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As a reporter you get sent out to all sorts of locations. But when an opportunity came my way to cover an anti-terrorism story in Pakistan I was filled with both anticipation and excitement.

Life on the streets of Pakistan

The closest I have to come to going to this country is when my grandfather recalls his life in Lahore before he was forced to flee back to India during Partition. Now I was about to find out for myself. This is a small snapshot of my impressions as a traveller and as a reporter.

A display of pride

After spending a couple of days worrying about what I could and could not wear off I set off to Pakistan. 

As always when you step off the plane the heat hits you and so it did. We'd landed in Karachi - the former capital of Pakistan and now the economic hub of the country which hugs the south west coast line. As we were driven to the hotel a sea of green and white flags adorned buildings. With Independence Day around the corner a display of patriotism was sweeping across the city.

I was pleasantly surprised with the ease in which traffic flows though Karachi. Its equivalent in India would be Mumbai and there you can be sitting viewing cars bumper to bumper for hours! That happens in Karachi as well but not to the same degree. The air here was cleaner than I expected it to be as well. I suppose being on the coast the sea breeze brings some of the fresh stuff in.

What not to wear

Unlike some weird vision that had been conjured up in my mind the dress code was a lot more relaxed than I expected it to be. Yes one does have to dress conservatively - no shorts and T-shirts for me but long trousers, short sleeve tops etc were all fine.

What I found quite surprising was that not every one was wearing a hijab, not everyone was wearing a niqab but there was a whole range of dress. All too often the western perception is that everyone is covered up. In fact, having visited a shopping centre in the heart of Karachi I felt no different to being in The Bullring on a Saturday!

Empowering women

Another striking feature was the women I met. Sometimes we get the impression that women in countries like Pakistan are suppressed etc but that's not so. I met some very talented TV producers, CEOs, inspirational teachers who are using their skills to build a better future.

These women are also helping to empower a nation to walk forward towards a brighter future. I walked away after a weekend of conversing with some of the most dynamic people I have met in my short life time so far!

The value of education

One of the most memorable moments was when I visited a school in a slum area of Karachi. Here students are taken in and taught the value of education, the value of becoming good citizens and good people.

Students stood up and talked about denouncing terrorism with such passion and vigour that it touched us visiting journalists to the core (sometimes we can be hard to crack). I sat and spoke to some of them with my broken Urdu. It is amazing that when life has thrown so many difficulties at these children they can still find it in themselves to be so motivated.

A warm welcome

This trip involved me meeting the soap stars of Pakistan, the head of multi-national advertising agencies, ordinary school children, and extraordinary people from ordinary backgrounds. And the thing that struck me the most was the warmth with which I was welcomed into Pakistan.

It may not be everyone's cup of tea but if you want to step out of your comfort zone then Pakistan is one place to go to do it. My travel tip - do it with a someone local to the country!

A reflection of Pakistan in pictures

Satnam Rana was accompained by a BBC camera man and photography on her trip significant trip to Pakistan. See the pictures.

Say No To Terrorism Campaign

Karachi is the original capital of Pakistan and is the country’s largest city with more than 12m residents.

It is in Karachi, thousands of miles away from his home in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire that Waseem Mahmood has been encouraging the nation to stand up against terrorism.

He hopes his message will help address the negative image of Islam which increasingly dominates news headlines post 9/11.

Waseem has set up the Hum Naheen Foundation, which in Urdu means "this is not us." The foundation's latest campaign has seen 60m Pakistani people sign a petition denouncing violence in the name of Islam.

All photography is courtesy of Shaista Chisty.

Watch the Midlands Today reports about the 'Say No To Terrorism Campaign'.