Never have the effects of terrorism been so directly felt in the heartland of the Pakistan establishment, and never have the challenges for the Government of Pakistan in crafting a response been so difficult.
The ancient temples around Durbar Square in Kathmandu flutter with pigeons and prayer flags as tourists mill around and hippies blow smoke down Freak Street.
On a motorcycle tour through India in August 2001, Australian paramedic Benjamin Gilmour and his girlfriend decided to venture into a country they knew nearly nothing about – Pakistan.
This is Pakistan 2008, after eight years of military rule and fancy economic growth figures: under-heated and under-fed in its coldest winter in two decades.