Anti-terrorist squad

The first question my mum asks when I tell her I’m going somewhere is “is it safe?” Weirdly when I announced I was going to Pakistan, she took it very much in her stride. I say weirdly because as everyone who sees the news knows, Pakistan is best known for suicide bombers and harbouring Osama bin Laden.

But this is only a part of reality. Yes, there are areas which remain lawless. But vast swathes of Pakistan are considered safe. Even the FCO, known for being on the cautious side, declare most of the country ‘green’.

Despite being in these green zones, as official visitors of the Government we were accompanied everywhere by armed police escorts. Across the back of their uniforms was written ‘Anti-terrorist Squad’. Not exactly low-key. And not exactly portraying the image of a country open to visitors. Was this escort highlighting Pakistani hospitality at its most generous? Or was the threat more than we had imagined? No, in reality it was more a case of over-compensating. But by over-protecting the people you want to promote your country, it was a bit of an own goal.

I was there to advise the Pakistani Government on developing their tourism strategy. Practically no-one has been visiting the country since the ‘60s so infrastructure, processes and marketing are all a little behind the times. But the Government is listening. I was one of the first to arrive into the country on their new visa on arrival scheme. Flights to some of the most beautiful mountain areas have been opened up. Infrastructure will be upgraded over time. But key to Pakistan’s success will be marketing. If only people knew how beautiful the mountains are, how much history lies in its forts and religious sites, how welcoming and hospitable the people are. Misconceptions have killed the Pakistani tourism industry. But we know the real truth and soon others will too.

And the best bit of the trip? Escaping our guards to take a rickshaw into town! Only in a rickshaw can you experience the sights, smells and sounds of a city. If only we hadn’t been molly-coddled as VIPs, more of us may have left feeling we had truly experienced an amazing country. Ironic.