ISLAMABAD

**Adil Malik** · #1 08-05-2007, 10:13 AM

Information:

Islamabad (Urdu: اسلام آباد, abode of Islam), is the capital city of Pakistan, and is located in the Potohar Plateau in the northwest of the country. It is located within the Islamabad Capital Territory, though the area has historically been a part of the crossroads of the Punjab region and the North-West Frontier Province (the Margalla pass being a historic gateway to the North-West Frontier Province, and the Potwar Plateau historically a part of the Punjab). Islamabad is located at 33°40′N 73°10′E.

The city was built during the 1960s to replace Karachi as Pakistan's capital. A Greek firm of architects, Doxiadis Associates, drew up a master plan, triangular in shape based on a grid system with its apex towards the Margala Hills. Rawalpindi is considered its sister city due to the proximity between the two cities.

Islamabad is a rather modern and clean city, especially in comparison to other cities in Pakistan. It is well-organized, with the city being divided into different sectors and zones. Islamabad was divided into eight zones: the diplomatic enclave , the commercial district, the educational sector, the industrial area and so on , each with its own shopping area and park. Islamabad is also home to the Faisal Mosque which is well known for its architecture and immense size.

History
The nascent city of Islamabad has thousands of years of history behind it. This site of the earliest habitations of man in Asia and is at one end of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. Near Islamabad is a site where there are stone implements made on a mass scale which were sent down to the lower reaches of the Indus river. This area was the first settlement of the Aryans from Central Asia and is one the route through which passed all those who invaded India from the North and North West. The very large number of languages still spoken in the Northern Areas are evidence of the races that passed through what is now the federal area. This is the region which has witnessed the passage of ancient caravans from Central Asia as well as the bloo.. onslaught of the ferocious armies of Alexander, Chengiz Khan and Taimur Lame. The banks of the River Soan in Islamabad were host to the stone age man over 7000 years ago and human skulls dating back to 5000 B.C. have been found in and around Islamabad.

Geography and climate

Autumn in IslamabadThe city is situated at the edge of the Pothohar plateau, south of the Margalla hills. The modern capital Islamabad and the ancient Gakhar city of Rawalpindi stand side by side, displaying the country’s past and present. The area's micro-climate is regulated by three man-made lakes (Rawal, Simli and Khanpur). The city has hot summers with monsoon rains occurring during July and August. Even on the few winter days when pre-dawn temperatures fall below freezing, the afternoons are usually sunny and mild: in the coldest month, January, the average daily maximum temperature is 16°C (61°F).

Fauna of Islamabad
Islamabad is rich in natural animal wildlife from animals ranging from wild boars to leopards that dwell the Margala Hills. Islamabad also has a sizeable population of feral dogs and cats.

Tourism and sightseeing

Islamabad on a snowy winter day
The National Parliament
The President's official residence (Aiwan-e-Sadr)
Faizabad interchange: Gateway to the capital city
The Supreme Court of Pakistan
Prime Minister's Secretariat
A view of Blue Area, the central business district of Islamabad
Islamabad glitters at night : Photograph Umayr Sahlan Masud
Daman e Koh Park, one of many that make Islamabad the most green city in South AsiaIslamabad is a relatively young city compared to the other cities. However, the views from the sculpted gardens of Islamabad's Shakar Parian Hills, the fascinating Heritage Museum, and the huge marble Shah Faisal Mosque are the major highlights of the modern city. To the west of Islamabad is the town of Taxila, dating from 500 BC with heavy Buddhist and Sikh(home to a shrine, among the most important in the Sikh faith) influences. Sculptures here show a strong Greek influence, a result of Alexander the Great's journey through the region. The commercial center of Islamabad is known as the Blue Area and runs along the length of Jinnah Avenue. Its eastern end runs into Parliament Road, where the majority of government buildings are located.

The city is very green, with much afforestation of what was formerly scrub forest and open ground. The city's pleasant climate has enabled the introduction of many exotic plants into the area. There is also much wildlife in the north in the Margalla hills, which have been turned into a national park.Margalla hills are home to various species of wild life including a variety of exotic birds and carnivores such as, the rare and presently endengered, Margalla leopards.

Islamabad's architecture walks a tight-rope between modernity and tradition. The Saudi-Pak Tower is a good example of the combination of modern and traditional styles into one building. The city is also home to the Faisal Mosque, which is well-known for its architecture and immense size. Quaid-i-Azam University is also located in the capital city along with numerous government buildings and foreign embassies such as the National Assembly building, the Supreme Court building, the President's official residence (Aiwan-e-Sadr) and the Prime Minister's secretariat. Another landmark is a giant silver-colored Globe statue, installed in 2004 to mark Pakistan's hosting of that year's SAARC Summit. Recently, Atkins UK have designed a striking building for the capital, the Centaurus, reflecting the margalla hills surrounding it. Not only will this be the tallest and most impressive structure in Islamabad, second only to proposed taller skyscrapers in Karachi and Lahore, but will also truly put Pakistan's beautiful capital city on the global architectural map.

General
Anchorage, Islamabad
Margalla hills
Islamabad Zoo
Shaker Parrian
Rawal Lake
Lotus Lake
Murree Hills
Khanpur dam lake
Simli dam lake
Museums
Pakistan Museum of Natural History
Islamabad Museum
Lok Virsa Museum
Pakistan Army Museum(Rawalpindi)
Museum of Pakistan
Taxila Museum
Mosques and Shrines
Shah Faisal Mosque
Daman-e-Koh
Golra Sharif
Bari Maam
Panja Sahib (Taxila)
Government Buildings
Supreme Court of Pakistan
National Parliament of Pakistan
President's official residence (Aiwan-e-Sadr)
Prime Minister's Secretariat
Parks
Fatima Jinnah Park
Rose and Jasmine Garden
Japanese Park
Chattar Bagh
Auyb National Park, Rawalpindi
Main Markets
Chinatown
Jinnah Super Market
Abpara
Karachi Company/G-9 Markaz
Super Market
Sitara Market
Blue Area
Peshawar Moore
G-10 Markaz
G-11 Markaz
F-10 Markaz
F-11 Markaz
G-8 Markaz -mainly second hand automobiles market
I-8 Markaz
I-9 Markaz
I-10 Markaz
I-11 Markaz
Hotels
Marriott Hotel
Holiday Inn Hotel
Serena Hotel
Pearl Continental Hotel
Centaurus Hotel (Underconstruction)
Grand Hyatt(2009)
Intercontinental(2009)
Le Meridian(2009)
Best Western Hotel
Avari Hotels Islamabad(2008)

Sporting facilities
Jinnah Sports Complex
Liaquat Gymnasium
Margalla cricket Ground
Rawalpindi cricket stadium
Islamabad club golf course
Yachting facility at Rawal lake
Islamabad club tennis courts
Mushaf Squash Complex Mushaf Squash Complex is a state of the art facility at Islamabad, which boasts to be the best squash-playing arena in Asia. It was inaugurated on 29th June 2004 by Air Chief Marshal Kaleem Saadat, Chief of the Air Staff and President Pakistan Squash Federation. It comprises a four-sided glass wall court and 04 Combi courts, imported from Messers ASB Courts, Germany. These courts are convertible into Doubles Court. The complex has a seating capacity of 800+ people and is fitted with one of the best air conditioning system in the country.

**Adil Malik** · #2 08-05-2007, 10:14 AM

Demographics
Punjabis account for 65% of the population followed by the Muhajir Urdu at around 14%, Pashtun at 11% and others (Sindhi, Balochi, Kashmiri's, etc) at 10%. (the refugee population is not counted on the census).

Islamabad Mass Transit System
Capital Development Authority (CDA) has intended to carryout a feasibility and reference design for rapid mass transit system for twin-cities Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

For this purpose proposals are invited form international consultants of repute and having experience of successful conduct of similar studies elsewhere in the world.

Sectors
Islamabad is divided into several different sectors, each identified by a letter of the English alphabet and a number, with each sector covering an area of approximately 2km x 2km. Each sector is further divided into 4 sub-sectors. The sectors currently in use are lettered from D to I.

Currently, there is only one D sector, D-12. Although this sector is underdeveloped with its development to be completed in 2008, it will be considered as one of the most beautiful sectors of Islamabad because of its location near the Margalla Hills. However, in revised Master Plan, CDA has decided to develop new sectors including D-13 and D-14.

The E sectors are numbered from E-6 to E-18. Many foreigners and diplomatic personnel are housed in this sector. But with new revised Master Plan, CDA has decided to develop a park on the patterns of F-9 park in sector E-14. Sector E-8 amd E-9 contain the campuses of three Defense universities Bahria University (Sector E-

, Air University (Sector E-9) and National Defense College (now National Defense University).

The F sectors are numbered F-5 through F-12. 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 sector of F-9 is dedicated for the Fatima Jinnah Park. The Centaurus complex (including a 7 star plaza, 5 star hotel and apartments) will be one of the major landmarks of F-8.

The G sectors are numbered G-5 through G-16. Some important landmarks include the Convention Center, SS-CARE and Serena Hotel in G-5, the Lal Mosque in G-6, the Karachi Company shopping center in G-9 (named after a construction company from Karachi who made one of the first flats in this area in and around 1978) and the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences hospital in G-8.

The H sectors are numbered H-7 through H-12. The H sectors are mostly dedicated to educational and health institutions. Shifa International Hospitals Ltd. and the Shifa College of Medicine are situated in sector H-8/4. Sectors H-8, H-9, H-10 and H-11 contain the campuses of a number of top universities and Institutes of the country, including Institute of Cost & Management Accountants of Pakistan[2], COMSATS Institute of Information Technology[3], Allama Iqbal Open University, City School, and Beacon House School in sector H-8; the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) and International School of Islamabad in sector H-9; the International Islamic University in sector H-10; the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (FAST-NUCES) in sector H-10; and the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) in H-12.

The I sectors are numbered I-8 through I-18. Except for I-8, these sectors are primarily set aside as part of the industrial zone. Only Two sub-sectors of Sector I-9 and one sub-sector of sector I-10 is used as Industrial Area. Mainly Lower-Middle Class section of Pakistani society is located in Sector I-9 and I-10. Sector I-11 is proposed site of a state-of-art Vegetable and Fruit Market. CDA has planned to relocated the operating Veg. and Fruit market from I-11 to Sangjani. Sector I-15 is a new sector for Low-income group. CDA is planning to set up Islamabad Railway Station in Sector I-18 and Industrial City in proposed sector I-17.

**Adil Malik** · #3 08-05-2007, 10:14 AM

Universities in Islamabad

AIR University
Al-Huda University
Allama Iqbal Open University
Bahria University
Center for Advanced Studies in Engineering
COMSATS Institute of Information Technology
Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology
Hamdard University
International Islamic University
Institute of Space Technology
Institute of Cost & Management Accountants of Pakistan
Iqra University
Muhammad Ali Jinnah University
National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST)
National University of Computer & Emerging Sciences(FAST-NUCES)
National University of Modern Languages
Pakistan Institute of Engineering & Applied Sciences
Quaid-i-Azam University
Riphah International University
Shifa College of Medicine
Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST)
SS-CARE School Of Engineering

To the west of Islamabad is the Buddhist site of Taxila, dating from 500 BC. Sculptures here show a strong Greek influence, a result of Alexander the Great's journey through the region. The commercial center of Islamabad is known as the Blue Area and runs along the length of Jinnah Avenue. Its eastern end runs into Parliament Road, where the majority of government buildings are located. The city is very green, with much afforestation of what was formerly scrub forest and open ground. The city's climate has enabled the introduction of many exotic plants into the area. There is also much wildlife in the north in the Margalla hills, which have been turned into a national park.

**Adil Malik** · #4 08-05-2007, 10:14 AM

Population: 135,135,195 (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.2% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 34.38 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 10.69 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 93.48 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.91 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 59.07 years
male: 58.23 years
female: 59.96 years (1998 est.)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 37.8%
male: 50%
female: 24.4% (1995 est.)
Religions: Muslim 97% Christian, Hindu, and other 3%
Nationality: noun: Pakistani(s)
adjective: Pakistani
Languages: Urdu(Official), Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtu 8%, Balochi 3%, English (official and lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries)& others

**Adil Malik** · #5 08-05-2007, 10:15 AM

Hotels in Islamabad

Serena Hotel Islamabad Islamabad

Holiday Inn Islamabad Islamabad

Envoy Continetal Hotel Islamabad

Best Western Hotel Islamabad Islamabad

Crowne Plaza Islamabad Islamabad

Hotel Capital Islamabad Islamabad

Best Regency Islamabad

The Hotel Islamabad

Hotel Marina International Islamabad

Hotel De Papae Islamabad

Hotel Ambassador Islamabad

Islamabad Regency Hotel Islamabad

Bonjour Inn Islamabad

Tures Motel Islamabad

Adventure Inn Islamabad

Marriott Hotel Islamabad Islamabad

Hotel Crown Plaza Islamabad

Pakistan Airport List

• Bahawalpur Airport
• Chitral Airport
• Dera Ghazi Khan Airport
• Dera Ismail Khan Airport
• Faisalabad Airport
• Gilgit Airport
• Gwadar Airport
• Islamabad International Airport
• Jacobabad Airport
• Karachi - Quaid-E-Azam International Airport
• Lahore Airport
• Mohenjodaro Airport
• Multan Airport
• Panjgur Airport
• Pasni Airport
• Peshawar Airport
• Quetta Airport
• Rahim Yar Khan Airport
• Skardu Airport
• Sui Airport
• Sukkur Airport
• Turbat Airport
• Zhob Airport