Pakistan travel guide index
Doing business & staying in touch
Plan your trip
Travel to Pakistan
Where to stay
While you’re there
Things to see & do
Shopping & nightlife
Food & drink
Getting around
Before you go
Passport & visa
Health
Public Holidays
Safety in Pakistan
Money & duty free
SIM cards and WiFi
Money in Pakistan
Responsible tourism in Pakistan
Airports
Allama Iqbal International Airport
Islamabad International Airport
Karachi Jinnah International Airport
Doing Business in Pakistan
Image is everything in Pakistan’s modern business society, so dress the part when attending meetings. Men should wear a shirt and tie, and women should avoid wearing skirts. Appointments should be made in advance, but business is done at a leisurely pace so be patient and expect interruptions during a meeting (Pakistanis have an open door policy). Most meetings are held at the office or in the best hotel in town. All Islamic festival days are upheld and are usually days off for celebration. Some businesses create a religious working environment for their employees as part of developing personnel imbued with honesty, loyalty and required sense of duty. So be prepared for regular breaks for prayer time.
Economy
Once a great agricultural land, exporting many kinds of fruit and cotton, the economy has been hit by internal strife and upheaval in the region. A country where power cuts are now the norm, the economy is flagging.
The EIU predicts and annual growth of nearly 4% a year until 2018. Inflation is at 9.2% with a moderate growth in GDP. Pakistan stands at 110th in terms of doing business out of amongst 189 economies of the world covered by the World Bank.
GDP
$236.6 billion (2014)
Main exports
Textiles, rice, leather goods, sports goods, carpets and rugs.
Main imports
Petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, plastics, transport equipment and edible oils.
Main trading partners
USA, China, United Arab Emirates, India and UK.
Keeping in Touch in Pakistan
Telephone
Interstate calls are half price after 1800, but there are no cheap times for international calls. Whilst phone cards are available, not all PCO (public call offices) booths will accept them, nor will all top-end hotels.
Mobile Phone
Roaming agreements exist with some international mobile phone companies. Coverage is largely limited to main cities. Prepaid SIM cards are available, often with good value starter pack offers.