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-   -   Balochistan Latest?? (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/travellers-advisories-safety-security-road/balochistan-latest-64628)

Andrew White 4 Jun 2012 15:04

Balochistan Latest??
 
Hi all,

Im in Esfahan at the moment and was planning on entering Pakistan in a couple of days...

The latest drone attacks by the US and the killings of Shia's in Quetta doesnt fill me with any more confidence....

What is your oppions on the area as it is at the moment.... Is this another flare up in the ever unstable region... Or something more problematic for me and my route.... Should i delay a few more days (cash pending)

Please give your oppinions and open for discussion?

Many thanks

pecha72 4 Jun 2012 21:15

I went through there in November 2007, so no up-to-date info. But it seems not a whole lot has changed on one thing: almost everyone heading that way was thinking 'is it safe'. And back then there was declared a martial law just a couple of weeks before we crossed, certainly did not help with the nervousness. Luckily we met a couple of bikers in Bam, who'd ridden from India, and so they had very recent info.

Also might be good, if you could team up with some other overlanders heading the same way.. If you're still escorted east from Bam, there's a chance the police might put you together with other foreigners, if there are any around, so they won't have to escort each one separately. For us, escorts were very slow in Iran, much quicker and more relaxed in Pakistan (...could be very different now, though).

mcgiggle 4 Jun 2012 21:21

Still not upto date but 2009 was as above.

Andrew White 5 Jun 2012 05:05

Thanks guys. Yeh trying to guage whether thw situation is any different than usual. As in does it pose more threat than usual for a solo foreigner in a very noticeble mitsubishi delica :)

haggis 5 Jun 2012 07:02

Im heading there in a a few weeks so interested in any developments
 
Hi

Im heading same way in a few weeks. I was hoping to avoid Quetta and travel along the souther coastal road to Karachi before heading north. I dont believe I can get through the border at Jiwani
http://assets.pakwheels.com/forums/2...7/38822.attach

There was talks between the two countries in relation to more crossing points:here

No idea if you can go this way but it looks a lot safer and easier than the usual Taftan - Quetta route.

more here

Im interested in how you obtained your Iranian visa. I believe I have to get invite within 90 days of end of visa prior to applying for visa which runs out at the end of this 90 days, is this correct?

Omie 5 Jun 2012 08:51

I havent been there myself lately but tourists are routinely crossing it bothways. After talking to some of them I presume it shouldnt be as bad as it appears. The biggest challenge is gonna be the heat; from Taftan till Multan it would be above 45 C.
Hope you have a good AC in the Delica.:)

Cheers
Omar

maximondo 5 Jun 2012 10:22

This information is all from October 2010
I crossed alone as a single lady, from Lahore to Quetta (taking the normal sounthern route) DO NOT CUT ACROSS!

Through out Balochistan, your under police escort, they guys are slow but fun and friendly. At night they will help you find accommodation or you could camp at the police stations (or they might put you up at their house if you get stuck in the middle of no-where)

When I was in Quetta, I have a major engine problem. I was under complete police escort at all times when wanting to leave the hotel and I was also dressed like a Pakistan lady. This help me blend in somewhat.

While I was there, there were a few bombs attacks around the city, a few people got assassinated but overall, i never felt scared. The American drones, are not targeted to the tourist guesthouses or the motorcycle on the road.

Just down the road from the normal expensive guest house is a much cheaper and just as nice hotel called New Grand Hotel which cost about $5. The police will want to take you to the more expensive one, where you have to pay for parking too!

Overall - dont be scared of Pakistan - i loved it. Planned on being there for only one month, ended up staying for 6!

The only bad comments i have are for the police escort in Iran!

Have fun and keep the adventure alive!

Andrew White 5 Jun 2012 15:47

thanks all, currently in Kerman....

I emailed a tour group that specialises in overland tours through Pak/Afganhistan etc... They specialise however on the northern tribal regions (their company is based in Peshewar)

Their response:
"Andrew,

It is certainly possible to cross Baluchistan at the moment. A number of overlanders do it each year with no problem. You will be issued with security in Iranian Baluchistan (somewhere after Kerman) and then found by some Pakistani security when you enter the country. The Pakistani security will be very friendly but not particularly organised. They are really there to make sure you don't drive off the main roads and try and enter the more dangerous bits of Baluchistan or head towards the Afghan border. Anyone that has got in trouble in Baluchistan for the last few years has driven off the main road.


I cannot tell you what to do and I do not know what level of "risk" you are willing to take but if you are planning to self drive on India then I think that the risk you face in Baluchistan is much less than the risk of being in a car accident in India.


When in Lahore, I suggest you stay at Lahore Backpackers - call Sajjad and he'll make sure you find the place and somewhere to park - Lahore Backpackers


Hope that helps and if you have any further questions please feel free to get in touch."

So just gonna take it day by day... Ask hotels/police of the road ahead...

eeeekk

pecha72 5 Jun 2012 17:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by maximondo (Post 381542)
I crossed alone as a single lady, from Lahore to Quetta (taking the normal sounthern route) DO NOT CUT ACROSS!

I believe this is good advice. The only overland-travellers, who I´ve heard about, that clearly have had safety-related problems in Pakistan during the past few years, were the Swiss couple, who were kidnapped, and if I´m not mistaken, this happened somewhere east from Quetta, an area, that should be off-limits for foreigners.

Also I´m not an expert, but I have some doubts about that southern route from Karachi towards the Iranian border (especially if it is security, that you´re primarily worried about.. for one, it certainly does not seem to be used a lot compared to Taftan-Quetta, so maybe there´s a reason for that.) And remember, foreigners can only cross at Taftan/Mir Javeh.

Mombassa 5 Jun 2012 21:49

It seems little has changed from 2006, when I crossed from Iran to Dalbadin and to Quetta. I stayed at hotel Bloomstar. Very good place, lots of parking and connections to a garage (brother of the owner). He sourced a deep 15 mm socket for me when I needed it. Located at:
Hotel Bloom Star coordinates hddd mm ss.s N30 11 21.2 E67 00 18.4

Enjoy Pakistan, it was one of the highlights of my trip. And that was during the Afghansitan war...

Andrew White 14 Jun 2012 19:56

Well im Lahore at the moment... Didnt have any problems in Baloch..... Had escorts nearly 100% of the way to Lahore... Had to stay 3 days in Quetta, whch as heavy metal... Bomb blasts nearly everyday i was there.... but i never saw anythinh

pecha72 7 Jul 2012 09:11

According to the news, at least 18 people, bus passengers, killed yesterday by gunmen at a roadside restaurant in Turbat. That seems to be about 100 kms northeast from Gwadar (which is on the Arabian Sea coast), so it´s a couple hundred kilometers south from the Zahedan-Quetta route.

Andrew White 7 Jul 2012 13:53

Yeh read that aswell... Terrible... Basically if you go this route listen to the escorts and dont stray off the main road....

Once in Lahore I had one of the best few days of my trip

hellcoder 9 Jul 2012 04:20

I heard the borders to pakistan have finally closed for foreigners (Taftan and the Afgan border) on the 2th of july following this bus incident and another one at the trainstation in sibi.

Travel advisory: Govt issues list of ‘no go’ areas for foreigners – The Express Tribune

there is a bigger discussion on thorntree, worth a look if someone plans to go there.

pecha72 9 Jul 2012 10:14

"The so-called “no-go” areas for foreign visitors in Balochistan include Pishin, Quetta, Bugti Agency, Kohlu Agency, Sibi district, 35 miles border area of Qilla Saifullah, Zhob Agency, Loralai.

The government has also declared Mosa Khel in Punjab and Bannu district and the special scanning border area of Dera Ismail Khan as off limits for foreigners."

Quetta and Sibi are on the most common route between Iran and India, so if there´s no entry to those areas, then maybe for overlanders that route is really cut off for now?

maximondo 9 Jul 2012 19:45

I can only find this information on news paper websites and not on any government official websites.

I am trying to contact a few people in Pakistan to see if this is true... It seams a bit strange though.

maximondo 9 Jul 2012 19:54

I had to do this in Oct 2011
 
I had to apply for a NOC before I arrived at the border into Balochistan...
Maybe thats what you have to do now.

Here is what I wrote - just fill in your information.
I then faxed it to them using my hotel fax machine - you might be able to find a email address on the website



29th September, 2011


The Secretary,
Home Department, Government of Balochistan,
Quetta.

SUB: REQUEST FOR ISSUANCE OF NON OBJECTION CERTIFICATE (NOC) TO ENTER IRAN BOREDR THROUGH BALOCHISTAN

Dear Mr.

I, Miss/MR/MRS (NAME) of spent the last (NUMBER) months travelling from (COUNTRY) on my motorcycle. Currently I am in Islamabad travelling through Pakistan and about to head towards the Iran border through Balochistan.
(CHANGE THIS TO SUIT)

My travelling details are as under:

Name:
Nationality:
DOB:
Passport No:
Date of Issue:
Date of Exp:
Issue Authority:
Motorcycle:
Chassis No:
Reg. No:

I have been made aware that foreigners now require a No Objection Certificate (NOC) before crossing Balochistan. Inshallah expected to arrive in Quetta on (DATE).

It is therefore, you are requested to kindly issue a ‘No Objection Certificate’ to cross Balochistan as soon as I arrive in Quetta on (DATE) and obliged please.

INSERT YOUR CONTACT DETAILS



Kind Regards,


(NAME)

Cc:
Mr Rao Amin Hashim, Inspector General of Police, Government of Baluchistan, Quetta
Phone:0819201366 Fax: 0819201267

hellcoder 10 Jul 2012 14:02

A foreign couple on motorbike just entered at Taftan successfully, so maybe everything is the same as before. difficult to know these days what's really going on.

haggis 10 Jul 2012 15:59

Taftan to Quetta open?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by hellcoder (Post 385339)
A foreign couple on motorbike just entered at Taftan successfully, so maybe everything is the same as before. difficult to know these days what's really going on.

How do you know this?

Im heading this way soon. If 18 people are easily mowed down by machine gun. What chance does one bloke on a bike have? Not too happy with whats going on there at moment. :(

Omie 11 Jul 2012 08:09

I am currently out of Pakistan vacationing with the family and would be returning this Sunday. Let me check the situation myself once I am back and update you.

Apparently it is the old local communal problem not concerned with the foreign tourists. The same problem is being faced on parts of KKH to but many of our friends are there with no problems.

Well; fighting others wars can be expensive and problematic. People like us who warned of dire consequences spanning generations in the early eighties when Pakistan was entering Afghan war on US's behest were routinely slapped down and ridiculed. A Pakistani saying "When bulls fight, frogs get trampled" and so did we. The beautiful and peaceful Pakistan of the 70s is still the hotbed of wars of distant powers. This nonsense got to end.

Unfortunately our fears came out too correct and the rest of the world has to bear with us its consequences.

Omar

Andrew White 12 Jul 2012 18:07

I entered about a month ago from Taftan.... There was murders and bomb attacks in Quetta nearly everyday I was there, but none of it directed to foreigners... It was a very tough call crossing into Pakistan, in hindsight and only in hindsight im glad i did it....

I got the NOC letter but I learned of it from the chaps at the hotel bloomstar once i already checked in... I had to wait till monday and visited the home department.... This is walking distance from the Bloomstar..... I wasnt able to leave Quetta until i got this.... Once at the home department I got this within the hour.... No worrys

Listen to the escorts and stay on the main road...

Omie 15 Jul 2012 11:22

Good news from Balochistan
 
Got the latest from a senior member of PBC and an accomplished biker based in Quetta. He says that the conditions are the same as before and bikers are regularly crossing. I am pasting his reply which reads as,

Dear Dr. Sahib:
Walekum Assalam
Hope u r fine and enjoying with ur family in Iran. The rumour is not true and if the particular forieigner has valid visa and carnet for his vehicle can safely enter Pakistan and will be provided police escort till Quetta and beyond. It is true that couple of months back they had restricted the movement of foriegners in the north particulary Gilgit area but I think that issue has also been resolved. Two foreign riders had reached Quetta and were staying in the same hotel with me when I left three days back.

take care and regards,
Dr. Yaqub

He can be contacted directly for latest situation at,Yaqub213@gmail.com

Mike K. 18 Jul 2012 09:03

Hello,

which way takes the escort to Lahore?Quetta,Sibi,Sukkur and?????
or Quetta,Loarali,Multan.And how it work with this guys.Can you go after 6 hours to an hotel or you have to go where the want to go?And at last you have to drive 10 hours.

Mike

Andrew White 18 Jul 2012 14:49

I was instructed and escorted Dalbandin, Quetta, Sukkur, Bahwalpur, Multan, Lahore - You are able to choose which Hotel you stay at, (some escorts may try and persuade you to go to a certain hotel, ultimatley it is still your choice) Please consider - It can be difficult getting hotels to accept you, especially if you are with escorts... Hotels arnt that keen to take percieved risk on foreiners, but you'll eventually get somewhere (I only had problems in Bahawalpur... Sukkur they also gave me the old, we are full... I wasnt with an escort, so I pushed a little and they gave in, mind you it was their deluxe suite, so i blew my budget)

The escorts should (and i use the word SHOULD) be with you all the way to Lahore... I was escorted from Border (once Pakistan side of border i asked about escort and they basically said no worries and sure enough a Balochistan levi was their shortly) to a hotel in Dalbandin (here they may get you to stay at police station, they gave me the choice, i prefered hotel).... Sometimes the escorts will drop off, if they are travelling in their own car, but you are usually picked up again at the road blocks further down the road....

I was escorted to just outside Quetta and waited, they organised proper full on army escorts right to the bloomstar hotel, where I asked them to take me... Here the bloomstar said i needed to go to the home department to get a NOC letter (the guys there explained everything, basically this signs you into the care of the police and each forthcoming police force will get copied into that letter, so basically they know your coming)

You dont need to pre arrange escorts, its part of their JD. the Balochistan Levies sometimes ask for some money, "to get back to their checkpost" :rolleyes:... This is upto you but I paid mostly to keep these guys on side, as i wanted their assistance...Sindh police are rubbish, but once your in Punjub the Police are highly professional and you may get the regional elite force with you, these guys were cool...

All in all, its a shame that you miss most of Pakistan as it tends to become drive, sleep, drive, sleep.... But once in Lahore you are free, and Lahore was one of the highlights of my whole trip... Stay at Lahore Backpackers, the owner Sajad is great...

Hope this helps
Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike K. (Post 386282)
Hello,

which way takes the escort to Lahore?Quetta,Sibi,Sukkur and?????
or Quetta,Loarali,Multan.And how it work with this guys.Can you go after 6 hours to an hotel or you have to go where the want to go?And at last you have to drive 10 hours.

Mike


Mike K. 20 Jul 2012 10:10

Thanks Andrew,

very good information.

Mike

hkdad3 23 Jul 2012 02:08

USA License Plate in Pakistan - Insane?
 
I am planning a trip that will take me from Kashgar, China into Pakistan down the KKH through Gilgit to Lahore and in to India. Currently I am planning to use a bike licensed in the US (NY State plates). Crazy? In Pakistan will they give you a local plate? I have an alternative country where I can buy and register a bike, but it will be much more expensive. The trip is more than a year away, but I want to purchase the bike well ahead of time and work out the kinks. Thoughts?

Mombassa 23 Jul 2012 02:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by hkdad3 (Post 386785)
I am planning a trip that will take me from Kashgar, China into Pakistan down the KKH through Gilgit to Lahore and in to India. Currently I am planning to use a bike licensed in the US (NY State plates). Crazy? In Pakistan will they give you a local plate? I have an alternative country where I can buy and register a bike, but it will be much more expensive. The trip is more than a year away, but I want to purchase the bike well ahead of time and work out the kinks. Thoughts?

You won't get a new plate. You need a carnet de passage for Pakistan, issued by the Canadian Automobile Association in Ottawa (yes, for US citizens too). The bikes needs to be registered to you. Driver license address, registration etc. all need to match etc. In China, you need a new driver's license, plate, escort etc. costs are huge to go this way. Research is your best friend at this point.

hkdad3 23 Jul 2012 03:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mombassa (Post 386787)
You won't get a new plate. You need a carnet de passage for Pakistan, issued by the Canadian Automobile Association in Ottawa (yes, for US citizens too). The bikes needs to be registered to you. Driver license address, registration etc. all need to match etc. In China, you need a new driver's license, plate, escort etc. costs are huge to go this way. Research is your best friend at this point.

Thanks - I have done riding in China and I am familiar with the CAA carnet requirement. My situation is simply that I can bring a bike from the US (I am a citizen), or I can bring a bike licensed in HK (I am a permanent resident). The cost of buying a bike in HK is 50% higher than the US. Is there any value given anti-American sentiment in places like Pakistan (rest of central asia, other locations) in having the unidentifiable yellow plate from HK (looks like UK plate) or just go ahead with the cheaper option, a US-plated bike? I should have been more explicit, appreciate any reactions.

Mombassa 23 Jul 2012 04:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by hkdad3 (Post 386788)
Thanks - I have done riding in China and I am familiar with the CAA carnet requirement. My situation is simply that I can bring a bike from the US (I am a citizen), or I can bring a bike licensed in HK (I am a permanent resident). The cost of buying a bike in HK is 50% higher than the US. Is there any value given anti-American sentiment in places like Pakistan (rest of central asia, other locations) in having the unidentifiable yellow plate from HK (looks like UK plate) or just go ahead with the cheaper option, a US-plated bike? I should have been more explicit, appreciate any reactions.

I had a Canadian plated bike. A US one might arouse somewhat more curiosity. Should be fine IMHO. I would not not go because of it.

Omie 23 Jul 2012 06:49

Doesnt matter. I see so many Pakistanis driving with their US number plates in addition to local ones.
You should be OK with any kind of registration.

Omar

ilesmark 23 Jul 2012 10:51

I'd have thought a HK plate would work quite well in a place where most people probably wouldn't know which country it was from.


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