Islamabad
(Urdu: Pashto: اسلام آباد) Islām ābād (Meaning "Abode of Islam") is the
capital of Pakistan, and is the tenth largest city in Pakistan with an
estimated population of 1.74 million in 2009.[1] The Rawalpindi/Islamabad
Metropolitan Area is the third largest in Pakistan, with a population of
over 4.5 million inhabitants
Islamabad is located in the Pothohar Plateau in the north of the country,
within the Islamabad Capital Territory. The region has historically been a
part of the crossroads of Punjab and North-West Frontier Province, Margalla
pass being a gateway to the North-West Frontier Province.The city was built
during the 1960s to replace Karachi as Pakistan's capital. However, the
capital was not moved directly from Karachi to Islamabad. It was first
shifted to Rawalpindi and then to Islamabad after all the developmental
works were finished.
Islamabad is one of the greenest and most well-planned cities of South
Asia.According to a survey, Islamabad is considered the cleanest city in
Pakistan.The city is well-organized and divided into different sectors and
zones. Islamabad was ranked as a Gamma world city in 2008.The city is home
to Faisal Mosque, the largest mosque in South Asia and the sixth largest
mosque in the World.Islamabad has the highest literacy rate in Pakistan.The
top ranked university in Pakistan,Quaid-i-Azam University, is located in
Islamabad. The top two engineering universities in Pakistan,Pakistan
Institute of Engineering & Applied Sciences and National University of
Sciences and Technology are also located here.Allama Iqbal Open University
in Islamabad is the world's second largest university by enrollment
The region is preceded by thousands of years of history. Islamabad Capital
Territory, located in the Pothohar Plateau, is regarded to be one of the
earliest sites of human settlement in Asia.The plateau has revealed evidence
of a prehistoric culture. It is known that a Buddhist town once existed in
the region.Relics and human skulls have been found dating back to 5000 B.C.
that show this region was home to Stone Age people who used the banks of
Swaan River as their settlement.The Stone Age people developed small
communities in the region at around 3000 BC, leading to the early roots of
civilization here.
Situated at one end of the Indus Valley Civilization, this area was the
first habitation of the Aryan community from Central Asia.The civilization
flourished here between the 23rd and 18th centuries BC. Some of the earliest
Stone Age artifacts in the world have been found on the plateau, dating from
500,000 to 100,000 years. The crude stones recovered from the terraces of
the Soan carry the account of human grind and endeavours in this part of the
world from the inter-glacial period.Items of pottery and utensils dating
back to prehistory have also been found.
Islamabad was one of the routes though which the armies from the north and
northwest passed to invade the Indian Subcontinent. Many great armies such
as those of Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Timur and Ahmad Shah Durrani
have used this route on their way to Indian Subcontinent.Modern Islamabad is
based on the old settlement known as Saidpur. The region later became a Sikh
town and became an important trading centre. The British seized the region
from the Sikhs in 1849 and built Asia’s largest cantonment in the region
When Pakistan came into being in 1947, Karachi was its first capital.
However, in 1960, Islamabad was constructed as a forward capital due to
certain reasons. Traditionally, the development was focused on the colonial
centre of Karachi and President Ayub Khan wanted it to be equally
distributed. Moreover, Karachi was located at one end of the country making
it vulnerable to attacks from the Arabian Sea and a capital which was easily
accessible from all parts of the country was needed. The new selected
location of Islamabad was closer to GHQ in Rawalpindi and the disputed
territory of Kashmir in the North.In 1958, a commission was constituted to
select a suitable site for the national capital with particular emphasis on
location, climate, logistics, and defence requirements along with other
attributes. After extensive study, research, and thorough review of various
sites, the commission recommended the area northeast of Rawalpindi. A Greek
firm of architect Konstantinos Apostolos Doxiadis designed the master plan
of the city which was triangular in shape, based on a Grid plan, with its
apex towards the Margalla Hills
Since its establishment it has attracted people from all over Pakistan
making it the most cosmopolitan city in the country.As the capital city it
has hosted a number of important meetings, such as the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation summit.In October 2005, the city
suffered some damages due to the 2005 Kashmir earthquake having a magnitude
of 7.6.Islamabad has also undergone a recent series of terrorist incidents
including the July 2007 Siege of Lal Masjid (Red Mosque), June 2008 Danish
embassy bombing, and the September 2008 Marriott bombing.
Islamabad Capital territory is divided into eight zones; Administrative
Zone, Commercial District, Educational Sector, Industrial Sector, Diplomatic
Enclave, Residential Areas, and Rural Areas and Green Area.Islamabad city is
divided into five major zones, Zone I, Zone II, Zone III, Zone IV, and Zone
V. Out of these, Zone IV is the largest in area.Zone I comprises mainly of
all the developed residential sectors in Islamabad while Zone II comprises
the under-developed residential sectors. Each residential sector is
identified by an alphabet and a number, and covers an area of approximately
2 km × 2 km (1+1⁄4 mi × 1+1⁄4 mi). The sectors are named from A to I, and
each sector is divided into four sub-sectors, named numerically. Series A, B, and C are still underdeveloped. D
series have 7 sectors (D-11 to D-17)in which only sector D-12 is complete.
This series is located right under the foot of Margalla Hills.The E Sectors
are named from E-7 to E-17 and many foreigners and diplomatic personnels are
housed in these sectors.In the revised Master Plan of the city, CDA has
decided to develop a park on the patterns of F-9 park in sector E-14.
Sectors E-8 and E-9 contain the campuses of three Defense universities;
Bahria University, Air University, and National Defence University.
The F and G series contains the most developed sectors. F series contains
sectors F-5 to F-17 where the later sectors are still under-developed.F-5 is
an important sector for the software industry in Islamabad, as both of the
two software technology parks are located here. The entire F-9 sector is
covered with Fatima Jinnah Park. The Centaurus complex will be one of the
major landmarks of the F-8 sector.G sectors are numbered G-5 through
G-17.Some important places include the Jinnah Convention Center and Serena
Hotel in G-5, the Red Mosque in G-6, and Pakistan Institute of Medical
Sciences in G-8 which is the largest medical complex in the capital.The H
sectors are numbered H-8 through H-17.The H sectors are mostly dedicated to
educational and health institutions. National University of Science and
Technology covers a major portion of sector H-12.The I sectors are numbered
from I-8 to I-18. Except for I-8 which is a well developed residential area,
these sectors are primarily a part of the industrial zone. Currently, only
two sub-sectors of I-9 and one sub-sector of I-10 is used as industrial
areas. CDA is planning to set up Islamabad Railway Station in Sector I-18
and Industrial City in sector I-17.
Zone III constitutes primarily of the Margalla Hills and Margalla Hills
National Park. Rawal Lake is also present in this zone. Zone IV and V
comprises Islamabad Park and rural areas of the city. Soan River flows into
the city through Zone V.The main administrative authority of the city is
Capital Development Authority (CDA) which oversees the planning,
development, construction, and administration of the city.
In 1960, when the master plan for Islamabad was designed, it was planned
that Islamabad and Rawalpindi along with the adjoining areas will be
integrated to form a large metropolitan area called Islamabad / Rawalpindi
Metropolitan Area. The area would consist of the developing Islamabad, the
old city of Rawalpindi, and the Islamabad National Park.Initially, it was
proposed that the three areas will be connected by four major highways;
Murree Highway, Islamabad Highway, Soan Highway, and Capital Highway.
However, to date only two highways have been constructed; Murree Highway
(now called Kashmir Highway) and Islamabad Highway.
Presently, the area comprises Islamabad Capital Territory (Islamabad,
Islamabad National Park, and Islamabad Rural Area) and Rawalpindi.Islamabad
is the hub all the governmental activities while Rawalpindi is the centre of
all industrial, commercial, and military activities. The two cities are
considered sister cities and are highly dependent for the development of the
metropolitan.
Islamabad/Rawalpindi Metropolitan Area is the third largest in Pakistan,
with a population of over 4.5 million.The area is drained by two major
rivers; Kurang River and Soan River. Three dams; Rawal Lake, Simly Dam, and
Khanpur Dam are located in the region, providing water to the local
population
Islamabad's architecture walks a tightrope between modernity and old Islamic
and regional traditions. The Saudi-Pak Tower is a good example of the
integration of modern architecture with traditional styles. The beige-coloured
edifice is trimmed with blue tile works in Islamic tradition, and is one of
Islamabad's tallest buildings. Other examples of intertwined Islamic and
modern architecture include Pakistan Monument and Faisal Mosque.
The murals on the inside of large petals of Pakistan Monument are based on
Islamic architecture.The design of Shah Faisal Mosque is a fusion of
contemporary lines with the more traditional look of an Arab Bedouin's tent
with large triangular prayer hall and four minarets. The mosque's
architecture is a departure from the long history of South Asian Muslim
architecture with a lack of dome structure in Faisal Mosque. However, in
some ways it makes a bridge between Arabic, Turkish, and Mughal
architectural traditions.
The Centaurus is one of the examples of modern architecture under
construction in Islamabad. The seven star hotel is designed by WS Atkins
PLC.The newly built Islamabad Stock Exchange Towers is another example of
modern architecture in the city
Islamabad is a net contributor to the Pakistani economy, as whilst having
only 0.8% of the country's population, it contributes 1% to the country's
GDP.Islamabad Stock Exchange is Pakistan's third largest stock exchange
after Karachi Stock Exchange and Lahore Stock Exchange,founded in 1989. The
exchange has 118 members with 104 corporate bodies and 18 individual
members. The average daily turnover of the stock exchange is over 1 million
shares.
Islamabad has seen an expansion in information and communications technology
with the addition two Software Technology Parks which house numerous
national and foreign technological and IT companies. The tech parks are
located in Evacuee Trust Complex and Awami Markaz. Awami Markaz houses 36 IT
companies while Evacuee Trust house 29 companies.Call centers for foreign
companies have been targeted as another significant area of growth, with the
government making efforts to reduce taxes by as much as 10% in order to
encourage foreign investments in the IT sector.
Most of Pakistan's state-owned companies like PIA, PTV, PTCL, OGDCL, Zarai
Taraqiati Bank Ltd. etc. are based in Islamabad. The city is also home to
many branches of Karachi-based companies, banks, TV channels etc.
Headquarters of all major telecommunication operators; PTCL, Mobilink,
Telenor, Ufone, China Mobile and others are located in Islamabad.
Islamabad is home to many migrants from other regions of Pakistan and has a
surprising cultural and religious diversity of considerable antiquity. Due
to its location in the Pothohar Plateau, remnants of ancient cultures and
civilizations such as Aryan, Soanian, and Indus Valley civilization can
still be found in the region. A 15th century Gakhar fort, Pharwala Fort, is
located near Islamabad which was built on the remains of a 10th century
Hindu fort.Rawat Fort in the region was built by the Gakhars in 16th century
where the grave of Gakhar chief, Sultan Sarang Khan, is located.
Saidpur Village in Islamabad is named after Said Khan, the son of Sultan
Sarang Khan who was a Gakhar chief. The 500 year old village was converted
into the a place of Hindu worship by a Mughal Commander, Raja Man Singh. He
constructed a number of small ponds; Rama kunda, Sita kunda, Lakshaman kunda,
and Hanuman kunda in the area.The region hosts many Hindu temples that are
still preserved showing the remains of Hindu civilization and architecture
in the region.
The shrine of Sufi Mystic, Pir Meher Ali Shah, is located at Golra Sharif
which has a rich cultural heritage of pre-Islamic period. Archaeological
remains of the Buddhist era can still be found in the region.The shrine of
Bari Imam was built by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Thousands of devotees from
across Pakistan attend the annual Urs of Bari Imam. The event is one of the
largest religious gatherings in Islamabad. In 2004, the Urs was attended by
more than 1.2 million people.The Lok Virsa in Islamabad preserves the living
folk and traditional culture of Pakistan. The Folk Heritage Museum, located
near Shakarparian hills, has a large display of embroidered costumes,
jewellery, woodwork, black printing, ivory, and bone work from the region
and other parts of Pakistan.
Islamabad boasts the Highest Literacy
Rate in Pakistan at 72.88%.A large number of public and private sector
educational institutes are present here. The higher education institutes in
the capital are either federally chartered or administered by private
organizations and almost all of them are recognized by the Higher Education
Commission of Pakistan. High schools and colleges are either affiliated with
the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education or with the UK
universities education boards (O/A Levels, IGCSE etc.). According to Academy
of Educational Planning And Management's report, in 2006 there were a total
of 904 recognized institutions in Islamabad (30 pre-primary, 2 religious,
384 primary, 157 middle, 291 high, 15 intermediate, and 25 degree
colleges).7 teacher training institutes are also running in Islamabad with a
total enrolment of 581,068 students and 491 teaching faculty.
The Gender Parity Index in Islamabad is 0.93 compared to 0.95 for
Pakistan.There are 178 boys only institutes, 175 girls, and 551 mixed
institutes in the capital territory.Total enrolment of students in all
categories is 273,583; 139,961 for boys and 133,622 for girls.
There are 17 recognized universities in Islamabad with a total enrollment of
279,820 students and 25,653 teachers.The world's second largest university
by enrolment Allama Iqbal Open University is located in Islamabad.The two
top engineering universities in Pakistan, Pakistan Institute of Engineering
& Applied Sciences and National University of Science and Technology also
have their headquarters in the capital.Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad
is the top ranked university in Pakistan in general category.Other notable
universities include Air University, Bahria University,National University
of Computer and Emerging Sciences, COMSATS, Hamdard University, National
Defence University, Shifa College of Medicine, National University of Modern
Languages, International Islamic University, and Center for Advanced Studies
in Engineering.
In 2006-2007, the Federal Government spent a total of 54,523.637 million Rs.
on the education sector out of which 25,830.670 million was developmental
fund.This amount is 25.18% of the total educational budget spend in that
year, which was 216,518.059 million Rs. The public expenditure on education
as percentage of total government expenditure that year was 14.09%
Islamabad has a list of public and private medical centres. The largest
hospital in Islamabad is Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences hospital. It
was established in 1985 as a teaching and doctor training institute. PIMS
also functions as a National Reference Center and provides specialized
diagnostic and curative services.The hospital has 30 major medical
departments.PIMS is divided into five administrative branches. Islamabad
Hospital is the major component with 592 bed facility and 22 medical and
surgical specialities.Children Hospital is a 230 bedded hospital completed
in 1985. It contains six major facilities; Surgical and Allied Specialities,
Medical and Allied Specialties, Diagnostic Facilities, Operation Theatre,
Critical Care (NICU, PICU, Isolation & Accident Emergency), and a Blood
Bank.The Maternal and Child Health Care Center is a training institute with
an attached hospital of 125 beds offering different clinical and operational
services.PIMS consists of five academic institutes; Quaid-i-Azam
Postgraduate Medical College, College of Nursing, College of Medical
Technology, School of Nursing, and Mother and Child Health Center.
PAEC General Hospital and teaching institute is affiliated with Pakistan
Atomic Energy Commission and was established in 2006.The hospital consists
of a 100 bed facility and 10 major departments; Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Pediatric, General Medicine, General Surgery, Intensive Care Unit/Coronary
Care Unit, Orthopedics, Ophthalmology, Pathology, Radiology, and Dental
Department. Shifa International Hospital is also a teaching hospital in
Islamabad that was founded in 1987 and publicized in 1989. The hospital has
70 qualified consultants in almost all specialities, 150 IPD beds and OPD
facilities in 35 different specializations. Recently Maroof International
Hospital has started functioning in Sector F-10 of Islamabad. It provides
medical facilities in all disciplines of medicine and surgery.
According to Federal Bureau of Statistics, Government of Pakistan, in 2008
there were 12 hospitals, 76 dispensaries, and 5 Maternity and Child Welfare
Centers in the city with total 5,158 beds
Islamabad is connected to the major destinations around the world through "Benazir
Bhutto International Airport" previously known as Islamabad International
Airport.The airport is the third largest in Pakistan and is located outside
Islamabad, in Chaklala, Rawalpindi.In fiscal year 2004-2005, over 2.88
million passengers used Benazir Bhutto International Airport and 23,436
aircraft movements were registered. Another airport, New Islamabad
International Airport is under construction at Fateh Jang to cope with the
increasing number of passengers. When completed, the airport will be the
largest in Pakistan. The airport will be built at a cost of $400 million and
will be operational by 2010. This will be the first green field airport in
Pakistan with an area of 3,600-acre (15 km2).
All major cities and towns are accessible through regular trains and bus
services running mostly from the neighboring city of Rawalpindi which is
considered a gateway town between north and south. Lahore and Peshawar are
linked to Islamabad through a network of motorways which has resulted in a
significant reduction in travelling times between these cities. M-2 Motorway
is 367 km long and connect Islamabad and Lahore.M-1 Motorway connects
Islamabad with Peshawar and is 155 km long.Islamabad is linked to its sister
city Rawalpindi through the Faizabad Interchange, the first cloverleaf
interchange in Pakistan with a daily traffic volume of about 48,000
vehicles.
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Islamabad
(Urdu: Pashto: اسلام آباد) Islām ābād (Meaning "Abode of Islam") is the
capital of Pakistan, and is the tenth largest city in Pakistan with an
estimated population of 1.74 million in 2009.[1] The Rawalpindi/Islamabad
Metropolitan Area is the third largest in Pakistan, with a population of
over 4.5 million inhabitants
The region is preceded by thousands of years of history. Islamabad Capital
Territory, located in the Pothohar Plateau, is regarded to be one of the
earliest sites of human settlement in Asia.The plateau has revealed evidence
of a prehistoric culture. It is known that a Buddhist town once existed in
the region.Relics and human skulls have been found dating back to 5000 B.C.
that show this region was home to Stone Age people who used the banks of
Swaan River as their settlement.The Stone Age people developed small
communities in the region at around 3000 BC, leading to the early roots of
civilization here.
Islamabad was one of the routes though which the armies from the north and
northwest passed to invade the Indian Subcontinent. Many great armies such
as those of Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Timur and Ahmad Shah Durrani
have used this route on their way to Indian Subcontinent.Modern Islamabad is
based on the old settlement known as Saidpur. The region later became a Sikh
town and became an important trading centre. The British seized the region
from the Sikhs in 1849 and built Asia’s largest cantonment in the region 
Islamabad Capital territory is divided into eight zones; Administrative
Zone, Commercial District, Educational Sector, Industrial Sector, Diplomatic
Enclave, Residential Areas, and Rural Areas and Green Area.Islamabad city is
divided into five major zones, Zone I, Zone II, Zone III, Zone IV, and Zone
V. Out of these, Zone IV is the largest in area.Zone I comprises mainly of
all the developed residential sectors in Islamabad while Zone II comprises
the under-developed residential sectors. Each residential sector is
identified by an alphabet and a number, and covers an area of approximately
2 km × 2 km (1+1⁄4 mi × 1+1⁄4 mi). The sectors are named from A to I, and
each sector is divided into four sub-sectors, named numerically.
Islamabad's architecture walks a tightrope between modernity and old Islamic
and regional traditions. The Saudi-Pak Tower is a good example of the
integration of modern architecture with traditional styles. The beige-coloured
edifice is trimmed with blue tile works in Islamic tradition, and is one of
Islamabad's tallest buildings. Other examples of intertwined Islamic and
modern architecture include Pakistan Monument and Faisal Mosque.
Islamabad is home to many migrants from other regions of Pakistan and has a
surprising cultural and religious diversity of considerable antiquity. Due
to its location in the Pothohar Plateau, remnants of ancient cultures and
civilizations such as Aryan, Soanian, and Indus Valley civilization can
still be found in the region. A 15th century Gakhar fort, Pharwala Fort, is
located near Islamabad which was built on the remains of a 10th century
Hindu fort.Rawat Fort in the region was built by the Gakhars in 16th century
where the grave of Gakhar chief, Sultan Sarang Khan, is located.
Islamabad boasts the Highest Literacy
Rate in Pakistan at 72.88%.A large number of public and private sector
educational institutes are present here. The higher education institutes in
the capital are either federally chartered or administered by private
organizations and almost all of them are recognized by the Higher Education
Commission of Pakistan. High schools and colleges are either affiliated with
the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education or with the UK
universities education boards (O/A Levels, IGCSE etc.). According to Academy
of Educational Planning And Management's report, in 2006 there were a total
of 904 recognized institutions in Islamabad (30 pre-primary, 2 religious,
384 primary, 157 middle, 291 high, 15 intermediate, and 25 degree
colleges).7 teacher training institutes are also running in Islamabad with a
total enrolment of 581,068 students and 491 teaching faculty.
There are 17 recognized universities in Islamabad with a total enrollment of
279,820 students and 25,653 teachers.The world's second largest university
by enrolment Allama Iqbal Open University is located in Islamabad.The two
top engineering universities in Pakistan, Pakistan Institute of Engineering
& Applied Sciences and National University of Science and Technology also
have their headquarters in the capital.Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad
is the top ranked university in Pakistan in general category.Other notable
universities include Air University, Bahria University,National University
of Computer and Emerging Sciences, COMSATS, Hamdard University, National
Defence University, Shifa College of Medicine, National University of Modern
Languages, International Islamic University, and Center for Advanced Studies
in Engineering.
Islamabad has a list of public and private medical centres. The largest
hospital in Islamabad is Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences hospital. It
was established in 1985 as a teaching and doctor training institute. PIMS
also functions as a National Reference Center and provides specialized
diagnostic and curative services.The hospital has 30 major medical
departments.PIMS is divided into five administrative branches. Islamabad
Hospital is the major component with 592 bed facility and 22 medical and
surgical specialities.Children Hospital is a 230 bedded hospital completed
in 1985. It contains six major facilities; Surgical and Allied Specialities,
Medical and Allied Specialties, Diagnostic Facilities, Operation Theatre,
Critical Care (NICU, PICU, Isolation & Accident Emergency), and a Blood
Bank.The Maternal and Child Health Care Center is a training institute with
an attached hospital of 125 beds offering different clinical and operational
services.PIMS consists of five academic institutes; Quaid-i-Azam
Postgraduate Medical College, College of Nursing, College of Medical
Technology, School of Nursing, and Mother and Child Health Center.
Islamabad is connected to the major destinations around the world through "Benazir
Bhutto International Airport" previously known as Islamabad International
Airport.The airport is the third largest in Pakistan and is located outside
Islamabad, in Chaklala, Rawalpindi.In fiscal year 2004-2005, over 2.88
million passengers used Benazir Bhutto International Airport and 23,436
aircraft movements were registered. Another airport, New Islamabad
International Airport is under construction at Fateh Jang to cope with the
increasing number of passengers. When completed, the airport will be the
largest in Pakistan. The airport will be built at a cost of $400 million and
will be operational by 2010. This will be the first green field airport in
Pakistan with an area of 3,600-acre (15 km2).
All major cities and towns are accessible through regular trains and bus
services running mostly from the neighboring city of Rawalpindi which is
considered a gateway town between north and south. Lahore and Peshawar are
linked to Islamabad through a network of motorways which has resulted in a
significant reduction in travelling times between these cities. M-2 Motorway
is 367 km long and connect Islamabad and Lahore.M-1 Motorway connects
Islamabad with Peshawar and is 155 km long.Islamabad is linked to its sister
city Rawalpindi through the Faizabad Interchange, the first cloverleaf
interchange in Pakistan with a daily traffic volume of about 48,000
vehicles.