This seems to be the main Pakistan thread on FT, so I'll add here .

I stayed at the Sheraton in Karachi. It was OK, though I only spent about 6 hours there because I was so busy!

The trip from KHI-LHE was a HUGE hassle. PIA said that they could do e-tickets - right up until about 18 hours before my departure. They then promised to have them to me by 9am. They actually arrived at 1120, 2+ hours after I left, so I had to cancel them - for a fee (even on the fully flexible C class LHE-CDG).

My TA then bought me a ticket on Airblue. I got to the airport early and asked an agent to check that the ticket was OK since there was a message about an 'exchange fee' that seemed strange. It turns out that I couldn't fly because my TA (whose credit card paid for it) wasn't with me. The check-in agent said that she could add a 'message' to override that. 90 minutes later (and only 40 minutes before the other flight would leave) I got turned down.

I was then forced to buy a last minute ticket on PIA after all!!! For information, I was in business class on a VERY old and tired 747, right up in the nose. The food was OK (I did quite like the kebab), and the service was friendly if a bit haphazard. For such a short flight, on which I slept half the time, it was more than OK, and I'm sure that Y would have been about the same.

Hopefully my e-ticket on EY to get back to the UK won't be broken!!

Finally, I'm staying at the Avari hotel in Lahore. The staff at the airport were great. The hotel is functional, with a very nice pool (25m or so), and friendly staff. I was welcomed last night with a fruit place, a nut cake and a box of cookies! The gym is a bit tired and old, but I still hope that I can squeeze in some time to use it. I have just added an extra meeting for this afternoon, and I hope to have a couple of hours to see SOME of the city.

THanks

Dr. PITUK