Right from the beginning of my adventure Pakistan always loomed as the trickiest country I would have to cross. While I was going to Afghanistan it was only to a small, relatively safe area. In Pakistan I would have to cross the whole country and pass through Baluchistan in particular. Before I left London it seemed like Pakistan was in the news every week for some act of terrorist or form of tribal conflict. As a result the news always...

  On my return to Islamabad I had the chance to catch up with a Jon Boone. Jon is working in Islamabad as a journalist for the Guardian newspaper in the UK. Jon had been based in Afghanistan for a number of years and was now covering Pakistan. My arrival was just as the Pakistan Taliban announced a new leader, in response to the drone killing of their former leader by the US a few days earlier. It was interesting to see him in action of...

As I drove up to the huge, stern looking Pakistani border guard, I thought here we go. I said hello and I got a booming hello accompanied with a massive smile. Welcome to Pakistan, where are you from? I’m from New Zealand but I live in London. Ah, my brother lives in England. How are you?! And there began my introduction to the Pakistani way of life. Warm, friendly and polite with an aura of suspicion that is quickly washed away once...