Are you traveling to Pakistan from abroad and need to inquire if you need a mandatory negative coronavirus/Covid-19 test - also called PCR test - before boarding a plane?

It depends on which country you are coming from.

If you are coming from a Category A country, a list of 23 countries made by Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), you do not require the coronavirus PCR test to enter the country. 

The 6 January 2021 updated Govt of Pakistan list of Category A countries include Qatar, which was not included in earlier version.

If you are coming from a Category B country - which is virtually everyone else not on Category A list - you will require a mandatory negative coronavirus PCR test 96 hours before boarding a flight to Pakistan. This is what the latest (6 January 2021) Govt of Pakistan travel advisory for in-bound travel to Pakistan says. 

In the 25 November travel advisory, Category C list was removed.

Before arriving in Pakistan all international travellers are required to fill in the Personal Declaration of Health and Origin and hand it over to the Health Department Staff upon arrival at the airport.

List of 23 Pakistan CAA Category A countries that do not require a PCR test to enter Pakistan (Updated: 6 January 2021)

Every country that is not listed in Pakistan CAA Category A is included in Category B. For example, USA, UK, Germany, Italy, UAE, Bahrain are all Category B countries.

Need more details? You can download these documents:

SOP Interantional Inbound wef November 20 2020 Travelling to Pakistan, Do I need a Covid-19 test for travel to Pakistan Category A countries CAA.pdf

COVID-19 SOPs for international arriving passenger flights PDF

If you are travelling from these 23 Category A countries, you do not need a Covid-19 PCR test. Everyone else does.

Do I need a Covid-19 test for travel to Pakistan?

25 October 2020: After a delay of nearly three years, the Lahore Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) starts its commercial service.

As an early harvest project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Orange Line was constructed by China State Railway Group Co Ltd and China North Industries Corporation and was operated by Guangzhou Metro Group, Norinco International and Daewoo Pakistan Express Bus Service.

27 energy-saving electric trains, each comprising five air-conditioned wagons, with the operating speed of 80km per hour, provides a comfortable, secure and economical traveling facility to 250,000 passengers daily, according to Xinhua.

One-way train fare from Dera Gujran to Ali Town is Rs 40 (25 US cents).

Below is a timeline of how it all happened over the years.

9 August 2018: The OLMT is likely to face more delays as the caretaker government has stopped the payments for all ongoing projects. Earlier, the contractors were advised to wait till 25 July Election Day. However, it is now being indicated that the fate of all development projects will be decided by the new government. – Express Tribune

16 May: Test run ceremony of OLMT was held today at Islam Park station.

27 Feb: History in the making: The Lahore citizens saw a trial run of OLMT today. The train, as part of its trial run, was run near its depot and authorities said that a 12km portion of the track, from Dera Gujran to Lakshmi Chowk, will be completed during this week.

2 Feb: Islampark Station: In an attempt to make up for the loss of time caused due to the stay order of the Lahore High Court on the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) project for 14 months, the construction work is being continued at an expedited speed, a senior government official said.

8 Dec 2017: The Supreme Court dismisses the decision of Lahore High Court halting work on selected sites of the OLMT project.

The court accepts the appeal of the Punjab government against the LHC decision with conditions and rules by a 4-1 judgment that it observes no illegalities in the multi-billion-rupee project.

A five-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, had reserved its verdict in the case on April 17 this year. The bench includes Justices Sheikh Azmat Saeed, Maqbool Baqar, Ijazul Ahsan and Mazhar Alam Miankhel.

Although the court allows the Punjab government to go ahead with the project at the same speed, the bench sets 31 conditions to ensure the project’s transparency. It also asks for forming a five-member technical committee with overarching authority for a year. 

The committee will include experts from the archaeology department as well as a former Supreme Court justice. It will present its recommendations to the chief minister. – Geo

6 Dec: The Chinese staff will control and supervise the functioning of the OLMT for five years. Adviser to CM Khawaja Ahmad Hassan says that the Chinese staff will impart training to the local staff, which would enable them to operate the train system later.

8 Oct: The first train for OLMT, which arrived in Lahore from China this week, was unveiled by the Punjab CM.

Only 12 weeks are left in the expiry of 25 December deadline. The authorities are in no position to announce a fresh deadline as three different cases – environment, heritage and transparency – are with courts.

The authorities say they have alternative plans A, B and C ready to deal with every situation although the details of these fallback plans cannot be divulged at this stage. More later this month.

25 Sept: The first shipment of rolling stock for OLMT, which arrived in Karachi from China last week, is to reach Lahore this week.

23 train sets will arrive in Lahore by the end of this year. Coaches for all the 27 trains will be available in Lahore by mid-March 2018.

75 per cent of civil work OLMT Project has been completed so far. Progress:

Package-I from Dera Gujran, GT Road to Chauburji: 86.2 percent

Package-II from Chauburji to Ali Town: 53.5 percent

Stabling Yard near Ali Town: 75.3 percent

15 May: A train designed for OLMT rolled off the production line in central China’s Hunan. It is the first of the 27 trains being bought for OLMT. The trains will arrive in Lahore by end of year.

26 April: Preliminary work for laying track for OLMT project starts at Islam Park station while first consignment of rolling stock from China will be received in June.

17 April: The Supreme Court reserves its judgement in the case of OLMT Project in Lahore after two weeks of hearings.

A five-judge bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan continued to hear an appeal by the Punjab government against the Lahore High Court’s August 2016 order that had suspended the construction of the Rs 45 billion OLMT within 200 feet of 11 historical sites in the city.

2 Feb: LDA, Nespak and TEPA have been directed for remodelling of roads through U-turns, intersections and other solutions at appropriate points for smooth flow of vehicles along 27km track of OLMT, passing through busy and congested areas of Lahore city.

Meanwhile, OLMT’s Chinese contractors, CR-NORINCO, strongly criticise the Punjab government for its failure to get a go-ahead from a court to start construction at 12 heritage sites under litigation. The delay has lasted over a year. The contractors ask authorities to outline the time period required to get OLMT project cleared from the court. No construction activity can start on the underground central station near Mall Road until then.

Package-I from Dera Gujran, G T Road to Chauburji: 75 percent

Package-II from Chauburji to Ali Town: 45 percent

Package-III depot near Dera Gujran: 63 percent

Package-IV Stabling Yard near Ali Town: 59 percent

26 Jan 2017: The FBR issues a notification to grant ECC-approved Rs 20 billion exemption from taxes and duties on the import of machinery and equipment for the Lahore’s OLMT project.

21 Nov 2016: The OLMT project will not be able to meet its Dec 2017 completion deadline, a senior technical expert associated with the project told Dawn.

Work on package-II of the project has been on hold after the Punjab government cancelled the contract awarded to the Maqbool and Calson Joint Venture (MCJV) and re-tendered the project to another firm, Zahir Khan & Brothers (ZKB).

26 Oct: OLMT project may face substantial delays as construction has been stopped near 11 heritage sites on court orders while the contract of one of the builders for Package-II has been revoked for sluggish performance.

More than 50 percent of ground civil works on Package-1 between Dera Gujran and Chauburji is complete.

To find replacement contractor for remaining civil works on Package-2 between Chauburji and Ali Town, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has received seven new bids. Time for completion of remaining civil works has now been increased from 130 days to 150 days.

The Chinese contractors will start laying rail tracks and initiate electrical works on completed sections of the OLMT track from January 2017.

It may be challenging for the Chinese engineers to install rails before the deadline as construction activity has already been delayed by nearly a year.

The Metro train will run on 750 volts of electricity. Lahore Electricity Supply Company (Lesco) has started constructing new grid stations which will be up and running before the project’s completion date.

14 Oct: The Sup­reme Court appoin­ts a two-man commission of experts for re-verification of the environmental assessment reports on OLMT project of Lahore in 30 days. It will comprise TYPSA-Asian Consulting Engineers and Prof Robin Conin­gham, an expert on archaeology.

15 Sept: Work starts on manufacturing 27 automatic trains for OLMT project.

19 Aug: Lahore High Court (LHC) stops Metro train construction near 11 heritage sites. These are: Shalamar Garden, Gulabi Bagh Gateway, Buddhu ka Awa, Chauburji, Zebunnisa’s Tomb, Lakshmi Building, GPO, Aiwan-i-Auqaf, Sup­reme Court’s Lahore registry, St Andrews Presbyterian Church and Baba Mauj Darya Bukhari’s shrine. Appeal is to go to Supreme Court.

19 Aug: LHC dismisses petitions regarding environmental concerns related to OLMT.

23 Feb 2016: EXIM Bank of China is giving soft loan to the Punjab government for OLMT project, tweeted CM. The loans will be payable in 20 years.

It is for the first time that tendering took place in the govt-to-govt (G2G) mode of financing. NORINCO, the lowest bidder, quoted a cost of $2.139 billion.

The Punjab government negotiated with the contractor to bring the cost down and was able to secure a saving of more than $600 million. They settled on $1.47 billion (PKR 154 billion) as the project cost.

10 Oct 2015: PM Sharif chairs a meeting on OLMT project in Lahore as civil works start on Multan Road and Metro route.

21 June: Civilian work on OLMT starts this week by the Punjab government. Geotagging to complete by 28 June: Nespak

14 May: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) gives a go-ahead to the Rs165.2/$1.62 billion OLMT project, which will be funded by a $1.6 billion concessionary loan from China.

OLMT is part of 50+ CPEC projects which were signed during the visit of China’s President Xi Jingping to Pakistan.

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28 April 2015: The Provincial Development Working Party in Punjab approves Orange LineMetro Train (OLMT) in Lahore at the cost of Rs 165.2 billion ($1.6 billion).

A representative delegation of China Railways and Norinco International China had met Punjab CM earlier this month and agreed on the OLMT project.

OLMT project will result in speedy, comfortable and economical transport facilities to the citizens and will revolutionise transport system.

The 27/1km OLMT will be completed in three years including delays. 26 stations will be constructed on the route and nearly 200,000 people will commute every day. Operating speed will be 80 km/h (50 mph).

OLMT will prove to be a milestone in mass-transit railway (MTR) transport.

Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) Lahore Highlights:

Track: 25.4km elevated; 1.72km underground

Cost (revised): Rs 154 billion (US$1.5 billion)

The beginning, the delays and the start of the Lahore Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) as it happened

Lahore Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) starts service

Beijing (Xinhua): China increased the maximum speed of the bullet trains on the Beijing-Tianjin high-speed railway from 300km per hour (kph) to 350 kph.

The Fuxing (Rejuvenation) trains, the newest bullet train model developed in China, first ran at 350 kph on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, with the Beijing-Tianjin line the second to receive the upgrade.

The increase will shorten travel time between Beijing South Railway Station and Tianjin Railway Station from 35 minutes to 30 minutes.

The Beijing-Tianjin high-speed railway was China’s first high-speed railway line which went into operation in 2008.

The length of high-speed railway lines in China increased to 25,000 km in 2017, accounting for 66 percent of the world’s total.

By 2020, the country’s high-speed rail length is expected to reach 30,000 km, covering 80 percent of major cities. A network of eight east-west high-speed railway lines and eight north-south lines will be built, according to a railway development plan.

In the race for high-speed trains, only Japan and France rival China (graphic below, courtesy, GoEuro). The high-speed trains from once-superpower USA which China is replacing within this decade are lagging far behind (see bottom).

In May this year, this blogger took the Beijing-Xian high-speed train which touched 300kph.

This ranking of the world’s fastest high-speed trains shows that countries in Asia are the world leaders in high-speed trains.

The speed records of the world’s fastest trains:

The SCMaglev train in Japan has a top speed of 603 kph (375 mph).

SNCF’s high-speed TGV train in France has a top speed of 575 kph (357 mph).

The Shanghai MagLev train in China has a top speed of 501 kph (311 mph).

China has 25,000km of high-speed rail, two-thirds more than the rest of the world combined.

At 350kph, China high-speed train ups the game

In a matter of three years (2013-16), citizens in three of its large cities – Lahore (population: 11 million), Rawalpindi-Islamabad (population: 3.1 million twin cities combined) and recently-inaugurated in Multan (population: 1.9 million) – are able to travel in clean, safe and air-conditioned Metro buses on dedicated road tracks on a 20¢ fare which is a fraction of what commuters pay in the developed world.

But we don’t need to get too self-congratulatory. In our neighbourhood, India is building a bullet train that will start work in September 2017 and will take five years to complete.

While in Pakistan, with the current infrastructure, in a 2017 population of 208 million, fewer than a million a day will be able to ride these BRT buses.

Three small-length Metro bus routes in three cities only means that a large – very very large – population still uses public transport which is unreliable, decayed, unsafe and hurts your self esteem long before you reach your school, university, office or get back home.

In spite of the small scale, Metro bus is a good beginning.

And Pakistanis look forward to the whole country being wired in a network of mass-transit buses, Metro trains and intercity rail.

16 May 2018: Test run ceremony of Orange Line Metro Train Lahore is held today at Islam Park station. CM Shehbaz Sharif is chief guest.

27 Feb 2018: History in the making: The Lahore citizens see a trial run of the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT).

14 Nov 2017: $687 million Quetta Mass Transit: Chinese Policy Bank will give loan to Pakistan amounting to 85 percent of project at a 3% interest rate. In March, a team of Chinese engineers and experts arrives in Quetta to start work on the project, approved under CPEC.

6 May: PM Sharif performs groundbreaking of Metro Bus connecting New Islamabad Airport with Peshawar Mor, saying modern infrastructure including airports, highways and transport system is hallmark of a dignified nation. Earlier, on 13 April, Metro Bus project extension was approved at a cost of Rs 16.9 billion for construction of 25.6km with 24 bus stations.

29 March: Asian Development Bank (ADB) agrees to provide Rs 50 billion soft loan for Peshawar’s Rs 57B Metro bus rapid transit (BRT). Part of BRT is likely to complete by June of 2018.

20 March: Punjab CM Shehbaz Sharif launches 14 feeder routes that will run 200 automatic air-conditioned buses connecting passengers from areas around Metro bus stations spreading 129km.

10 Jan 2017: PM Sharif issues directives to connect the Islamabad Metro Bus with the New Islamabad International Airport. The project may cost Rs 18 billion and will add 14 bus stations along the route – from Peshawar Morr to New Islamabad Airport.

The new Metro Bus service will most likely start in August 2018.

29 Dec 2016: The sixth meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) in Beijing approves inclusion of these mass-transit projects in CPEC framework: Karachi Circular Railways and mass transit railways projects in each of the provincial headquarters to facilitate millions of people.

25 Nov: PM Sharif arrives in Ashgabat on a two-day official visit to Turkmenistan. Sharif is leading a Pakistani delegation to the first-ever Global Conference on Sustainable Transport – 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – being held at Ashgabat under the auspices of the United Nations.

Then, these are road and railway transport routes being developed from scratched or upgraded under CPEC. Source: Bloomberg

The next in line of mass-transit projects is Lahore’s 27km Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT, a Mass Rapid Transit, or MRT, project).

Built at the cost of Rs 154 billion, the train service is set to launch in August 2018 (delayed). Over 250,000 people will travel by Orange Line train every day through 26 train stations.

OLMT is currently facing delays because of a court order stopping civil works near 11 heritage sites that need to be protected. A review is under way.

One additional feature will be provision of free public WiFi service through 192 hotspots in three Punjab cities running Metro buses including Metro stations. PTCL is managing this WiFi service.

Then comes Karachi’s 21.7km Green Line Metro bus service (BRT) at a cost of Rs 24.6 billion through a federal grant. The construction work has hit many snags, with much of civil works from Surjani Town to Guru Mandir now complete by May 2018.

Green Line is set to start service by August of 2018, although there are snags on who will operate it. Nearly 350,000 passengers will use the service daily through 25 bus stations.

Green Line in Karachi (population: 15 million) is likely to be followed by 26km Yellow Line Metro bus service (BRT), a Sindh government project, at a cost of Rs 14.4 billion.

The Yellow Line will be financed by a Chinese loan (70 percent) and built by a Chinese firm, CUEC. It has yet to start constructing. About 150,000 passengers will use the service daily through 24 bus stations.

In October 2016, the federal government’s Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved to conduct an engineering design of the Peshawar BRT project at a cost of Rs 1.25 billion.

The provincial KPK government had to seek CDWP’s approval due to the Rs 32 billion project’s foreign funding.

In its sixth meeting at the end of December 2016 in Beijing, the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) approved inclusion of these projects in CPEC framework: Karachi Circular Railways (KCR) and Mass Transit Railways (MTR) projects in each provincial headquarters to facilitate millions of people.

In Lahore, the Metro bus service – the first in the country – was inaugurated on 10 February 2013.

The 27km Lahore Metro cost Rs 30 billion. Through 27 stations, nearly 200,000 passengers travel on Lahore Metro BRT buses every day.

In Islamabad, the 23km Metro bus service started on 4 June 2015. The inauguration went five months behind schedule because of political protests, organised by opposition PTI.

The Islamabad Metro cost Rs 44.7 billion. Through 24 stations, nearly 135,000 passengers travel on Islamabad Metro BRT buses every day.

While this BRT road and MRT train infrastructure is being built, the Pakistan Railways have tried to fix some of the intercity rail services.

E-ticketing has started on all railcar trains between Lahore and Rawalpindi and on Green Line Train from Islamabad to Karachi.

The Green Line train which covers 1,521km in just over 23 hours is creating an on-time reliable service. A reliable on-time train was unthinkable only a couple of years ago.

To upgrade the main railway line (ML-1) from Karachi to Peshawar including dualisation, the Chinese government and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have agreed to to lend Pakistan $8 billion. This is massive.

Government subsidies on mass-transit services

Maintenance of infrastructure, buses and trains

Upgrading, extension of infrastructure, buses and trains

Security of infrastructure during political protests and terror attacks

So, which cities need to be next in waiting for mass-transit transport?

If population is any criterion, Hyderabad (pop: 1.7 million) and Sukkur in Sindh; Faisalabad (pop: 3.2 million), Gujranwala (pop: 2 million), Sargodha and Sialkot in Punjab; Peshawar (pop: 2 million) in KPK; and Quetta (pop: 1 million) in Balochistan make the cut.

The UN estimates Pakistan as the sixth most populous country now (208 million) and in 2050 (310 million).

With a GDP of $300 billion, Pakistan is world’s 40th largest economy by GDP and 24th by GDP PPP. It is forecasted to grow to become 18th largest economy by GDP in 2050 and 16th largest by GDP PPP.

As part of China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative, the north-south $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) connecting Chinese city of Kashgar bordering Pakistan’s north to Gwadar port in the south perhaps could set this city and intercity transport network in motion as a byproduct.

If this happens, the Pakistani landscape may look very different and semi-developed when the CPEC comes to full fruition in 2030.

A snapshot of completed and ongoing mass transit transport projects in Pakistan

Mass-transit transport in urban Pakistan taking shape

In a landmark moment, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe jointly laid the foundation stone for the proposed Ahmedabad-Mumbai High Speed Rail Network, commonly known as the bullet train, in Ahmedabad, Gujrat.

Pakistan was the first South Asian country to build a motorway between Islamabad and Lahore. In the race for high-speed or bullet train, it lost to rival India.

In India, the railways is such a big deal that there is a separate annual budget presented for railways and another for the country.

The bullet train, which has a capacity to accommodate 750 people, is expected to reduce travel time between the two cities from eight to two hours.

Around Indian Rs 1.1 trillion ($17 billion) will be spent on the project.

The Japanese government has agreed to fund most of the $17 billion needed for the 508km bullet train line that will become part of Asia’s oldest railway network.

The Japanese financing is 81 percent of the cost, with a $13.8 billion soft yen-loan carrying an interest rate of 0.1 percent.

India is the second Japanese customer. Japan had previously given its super-fast train technology only to Taiwan, according to Bloomberg.

The official target for completion is 2023. India says it will attempt to have it running a year earlier

Total estimated cost is 1.1 trillion Indian rupees

While the train is designed to run at 350 kmph, it will operate at a maximum speed of 320 kmph, cutting down travel time between the two cities to about two hours from eight hours

Most of the corridor will be elevated, but will include a 21km tunnel with 7km under the Arabian Sea

The target for its completion is December 2023, though officials say there are indications that the government may seek an earlier deadline of 2022.

The train will stop at each of the 12 railway stations on the route, but only for 165 seconds. A 21km tunnel will be dug between Boisar and BKC in Mumbai, of which 7km will be under water.

The entire line will be at an elevation of around 20m which will reduce land acquisition.

After the laying of the foundation stone, an investment summit will also be held between the Indian side and a Japanese delegation comprising representatives from Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The project will create 20,000 construction jobs, apart from 4,000 direct and 20,000 indirect jobs for operations.

Reports courtesy: Hindustan Times. Infographics: Times of India

Japan PM lays foundation stone for Indian bullet train

4 May 2018 update: Visa on arrival info by Qatar Airways here.

Pakistani nationals will now be able to get a Qatar visa on arrival for up to 30 days. With this, Pakistan becomes 81st nationality to be included in a Qatari visa-free entry programme announced earlier this month.

According to Qatar Airways, Pakistani nationals with a valid passport and a return or onward ticket will be able to get a Qatari visa on arrival. They can apply for extension in stay beyond 30 days.

For a stay longer than 30 days, a residence permit will be required, reported by Geo, Express Tribune and Dawn.

Earlier on 9 August, Qatar announced a visa-free entry programme for 80 nationalities to stimulate air transport and tourism.

Nationals of the following 33 countries will not require prior visa arrangements and can obtain a visa waiver upon arrival in Qatar. The waiver will be valid for 180 days from the date of issuance and entitle its holder to spend up to 90 days in Qatar, during either a single trip or on multiple trips.

Nationals of the following 48 countries will not require prior visa arrangements and can obtain a visa waiver upon arrival in Qatar. The waiver will be valid for 30 days from the date of issuance and entitle its holder to spend up to 30 days in Qatar, during either a single trip or on multiple trips. This waiver may be extended for a further 30 days.

Email: pressoffice@visitQatar.qa
visitQatar.qa

Some respite for Pakistani passport holders 

Travel

Do I need a Covid-19 test for travel to Pakistan?

Lahore Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) starts service

At 350kph, China high-speed train ups the game

Mass-transit transport in urban Pakistan taking shape

Japan PM lays foundation stone for Indian bullet train

Pakistanis to get Qatar visa on arrival