A gap year in Pakistan
Gap years in Pakistan
Forget Route 66. Instead take a meandering journey past lakes and mountains, bikers and backpackers, ice-caps and deserts, yaks and crocs: the world’s highest road awaits you. The Karakoram Highway is more dramatic, more diverse, and far more delicious. Here’s the iGapYear guide to making Pakistan part of your gap year itinerary...
NB: Before planning a trip to Pakistan, consult the Foreign Office travel pages. NGOs and tourist centres including Islamabad airport have been targeted by bombers in the last six months. (Aug 2007.)
Gap Year Opportunities
Volunteer work in Pakistan is usually on the gritty side. If your idea of basic conditions is a shared lavatory, you may be better off teaching English (the official language of Pakistan). The requirement for teachers is increasing – look for an inclusive package from a company that will arrange your accommodation and support.
If teaching isn’t for you, incorporate Pakistan into a wider itinerary. This might include India and China – easily accessible via the international highway, bus, or train.
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About Pakistan
Variously dissected, parcelled up, conquered, shared out and repossessed, Pakistan, like many other countries, has had a complicated and political history. Today you can trace the ancient influences of Persians and Greek, Arabic, Turkish, British and Indian cultures, all of whom exercised control over Pakistan at some stage in history. At the partition of British India, citizens of Pakistan and India divided according to religious belief, and Pakistan was declared an Islamic Republic. After independence in 1947 the country fought with its closest neighbours and, after years of civil year, finally split in two - with East Pakistan being renamed as Bangladesh.
Demographically, Pakistan is 96% Muslim – Hindus and Sikhs emigrated en masse to India in 1947 – with the remaining population a mixture of Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish and Sikh people. Despite the election of a female prime minister in 1988, women’s rights in Pakistan cause great contention. Particularly in the North-West, government policies and outdated laws ensure the continued mistreatment of women. Married women are commonly raped and then jailed for ‘adultery’; jirgas (tribal councils) are able to order executions for the vaguest of reasons; and just a few years ago, a leading human rights lawyer said that there is one honour killing every day in Pakistan. Although rights for Pakistani women are poor, visiting women are well-treated in public, offered seats on buses and greeted with respect. All the same, women visiting the country should dress very modestly; some travellers buy the traditional shalwar kameez to deflect attention.
Interestingly situated between India, Afghanistan, China and Iran, Pakistan also has a long history of independent travel. It has an incredible combination of landscapes, from ice-capped mountains to sandy beaches, and mangrove swamps to dusty desert. Bears and leopards, cheetahs, jackals, crocodiles, eagles and dolphins populate its mountains, skies and rivers. Setting aside the current political tensions, it’s on the must-see lists of many globe-trotters.
What’s to see in Pakistan?
Islamabad is home to one of the world’s biggest mosques, and a good proportion of Pakistan’s rising middle-class. As a result the city diversifies by the day: you can eat Italian, Mexican or American food at any of the sprawling food courts, but it would be a terrible shame to leave without eating some of the local specialties. If you’re a regular at the local curry-house back home, make time to sample authentic seekh kebab, nan, chapathi, aloo gosht and mango lassi.
Lahore is the cultural capital, named ‘city of festivals’ by those in the know. It’s filled with ancient architecture inherited from both British and Mughal rulers – mosques, tombs, parks, and Lahore Museum, a great place to discover the city’s artistic traditions.
Get high... the Karakoram highway is a legend among backpackers. Stretching from Kashgan in China to Havelian in Pakistan, it’s eye-poppingly high and devastatingly beautiful. It passes by some of the world’s largest glaciers, several 8000km+ mountain peaks, Shangrila and Rama lakes, Deosai National Park, and the River Indus. Because of these, it’s the perfect way to see Pakistan – stopping for a challenging hike or a detour to some of the rural towns and villages, or perhaps to marvel at the ‘rock art’ to be found right along the route. However, due to the current state of political unrest in Pakistan it’s advisable to join an organised group for this trip.