Safety in Pakistan

Yes its safe. and the criminal elements are like in any other major city in the world...

I i Was 3 Times  in Islamabad 3 months each Time du ring this four last years ...
I Was not in hôtel but living in an appartment in F11 and i Was used to go Alone in the street' for shopping or in Paris and gardiens and never i Was afraid by people around me.
Islamabad is a Very niçe city with marge avenues and residential districts ...
We dont met a lot of foreigners ... But with english language We CAN as' anything and go any where...
Pakistanii people is Very kind and they Like to invite you for dîner and talk about uses and traditions of each countries...
I plane to retourne in Pakistan in september and i réally miss my Life in Pakistan with my love l'y friends
I Was also in Lahore but it is noise and more crowdy ...
I dont know Karachi .

Dear Christine:

I have attempted to answer your question one by one. :-) Enjoy :-)

How would you define the level of safety in the country?
     To be very honest with you; it is just like any other major country in the world. People are quite rich and have abundance of money and like to spend money themselves. So, robbery on the road is not a major issue. But of course if you are flashy; then you are inviting people and the risk factor increases. But this is the case everywhere. Risk of theft on the road increases (especially for mobiles and wallets) in major cities (Karachi and Lahore) but almost in only these two cities. Other then this any foreigner or us can take a stroll down the street any time of the day. But then again; nights are not safe anywhere and if you are a lady; the risk increases, but I must repeat myself; similar is the case everywhere.

Can you walk safely during the day and at night without any fear?
I have answered this in the last question.

Do you think there is a high rate of criminality, social problems or tensions?
Yes, there is a whole lot of corruption in Pakistan. people are quite high tempered (usually); they use their heart felt feelings more compared to using their brains. As we are quite emotional people. Most of us. but then again; we celebrate the good days in the same manner; we go out all the way to express our good feelings also. But we do know how to treat foreigners; the common person wants to ensure that the foreigner visiting Pakistan has a good time.
We do face a lot of tensions; such as not having electricity, natural gas, ever changing prices of petrol/gas, etc. a very high inflation rate, things like that, but I don't know how but people have learnt to live with all these problems and are progressing.
Things are getting better day by day but a lot of things need to be improved.

But I must say; Pakistan is worth visiting; don't pay too much attention to the negative hype; be careful; stay low key and enjoy your trip and visit; go to the northern areas and you will feel like if you are in heaven. We have lots of hand made things and we also have international brands; we have the best tasting food and many many historical places to visit. We welcome whomever is willing to visit.

Hi Christine,
I am a seventy years old Pakistani-American who has travelled almost half of the world. I frequently go to Pakistan and in light of my experience in various cities of the world I would reiterate that common sense in travel applies to Pakistan as it would to any other place.
It is evident that Pakistan these days has had a lot of violence as reported in the press and therefore your question is very reasonable.
Yes, Pakistan as the previous writers have said is safe. But you need to be careful. For example, it is a dry country and therefore do not seek wild parties and underground clubs while you are there. You are likely to find criminal elements that are into breaking the laws of their own country. Similarly do not get involved in drugs just because those are cheaper and easily available.
As of late, the number of foreigners going to Pakistan is much reduced. Therefore a foreigner is a curiosity for an average man. Although not absolutely necessary, in order to minimize extra attention things can be done to avert such curious eyes. It is a conservative society therefore women in shorts are obviously a stupid idea. For both men and women, if they venture out in rural areas, I would recommend wearing Pakistani clothes. They can be bought beforehand in any western country and while one is there, they can be bought at very cheap prices. Otherwise simply a head cover like a cap for a man and a scarf for a woman may suffice. 
Pakistanis are very friendly people but seek them out in proper places. University students in bigger cities not only would be able to speak English but they would be delighted to help guide a tourist. Ask older office workers in Western clothes who will be trustworthy. Even pious looking religious people if they speak English will love to talk to you contrary to the common perception in the West that they all hate Westerners.
Use common sense. Walking at night in anyplace in the world if not necessary can be dangerous. I have been robbed by pick pockets in London and Paris on the subway in broad daylight. Why should Lahore and any other city in Pakistan be an exception? I would not dare walk in some neighborhoods of Chicago and New York at night. 
Recently, I travelled through southern Mexico and Guatemala. I did not come across a drug dealer because I was not going to buy any. I travelled by rural minibuses and people were welcoming everywhere. When in a market I thought my American funky hat was making me look different than others, although there was no danger, I promptly bought another locally made baseball cap with something written in Spanish.
Don’t expect to hitch a ride. They do not do that in Pakistan.
Otherwise, as another member has said, Pakistan is a great place to visit and the food is out of this world. Pakistan is a cradle of several older civilizations and has a lot to offer to a student of history, anthropology and geography. The northern areas offer a pristine natural beauty which is no longer available in its original form in most of the other parts of the world.
If anyone has a specific question about a locality in Pakistan, I would be glad to answer your questions.

Hi Marina & Sambrial,, i am a serial Expat, read your detailed introduction about Pakistan, i have nothing to say but "" Thank You " for describing this country in positive manner, as many westerners have not much idea about this corner of the world it is as normal country as many others with good and bad, so just take it normal overseas destination , I am a born Pakistani, Thanks again

Regards
Sajjad

Hi everybody,

Some inappropriate posts have been removed from this thread.

Do note that we are on a friendly website, so please let's avoid arguing with each other.

Thanks

Priscilla