Pakistan to Afghanistan by Road: Torkham Border to Jalalabad (My Honest Experience)

The route was simple on paper:

1. Sargodha → Islamabad
2. Islamabad → Peshawar
3. Peshawar → Torkham border
4. Torkham → Jalalabad

I used local buses. The border is where it got real: queues, security checks and, at one point, an unexpected bribe situation. Nothing about crossing at Torkham feels routine the first time.

I only went as far as Jalalabad, and stayed there for four or five days. It's busy, loud and full of life, especially at night.

What I remember most:

• Night markets packed with people well after dark.
• Hotels with floor seating, the traditional Afghan way of eating and resting.
• Qabili pulao, giant tandoori naans and fresh dry-fruit mango juice.

And the people. Ordinary Afghans were warm and welcoming. I spoke with members of the Taliban too, and they were polite and decent with me.

Not every conversation was easy. An old man told me, half joking, something I've never forgotten: when they see a Punjabi drinking water, they feel like drinking his blood.