Getting off-loaded at Quetta airport

This return trip (Quetta to Lahore) was one of my most memorable, most scariest rides. Although I had a free airline ticket for return to Lahore (with a stay at Karachi on the way to Lahore), the problem was that it was the second day of Eid-ul-Azha (after Hajj) and the PIA Hajj Operation had just started (to bring back the Hajis from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan). The result: routine flights were disturbed because of the Hajj flights (it was the first day of return flights) and I couldn't get a seat on the "replacement" flight of Fokker F27 aircraft (capacity 40) instead of a Boeing 737-300 (capacity 100+).

Missed the train as well

There was no guarantee that I would get a seat the next day, and I wanted to get to Islamabad as quick as possible, so I rushed to the Railway Station but I reached there at about 2:45pm only to find out that the train has just left some fifteen minutes ago. The taxi driver suggested that I hire another taxi driver (towards whom he pointed with a finger) who'll take me to the next Railway Station before the train reaches there and there I can catch the same train, though there was no guarantee that I'll catch the train at the first station from Quetta.

To beat the train to the next station

I was short of cash (because train/air ticket wasn't intended to be purchased there!) and I barely had enough money for this taxi ride apart from the money reserved for a train ticket plus a couple of meals and a taxi ride at Lahore, but this was a tempting proposal. So I decided to gamble on it, but the train had already gone past the nearest station when we reached there. Now the taxi driver offered to take me to the next station for twice the original fare, so now the gamble was double for me. I didn't want to waste the money I'd already spent on the taxi ride, but that meant I had to pay as much more money to catch the train... So I gambled again... and the train had left the next station as well!! Now I was 40+km outside Quetta, there was no cell phone signal and the taxi driver was asking me not to take photos at that place because "those people were aggressive" (even to him!!)...

Gamble for the next station

Now I was really scrared... The taxi driver offered to take me to the next station for an amount thrice the original amount (for the nearest station) and he guaranteed that I'll catch the train there "Insha Allah" (If God wills)... But I didn't have that much money... I started to go through my stuff for some "barter" trade, but I couldn't find anything of his interest (a USB drive or a memory card wouln't be useful for him)... finally I decided to give him my favorite sweater... He was reluctant to take it... but he agreed after he took a promise from me that I won't regret losing that sweater :)

Arrived at Mach Station before the train

My ordeal was finally over (or so I thought)... but the driver reminded me that there's no guarantee that I'll find a seat on the train... GREAT!!

On our way to Mach, we overtook the train (which was slowly crossing a tunnel). I paid him when we reached the station, he dropped me off near the Station, and he waited at the main road, and promised to wait for me if I didn't get a seat (I had no option but to trust him). The booking officer at the station told me that there weren't any seats available... but I could get on the train with the permission of the CSD (whatever that is)... Finally the train arrived there, and now I can't find the CSD... After another painful 15 minutes I finally found him and then boarded the train. I hadn't eaten since the breakfast and it was almost 5 in the evening by then. But worse was yet to come... The ticket-checker (supposedly) issued me a seat but it wasn't available till we reached Sukkur (Sindh) at around midnight time

No seat till the morning!!

At Sukkur, my booking turned out to be a mistake, a duplicate booking, because the seats were actually reserved several days ago for someone who boarded at Sukkur... I had only had some biscuits and some fruit in the whole day, it was midnight and I still had no berth nor a seat...

The new ticket-checker who had just boarded at Sukkur/Rohri (Rohri is probably the biggest junction of Pakistan, trains arriving/departing from Punjab to Sindh or Balochistan or NWFP all have a stop at Rohri) told me that I'll be able to get a seat at Bahawalpur, at about 5 in the morning... I slept on a single seat till I don't know when... and I finally got the berth at Bahawalpur at nearly 6am the next day... and slept till noon. The train reached Lahore at about 2:30pm (taking 24 hours for the 1300+km journey from Quetta to Lahore).