Is Multan, Pakistan Safe? – Traveling With A Guard

Why Travel To Multan?

When first planning your trip to Pakistan, Multan is sure to be a city that will stand out from the rest. Known as the “City of Saints”, Multan is a city literally packed to the brim with historic mausoleums, Sufi shrines, and traditional madrasas. For those looking to experience Pakistani culture and traditional beliefs, Multan is sure to be topping your list of places to travel to in Pakistan.

Despite having breathtaking beauty and history that rivals the likes of Lahore, many travelers skip over Multan. This is due to the fact that tourists can not roam freely around the city. From the second you leave your hotel, you will have a security guard or police officer connected to your hip for however long you spend exploring Multan. Even if you are just popping out to visit the corner shop, the local police require you to have someone watch you while you are squeezing your mangoes and picking out bananas.

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Ways To Ditch The Police Escort

For those deadset on traveling to Multan, you may begin to get creative in ways to work around the police escort that will be shadowing you while exploring the city. Some may look at trying to check into one of the more dodgy guesthouses around the city, in hopes that they would not be as responsible as some of the luxury hotels. More than likely, when you arrive at the counter, you will be turned away. This is because they do not have the proper certification to host foreign travelers.

Couchsurfing is another option for those looking to avoid having a security guard. While staying with a host will make it seem more like you are hanging out with a friend rather than being tailed by the police, they are still responsible to know your whereabouts at all times. The Couchsurfing host may also get a call from the police, interrogating them about who you are and what you are doing in Punjab.

Regardless if you decide to stay with a host or not, the Couchsurfing community in Pakistan is an extremely tight-knit group of people looking to help travelers hand and foot. They are a valuable resource for those traveling to the country.

The final option you have to explore Multan is to make a grueling day trip out of it. Arriving by night bus in the morning, you can spend the whole day wandering the bazaars and mosques before hopping back onto a bus that night. Do know that some of the bus stations may send someone to keep an eye on you after buying a ticket. But after getting off of the bus, you should have free reign of the city.

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What Is The Security Situation Like In Multan?

When researching Pakistan, it would seem as if Lahore has far more terrorist attacks than Multan. But for whatever reason, tourists will be able to explore every corner of Lahore as they would any other city in the world. Multan, however, requires a security guard or officer to be present for “your safety”. So what exactly is the security situation in Multan?

Multan is not alone in the fact that they demand travelers be accompanied by the police. The same rule also applies to the neighboring city of Bahawalpur. One of the theories behind the heightened security is that there are several terrorist organizations operating in this region of Punjab. Groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, who carry out many suicide bombings in Kashmir, are based out of Bahawalpur. Sectarian violence is also prevalent in the area, primarily between Shias, Sunnis, and Sufis.

Another theory is that there are many sensitive military installations in this part of Pakistan. According to some locals, Multan is even the location of some weapon facilities and uranium mines. While other Pakistanis are quick to dismiss this claim, it is one of the few reasons why Multan would adopt such an excessive form of policing.

When it comes down to it, no one is quite clear on what the security situation is like in Multan. While exploring the bazaars, drinking chai with locals, and indulging in some street food, Multan seems no different than any other city in Pakistan. When asking a police officer the reason for the suffocating security for foreigners in Multan, expect the response: “no comment”.

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The Madrasas Of Multan

Madrasas, or Islamic Schools, can be found at nearly every mosque and shrine in Multan. It is here where Muslims, both young and old, can join together and learn the teachings of Mohammad. You often hear of rouge imams instilling extreme thoughts into their students. This later ignites into a flame that could spread to every corner of the country. Bombings of Shia mosques and killings of believers of other branches are rampant during bouts of sectarian violence.

When you enter a madrasa, however, you would think that these reports of terrorism and discrimination were the works of fiction. From the second you slip off your shoes, all the students of the madrasa will either be excited to shake hand with you or nervously smiling from afar. As a traveler, you don’t want to be a disturbance to the students busy rocking back and forth memorizing verses of the Quran. But even the teachers will stop the classes to make you feel welcome in their madrasa.

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Visiting the Darbars of Multan

If you are a traveler who is wanting to see traditional Pakistani culture come alive, you will want to head straight to one of the Darbars or Sufi shrines in the country. Being the City of Saints, nearly every corner of Multan has one of these elaborately decorated turquoise and blue mausoleums. On a religious holiday such as the death or birth of a saint, devotees will mass at one of the darbars to throw flowers, chant, pray, and mourn. One of the most spiritual aspects of Sufiism is using music or qawwali to join as one with God.

Being a minority sect within Islam, Sufi Muslims are often targeted and attacked within Pakistan. The acts of using song and dance are considered haram by many so-called purists. In the hearts of locals, the Darbar is looked at as a place of worship and peace. But with the attacks in recent years, the outsides of these shrines are often turned into fortresses occupied by the military.

The shrines in Multan are nowhere near as guarded as the ones in Lahore but do expect a few officers to be lounging under the shade of a tree. The khaki-clad police may even shoo you away from a darbar, despite the fact that you are being escorted by a guard.

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Daily Life In Multan

All of the reports of police escorts and bolstered security in Multan is sure to have you a bit uneasy about visiting this culturally rich city. But the second you begin to wander the bazaars and interact with the locals, any preconceived notions of Multan will be washed away as you take another sip of chai.

There is an energy in the air in Multan which even Lahore can not match. While most bazaars don’t truly come alive until the evening, Multan’s market is teeming with life every second of the day. With crumbling centuries-old manors, winding alleyways, towering minarets, and locals that will make a point to go out of their way to properly welcome you to Pakistan, it is hard to imagine such a gentle and hospitable people could carry out any of the horrific attacks which we often see on the news.

There is only a small group of people within Pakistan that smears the image of the entire country. It is important to remember that terrorist bombings and shootings do happen in Pakistan. Although they have been in decline in recent years, it is vital to remain vigilant.

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Is Traveling To Multan Worth It?

If it wasn’t for the suffocating police escort in Multan, the City of Saints would quickly rise through the ranks and rival Lahore and Karachi. But as long as the security situation remains vague and travelers are kept on a short leash, Multan’s potential as a tourist hot spot will remain to be untapped.

If you are wanting to truly immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Multan, you may way to get the security guard to stay a few steps behind you. At first, the officer may want to walk shoulder to shoulder as you awkwardly make your way down the Multan streets. But to truly enjoy and take in the city, it may be better for you to explain to the guard to merely shadow you.

Despite the fact that you are being tailed throughout your trip in Multan, you will not regret exploring the chaotic bazaars, praying in the shrines, and basking in the beauty of centuries-old mosaic murals. Multan is a city that you could spend days traveling through enjoying the candid scenes of local life. But with a police officer at the hip, it’s difficult to be totally engulfed in the culture of Multan. As Pakistan continues to open up its gates to the world, one can only hope that Multan will also follow suit and throw open its doors to anxious travelers.