth compartment, most of the time. I didn’t even realize when most of the passengers left the train, while sleeping on the top berth.

The AC was strong, but a rented one-dollar blanket kept me warm. Vendors constantly passed by while I enjoyed tea, breakfast, and conversations with locals interested in my visit to Pakistan.

I quickly noticed significant differences among Pakistanis in their social background, employment opportunities, and English proficiency.

Interestingly, everyone recommended visiting northern Pakistan, home to stunning nature and some of the world’s highest mountains.

I visited the Badshahi Mosque in the morning, when sunlight illuminated its red sandstone façade and marble inlays. It remains the largest Mughal-era mosque and the third-largest in Pakistan, though it was once the largest mosque in the world. Unfortunately, the interior was closed during both of my visits.

Exploring the narrow streets and vibrant markets of the Old City feels like stepping back in time.

I wandered without a plan and was invited by a group of men for tea:  “Sit here, talk to us, and relax.”

They run a construction material shop, working late every day. Their family business provides enough income to survive while leaving time for meaningful conversations about life.

Anarkali Bazaar is a famous shopping destination known for its textiles, jewelry, and traditional clothing. Blocks and blocks of stands are mostly dedicated to women clothes, shoes, textile and jewelry. The peculiar fact was that vendors were exclusively men, reflecting conservative norms limiting women’s interaction with men.

The Attari-Wagah border ceremony between India and Pakistan formally closes the border each evening by lowering both flags. Today, the Flag Lowering Ceremony has become more of a patriotic performance and daily entertainment spectacle.

Elaborate dance-like maneuvers, high kicks, and forceful steps symbolize the rivalry and cooperation between the two nations. India and Pakistan were once one country but still clash over disputed Kashmir.

I got close enough to Pakistani soldiers to feel how strong and tall they really are. A retired soldier who lost a leg in combat entertained the crowd with impressive one-legged dancing. Drums, flutes, national songs, and salutes energized both sides of the border, proudly expressing their devotion.

Soldiers marched toward the border in various formations until the flag was lowered. Serious looks were exchanged as the crowd proudly celebrated its army.

The most intriguing aspect was the sound management. Despite being separated only by a fence, we never heard music, salutes, or cheering from the Indian side.

Lahore is famous for its delicious cuisine, especially its mouthwatering street food. My day of food experimenting started with breakfast at the Old Anarkali food street. I did not find much variety among the basic restaurants and food vendors.  Daal and warm naan were often accompanied by a freshly made papaya shake.

Before midday, I found the Noori Milk Shop through a labyrinth of narrow streets near Delhi Gate to taste Lahore’s famous lassi. Exquisite, slightly sweet, and served on the street, it attracted long queues of locals. The owner refused my payment:

“You are my guest. Welcome to Pakistan!”

For lunch, I headed south to the area around Qaddafi Stadium, known for Lahore’s famous rohu fish. The fried fish, served with chapati and mayonnaise, was not particularly impressive despite its distinctive seasoning.

The consequences of my culinary exploration were somewhat predictable: diarrhea, stomach pain, and a general feeling of sickness.

I quickly adjusted the menu to proven recipe: Coke, chocolate and official medicine. Nevertheless, food tasting was one of the highlights of my Pakistan travel adventure.

While exploring the highlights of Lahore’s Old Town and its bustling gold bazaar, I stopped at the Wazir Khan Mosque. It is considered the most richly decorated Mughal-era mosque and nicknamed the Architectural Ornament of Lahore. It is renowned for its intricate tile work and colorful Mughal frescoes covering nearly every interior surface.

Four octagonal minarets mark the corners of the courtyard, adding balance and grandeur. Ongoing restoration since 2009 makes it difficult to capture the mosque without scaffolding while including all minarets.

On the way out, a gentle female voice greeted me in flawless English: “What is your name?”

An engaging conversation developed within minutes. I invited the girls for tea, and their openness and excellent English immediately impressed me. An English teacher who studied in the USA introduced me to her friend Sohaib from northern Pakistan.

He was heading to Gilgit for a cousin’s wedding and invited me to join him when I mentioned my interest in visiting the area.

“You must visit Hunza Valley. It’s the most beautiful part of Pakistan, and autumn is the best time. I’ll lend you a warm suit, you only pay part of the petrol cost, and tomorrow we’ll head to Islamabad together.”

All my concerns and doubts disappeared instantly.

“I am coming with you!”

The plan was meeting Sohaib at 2:00pm in Lahore. He would drive me and his brother to Islamabad.

Most of the morning I spent recovering from the previous day’s food tasting adventure. I purchased an effective medicine and rehydration powder for less than a dollar in a local pharmacy. With the help of Pepsi and chocolate, I was back to normal within 24 hours.

I felt much better by 10:00pm, when we finally set off with an eight-hour delay. The BMW 5 Series was comfortable, and the highway was smooth and orderly. A stark contrast to the chaotic traffic of Pakistani cities.

After two hours of driving, we stopped at an enormous service area for a short break, where Sohaib noticed the battery warning light had turned on.

Islamabad (The city of Islam) was built as a planned city between 1960 and 1970 to replace Karachi as the national capital.

Greek architect Constantinos Apostolou Doxiadis developed Islamabad’s master plan, by which he divided it into eight zones: from administrative, diplomatic enclave, residential areas, educational and industrial sectors, commercial areas, to rural and green areas.

Islamabad follows the pattern of other planned capitals I had visited, such as Canberra, Brasília, and Yamoussoukro: vast scale, weak public transport, no real city center, and limited attractions. As Pakistan’s most expensive city, it is mainly inhabited by middle and upper-middle-class residents.

Traffic is fluent even during rush hours, rickshaws are prohibited.

What does one of Pakistan’s most cosmopolitan and urbanized cities offer visitors?

Not much, considering its size and importance. The Faisal Mosque, Pakistan Monument, Heritage Museum, and a few parks make up the main attractions and the most remarkable places to visit. After visiting several parks elsewhere in Pakistan, I focused only on the mosque and Pakistan Monument.

The Faisal Mosque is Pakistan’s national mosque, the fifth-largest in the world and the largest in South Asia. Located at the foothills of Margalla Hills, it was named after Saudi King Faisal, who donated 28 million USD for its construction.

The mosque was the world’s largest from 1986 until 1993, when Saudi Arabian mosques surpassed it. It can accommodate around 300,000 worshippers. Its four 79-meter-high minarets, the tallest in South Asia, further highlight its impressive scale.

I took a moto-taxi to Islamabad’s most important religious monument. Despite the cold and cloudy weather, I spotted the mosque from afar, glowing in the afternoon sun. Unfortunately, the interior was closed, so I missed the eight-sided main hall resembling an Arab Bedouin desert tent.

The sunset was spectacular, with worshippers praying, children playing, teenagers taking selfies, and families hiring photographers for perfect memories.

The Pakistan Monument symbolizes the unity of the Pakistani people and honors those who sacrificed their lives for a better future. Its design draws inspiration from Mughal architecture, while modern technology enhances the traditional Islamic muqarnas, a three-dimensional decorative style of layered niches.

The four large petals represent Pakistan’s main cultures: Punjabi, Baloch, Sindhi, and Pashtun. The three smaller petals symbolize minorities, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Offering a nearby museum and stunning views over Islamabad, the monument is a popular destination for Pakistanis. I didn’t see any foreign visitors during my visit.