ISLAMABAD, Dec 4: Mohammad Iqbal Ghangla is a rare breed of local traveler. In his longest 12,000-plus kilometres odyssey in 29 days, he encountered some of the most intense changes in culture, weather, altitude and terrain that exist in Pakistan - all on two wheels.

On November 5, in Multan, Iqbal mounted gear on his 660cc Yamaha and rode on, tackling heavy rains, rivers and extreme cold in high altitudes above 5,000m or 16,000 feet to promote tourism in Pakistan.

The Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) here on Tuesday threw a welcome reception for Iqbal to recognise his efforts for promoting the country’s soft image during his 30-day tour titled “Welcome to Pakistan.” He was welcomed by PTDC Managing Director Mir Shahjahan Khetran.

This was not the first time the traveler toured on the motorbike. In his last trip, he became the only Pakistani to traverse 7,000 kilometres through the country. He has also completed several 3,000 to 4,000 km journeys on his bike.

“The idea is to attract tourists from all over the world and to present a soft image of Pakistan,” said the biker.

Mr Iqbal said he had traveled all the provinces of Pakistan, including Sindh and Balochistan, and found these areas completely safe and secure.

“There are no security threats anywhere in Pakistan,” he told his hosts, explaining how his journey also took him to the tribal areas. The only risks he faced were when his bike skidded twice while passing ice on the Khunjrab Pass.  “And then the temperatures fell 11 or 12 degrees below zero,” Iqbal said, adding how his fingers almost turned black from cold.

Besides promoting tourism, the main purpose of his tour was to convey a message to the local as well as foreign tourists that anyone can move freely in Pakistan as it was a peace-loving country.

“There are many beautiful tourist destinations waiting to be appreciated,” he added.

From Multan, he rode through cities and areas, including Dera Ismail Khan, Fata, Peshawar, Swat, Chitral, Gilgit, Khunjrab Pass, Skardu, Chilas, Naran, Neelam Valley, Sialkot, Lahore, Wagah border, Bahawalnagar, Shikarpur, Sehwan Sharif, Rani Kot, Hyderabad, Meethi, Khokhrabad, Badin, Karachi, Gwadar, Jiwani, Lasbela, Quetta, Taftan, Chaman, Ziarat, Dera Ghazi Khan, Panjnad, Och Sharif, Vehari, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Abbottabad, Ayubia and Murree.

Talking through the mike and headphones in his helmet on Tuesday night, Iqbal said he was on his way back to his home in Multan.