Pakistan, Restricted Area
 

Go our Pakistan visa yesterday and on the same page it has a rubber stamp reading "NOT VALID FOR RESTRICTED AREA", there was a mile que at the infomation window so thought i'd google it but can't find where they are talking about. Anybody know the area this refers to.

Cheers
Pete

I was told it was for the Swat Valley when I travelled through Pakistan last year. I don't think you have much to worry about - once you get to the roadblocks they will soon let you know.

Also applies for Kashmir, I got turned around on the way to Muzzafarabad last year. Was not pleased! :p

Cheers guys, leaving tomorrow :D

Restricted Areas in Pakistan
 

Hi McGiggle, with the current political situation in Pakistan many areas are restricted, and you only get information when you are stopped, further down the road they don't know. The Murree - Muzzaferbad road is often closed, the whole Kashmir border is a 'disputed area'. The Tribal Areas are also 'restricted', as is any area with military activity.
November '08 I drove from Taftan to Quetta with no restrictions or escort, but a lot of checkpoints, remember to buy cigarettes to hand out, makes a difference, and forget Swineflu and shake a lot of hands. A big earthquake the day before, and many displaced, and desparate, people coming out of the hills made the Quetta - Loralai - Multan road restricted, so a 700 km detour southeast to Sukkur and northeast to Lahore, with escorts. Terrible.
In short, even if you ask around you have no guarantee at all, it's all up to the local authorities. I have not heard of any restrictions on the KKH recently, but landslides are not the only peril for travellers. Some of the checkpoints are not signposted, keep an eye out for chains across the road. They don't expect handouts, just a friendly chat, and to take pictures of you on their mobiles.
Safe journey
Peter, in Oslo

restricted areas
 

Hi,

I got my Pakistani visa in June this year and travelled throughout Pakistan in July.
I asked the embassy what the 'restricted areas' refeered to and they told me that these places would be CLEARLY marked/defined along the roads.

I told them that i was going to travel from Taftan to Quetta then i trravelled through DI Khan ( very unstable at the time) onto Islamabad, then onto Murree, Muzzafrabad, Azad Kashmir, then back to Islamabad then along the KKH (through Gilgit, Hunza, and Sost) and onto China.

No problems with authorities along this route whatsoever except the usual police escorts.

Hope this helps

H A

Restricted areas
 

Earlier restricted areas meant places close to the Indian border in Kashmir. Lately its definition changed to places where military operation is going on.
Nothing to worry as the said operations are being carried in places close to Afghanistan where I dont think you might be interested to visit.
For some time even the KKH was restricted at a particular spot. Fortunately it didnt last long and everything was back to normal.
Usually things get sorted out easily here. You might find Pakistan as a very pleasant surprise contrary to the prevailing image.