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Sukkur, Pakistan: Political tension is rising as the ChanaTrax China to South Africa overland expedition gets closer to Karachi in Pakistan, where gunfire in the streets left 40 people dead two weeks ago. The expedition, now in its fourth week, has clocked up over 8 000 kilometres through China and Pakistan, a little over a third of the way through the 12-country, 20 000 kilometre adventure. With opposition parties calling for elections after the country’s chief justice was fired, our convoy of foreigners has attracted the attention of the military police and people on the street are nervous – although they’re extremely friendly towards us – and curious. When we say we’re from South Africa, we’re greeted with “Oh, Hansie Cronje, Graeme Smith!”

Our armed escorts, which were fairly low key in the Northern Frontier Province of Pakistan, have become bigger, with a more overt display of weapons. At least three bakkies escorted us in and out of Multan, one of them from the Punjab Elite Police, a heavily armed special force with ‘No fear” emblazoned on their black shirts. “In Multan in particular, we sensed that the escort was more than just a courtesy accorded to high profile visitors,” said expedition leader Geoff Dalglish. “The police seemed unusually tense while we drove through the city, or strolled through crowded shopping areas. We even had an X-ray security check when entering the hotel.”