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Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan
and it is the tenth largest city while the twin city Rawalpindi-Islamabad metropolitan
area is the third largest in Pakistan
with a population of over 4.5 million. The city was built during
the 1960s to replace Karachi as Pakistan's
capital. After partition of Indo-pak region
in 1947, the development of the country was focused on Karachi and President Ayub Khan
wanted it to be equally distributed.
The official
idea of Islamabad
is a perfect, civilised, successful city. Here is the official description:
"Islamabad,
the capital of Pakistan, is located against the backdrop of Margalla Hills at
the northern edge of Potohar Plateau. In contrast to its twin city Rawalpindi, it is lush
green, spacious and peaceful. Islamabad is a city of wide, tree-lined
streets, large houses, elegant public buildings and well-organized bazaars.
Traffic jams and crowds are rare, and narrow lanes and slums are few and far
between. Sidewalks are shaded and safe behind rows of flame trees, jacaranda
and hibiscus. Roses, jasmine and bougainvillea fill the many parks, and
scenic viewpoints show the city to its best advantage. The master plan of
this most modern city was prepared in 1960 by M/s. Constantinos Doxiades, a
Greek firm of Architects.Construction was started in October 1961. The city
came into life on 26 October 1966, when the first office building of Islamabad was occupied.
It is a modern and carefully planned city. There are ample opportunities for
walking, jogging, hiking and trekking around Islamabad in the Margalla Hills. The
Margalla Hill range offers excellent opportunities for short and long hikes
with magnificent vistas opening up on all sides. A network of trails having
more then 120 kms total length has been developed. The urban area is divided
into eight zones: administrative, diplomatic, residential, institutional,
industrial, commercial, greenbelt, and a national park that includes an
Olympic village and gardens and dairy, poultry, and vegetable farms, as well
as such as the Atomic Research Institute and the National Health Center. The
name Islamabad (City of Islam,
or City of Peace)
was chosen the reflect the country's ideology."
While the above
description is true, to most travellers Islamabad
is a rather sterile, uninteresting attempt at being a western city. Much of
the cultures and street life is in Rawalpindi
and the habitants of Islamabad
are mostly wealthy government officials and business people. One of the most
interesting sites in Islamabad
is Faisal Mosque - A modern interpretation of Islamic architecture on a grand.
Islamabad is one of
the most well-planned and green cities in South Asia.
The city is well-organized and divided into different sectors and zones.
Adventure Travel in North Pakistan
http://www.kjti.co.uk/
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