Even before the Iranian revolution and the Afghan and Iran-Iraq wars throttled Asian overland travel, Pakistan tended to be seen as simply the last hurdle before reaching India. Few Westerners know much about Pakistan beyond media impressions of guns and drugs, communal violence and martial law, but it contains some of Asia's most mind-blowing landscapes, extraordinary trekking, a multitude of cultures and a long tradition of hospitality. It's the site of some of the earliest human settlements, home to an ancient civilisation rivalling those of Egypt and Mesopotamia, and the crucible of two of the world's major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism.

Warning

In light of the escalating dispute over Kashmir and the possibility of war between India and Pakistan, many governments are urging against travel to both countries and advising their citizens who are already there to leave as soon as possible. The US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, France, Germany, Denmark, Japan and Iran are all warning their nationals to depart from Pakistan immediately, including family members of government workers and non-essential embassy staff. Even the United Nations is evacuating the families of its personnel in the region. Those who choose to stay despite the warnings are urged to register with their embassy.

The long-running dispute intensified in May after the shelling of an Indian army base in Kashmir killed more than 30 people. Since then, the two sides have been shelling each other and trading gunfire across the border on a daily basis Both sides have threatened more substantial military action, and have massed nearly a million troops at the border. India accuses Pakistan of backing Islamic guerrillas in the region. Pakistan denies the charges, but vows to defend itself from any attack by India.

World leaders are trying to diffuse the situation and prevent all-out war between the two nuclear powers. Envoys from the UK, the US, Russia and China have attempted to mediate the conflict, but both Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee blame each other for the conflict and refuse to meet. More visits are scheduled, including one by US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Both India and Pakistan claim they would not initiate war nor launch a nuclear strike, but both have recently tested nuclear-capable ballistic missiles.

The prospect of nuclear war raises the stakes of the long-running border dispute, which has been an issue between the countries for more than 50 years. During the 1947 partition that led to the creation of Pakistan, Kashmir was free to choose which country it wanted to join. The local leader allied with India, and the region has been contested ever since, leading to two wars between the neighbors. Islamic guerrillas have led a violent campaign since 1989 to make Kashmir break away and remain either independent or join Pakistan. Neither India nor Pakistan are willing to consider the so-called 'third option' of an independent Kashmiri state.

The conflict over Kashmir is only the latest reason to avoid Pakistan. Westerners in Pakistan have been the targets of terrorists since the September 11 attacks and the subsequent US military action in neighboring Afghanistan. In February 2002, an American journalist was taken hostage and murdered in Karachi. Five people, including two Americans, were killed during a grenade attack on a Protestant church in Islamabad in March 2002. In May 2002, a suicide bomber rammed into a bus carrying employees of a French construction company, killing 12 French citizens and three Pakistanis. Western travelers in general and US citizens in particular have been warned to steer clear of the region, especially the North-West Frontier Province.

On a more general note, robbery, smuggling and gun-running remain the economic backbone of the region of Sind, the southern hotspot that includes Karachi. Even in times of normalcy, visitors are advised to avoid traveling to Sind, Baluchistan and the Punjab.

Full country name: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Area: 803,940 sq km (310,300 sq mi)
Population: 144.6 million
Capital city: Islamabad (pop. approx. 350,000)
People: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtu, Baloch, Muhajir
Language: Urdu (official), Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtu, English
Religion: 97% Muslim, 3% Christian and Hindu
Government: Federal Republic
President & Chief Executive: Gen. Pervez Musharraf
Prime Minister: Shaukat Aziz

GDP: US$282 billion
GDP per head: US$2000
Annual growth: 5%
Inflation: 5.2%
Major industries: Textiles, sugar, vegetable oils, agricultural products, cement, fertilisers, steel, chemicals, sporting goods, carpets
Major trading partners: US, Japan, Germany, UK, Saudi Arabia, UAE

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