Safety in Pakistan
A rating built from four independent indices, plus scams, laws and what to do when something happens
Rating calculated from the indices below
Indices checked on 10.08.2026
Specifically: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
This marker describes where fighting physically takes place, not the country’s role in the conflict. The rating measures risk to a visitor, which differs several-fold between parts of the country.
Position in global indices
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The general picture
No-go regions: Avoid Balochistan and any area near the Afghan border because of the risk of attacks and kidnapping, and read your own government's travel advisory before you plan a route.
Permits: Some high-altitude zones in Gilgit-Baltistan require an NOC, so check the current requirement in advance.
Photography: Photographing bridges, airports, military checkpoints, power stations and anyone in uniform is absolutely prohibited.
Drones: Bringing a drone in without a specific permit is banned, and it will be confiscated at customs with no route to getting it back.
Local customs: Pakistanis are extremely hospitable, but respect the conventions: do not address women first and do not photograph them.
Health: Pack a medical kit for intestinal infections, and for the north add whatever helps you acclimatise to altitude.
Escorts: In some northern districts visitors are assigned a free police escort, which is normal practice and intended for your safety.
How tourists get scammed
Pakistan is a country of enormous hospitality and very uneven conditions. Tourist deception is secondary here to questions of regional security.
Taxis and rickshaws. No meters; prices are agreed. Careem and inDrive operate in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi and settle the question entirely.
"Guides." At the Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Fort and in the north, a walk is offered at a verbally quoted price. Agree in figures.
Currency exchange. Use licensed offices. Black market rates are better but the transaction is illegal.
Tours to the north. Hunza, Skardu and Fairy Meadows are sold by a dozen outfits in Islamabad. Check that the operator has a licence and insurance and is not taking more people than seats in the jeep.
Attention on foreigners. Tourists are few and interest in you will be enormous: requests for photographs, invitations to tea, conversations. Mostly this is sincere and without motive — Pakistani hospitality is real.
What gets you fined or jailed
Geography decides everything. Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa outside the tourist valleys, the tribal areas near the Afghan border and parts of Sindh see genuine terrorist activity and kidnappings. People do not go there, and foreigners in some districts need a police escort and a No Objection Certificate. Gilgit-Baltistan with Hunza and Skardu, by contrast, is among the calmest places in the country.
Permits. Border zones, the Siachen glacier and certain areas near the Line of Control in Kashmir require NOCs obtained in advance.
Alcohol. Prohibited for Muslims. A non-Muslim can obtain a permit and buy from a licensed hotel shop, but drinking in public is not allowed.
Drugs. The law is severe, up to the death penalty for trafficking.
Blasphemy. An extremely serious offence with harsh penalties and, no less importantly, a risk of extrajudicial mob violence. Religious subjects are not discussed at all.
Photography. Military installations, checkpoints, airports, bridges and dams are off limits, as are women without permission.
Drones. Prohibited without permission and confiscated at customs.
Dress. Covered everywhere; women are advised to wear shalwar kameez and a scarf.
Health: vaccines, medicines, care
Vaccinations. A polio certificate is a practical necessity: Pakistan is one of the few countries where polio remains endemic, and proof of vaccination may be required on departure. Hepatitis A, typhoid and rabies are also advised.
Dengue. Major outbreaks in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad every monsoon.
Water. Bottled only, from known brands.
Lahore's air. In winter the city regularly tops global air pollution rankings, with readings running off the scale. People with asthma should not be there then.
Altitude in the north. The Karakoram Highway crosses the Khunjerab pass at 4,693 metres, Fairy Meadows sits at 3,300, and K2 base camp is far higher. Altitude sickness is real, and evacuation from the north takes many hours.
Roads. The Karakoram Highway is spectacular and dangerous: landslides, rockfalls and narrow sections above drops. Nobody drives it at night.
Healthcare. Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi have decent private hospitals (Shifa, Aga Khan). The north has almost none. Insurance with evacuation cover is essential.
Police: how to handle them
Pakistan sits in the lower part of the Corruption Perceptions Index, but police are generally solicitous toward tourists — foreigners are few and their safety is a personal responsibility.
Police escorts. In several provinces foreigners are assigned protection, sometimes unrequested. It can feel intrusive, but that is the procedure.
Checkpoints. Numerous, especially on highways and at city entrances. Keep your passport and copies ready; log entries are routine.
Tourist police. Operating in Lahore, Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Reporting theft. Reports are taken and certificates issued; the process is slow.
What actually matters. Pakistan is not dangerous as a whole — it is dangerous in places, and the difference is enormous. Hunza and Skardu are calm enough that people leave belongings unattended. Balochistan and the border areas are another country entirely. Judge the specific region and current conditions, not the overall rating.
Emergency numbers: 15 for police, 1122 for the ambulance service in Punjab.
What else to check
The rating is built from open international indices and foreign-ministry advisories; links to the primary sources are in the cards above. Conditions change faster than annual reports come out — check current travel advice before you go.