A group of Turkish citizens, consisting of Tankut Guzel, Ahmet Bati, Seden Guzel, and Serpil Kalayci, is currently touring Pakistan on their motorbikes.
They entered Pakistan via the Taftan border with their 1,100 CC Honda Africa Twin motorbikes. Tankut mentioned that this visit was overdue since they have toured almost all of Asia by now, and Pakistan had been on their minds since the devastating earthquake in February. They were grateful for the help provided by Pakistanis during that time, which prompted them to come to Pakistan.
Seden and Serpil joined the men in their tour of Pakistan after flying into Karachi, where they borrowed Honda 125 motorcycles. The four riders belong to the Turkish Motorcycling Federation, and between them, they are engineers, MBAs, and economists. They are guests of Razi Nayyar, founder of the Motor Club of Pakistan. The club aims to portray the country’s safe and positive image beyond its borders.
The four riders plan to travel from Karachi to Chitral to attend the Kalash Festival. They will then travel through the Shandur Pass, Gilgit, the Hunza Valley, the Khunjerab Pass, and the main cities of Pakistan, including Islamabad, Lahore, Bahawalpur, and Multan.
The ladies will fly back to Turkey while the men will ride back to Ankara via Balochistan, the Taftan border, and Iran. Before coming to Pakistan, they did extensive research and were pleased with what they read. However, they were taken by surprise when they were not allowed to take the Motorway. The Motor Club of Pakistan has written to the authorities regarding the matter and is waiting for a positive response.
Seden and Serpil, daughters of motorbikers and off-road rally drivers, said riding is in their blood, and they are glad to have flown to Pakistan to join the men. They were impressed with Pakistani markets and bought pretty kurtis from Gulf Shopping Mall and had their hands decorated with henna designs.
The four were all praised for Pakistani food and loved dishes such as barbecue chicken paratha rolls, seekh kebab, shawarma, chicken karahi, prawn karahi, chicken tikka, Bihari boti, biryani, qeema matar, lentils, and sweet and sour soup. They intend to share their experiences with others back home.
Ms. Anjum Rana, a well-known truck artist, painted truck art on their motorcycle cargo boxes. Tankut said that after coming to Pakistan, they are beginning to understand the true meaning of the slogan ‘Jeevay Pakistan’.
