Islamabad - Post Report Question and Answers
What kind of vehicle(s) including electric ones do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, infrastructure, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car or vehicles do you advise not to bring?
Very few people at post had POVs, but you are allowed to have one and I highly recommend it. I found life in Islamabad much more convenient with one. Motorpool is freely available, but you have to request it in advance and it makes being spontaneous difficult. I loved having the freedom to just grab my keys and go when I felt like going shopping or out to dinner. The roads are mostly decent, though the diplomatic enclave has many gnarly speed bumps, so you want at least a little ground clearance. Pakistan is a right-hand drive country and the government recently stopped allowing expats to import left-hand drive (U.S. or continental European style) cars. I'd recommend purchasing one locally, as the import process takes a long time. There are no crime-related safety concerns, though there are sometimes people begging at intersections. Popular makes in Pakistan are Toyota and Suzuki, but you can find other stuff. I never had an issue getting parts locally, though prices were equivalent or slightly more than in the U.S. - Sep 2026
Most of the cars in Islamabad are second hand, imported from Japan. There are very few venues offering repair and maintenance for European cars (or even American ones), so they should be avoided. Japanese SUVs are the obvious choice, with RAV4 at the low end and Prados for those who can afford them. - Oct 2023