Islamabad (Meaning "Abode of Islam") is the capital of Pakistan, and is the tenth largest city in Pakistan. The Rawalpindi/Islamabad metropolitan area is the third largest in Pakistan with a population of over 4.5 million inhabitants, 1.5 million in Islamabad and three million in Rawalpindi.
Islamabad is located in the Potohar 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 the 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 but first moved from Karachi to Rawalpindi then to Islamabad. The development of the country was focused on Karachi and President Ayub Khan wanted it to be equally distributed.
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. Islamabad is also home to the Faisal Masjid which is well known for its architecture and immense size.
Geography and climate
Islamabad is located at 33°26′N 73°02′E / 33.43°N 73.04°E / 33.43; 73.04 at the edge of the Pothohar Plateau on the foot of the Margalla Hills in Islamabad Capital Territory. It is situated at an elevation of 507 metres (1,663 ft).[20] The modern capital and the ancient Gakhar city of Rawalpindi stand side by side and are therefore commonly referred to as the Twin Cities. On the east of the city lies Murree and Kotli Sattian. On the north lies the Haripur District of North-West Frontier Province. Kahuta lies on the northeast, Taxila, Wah Cantt, and Attock District on the northwest, Gujar Khan, Kallar Syedian, Rawat, and Mandrah on the northeast, and Rawalpindi on the southwest. Islamabad is located 120 kilometres (75 mi) SSW of Muzaffarabad, 185 kilometres (115 mi) east of Peshawar, 295 kilometres (183 mi) NNE of Lahore, and 300 kilometres (190 mi) WSW of Srinagar; the capital of Indian Kashmir.
The capital area of the Islamabad city is 906 square kilometres (350 sq mi). A further 2,717 square kilometres (1,049 sq mi) area is known as the Specified Area, with the Margala Hills in the north and northeast. The southern portion of the city is an undulating plain. It is drained by the Kurang River, on which the Rawal Dam is located.
Islamabad's micro-climate is regulated by three artificial reservoirs; Rawal, Simli, and Khanpur Dam. Khanpur Dam is located on the Haro River near the town of Khanpur (NWFP), about 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Islamabad. Simli Dam is located around 30 kilometres (19 mi) north of Islamabad. 220 acres (89 ha) of the city is covered with Margalla Hill National Park. Along the Islamabad Highway, Loi Bher Forest is situated, covering an area of 1,087 acres (440 ha).
Climate
Islamabad features an atypical version of a humid subtropical climate, with long and very hot summers accompanied by a monsoon season followed by short and mild winters. The hottest months are from May to July, where average highs routinely exceed 38 °C (100.4 °F). The monsoon season occurs July through September, with heavy rainfalls and evening thunderstorms. Winters occur from October to March with temperatures variable by location, with mild temperatures in the city and sparse snowfall over the hills. The weather ranges from a minimum of 3.9 °C (39.0 °F) in January to a maximum of 46.1 °C (115.0 °F) in June. The average low is 2 °C (35.6 °F) in January, while the average high is 40 °C (104.0 °F) in June. The highest temperature recorded was 48 °C (118.4 °F) in June, while the lowest temperature was −4 °C (24.8 °F) in January. On 23 July 2001, Islamabad received a record breaking 620 mm of rainfall in 10 hours. It was the heaviest rainfall in Islamabad in 100 years.
History
Early History
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 Neolithic people who used the banks of Swaan River as their settlement. The Neolithic 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.
Construction and Development
When Pakistan gained Independence 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.
Recent history
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.
Culture
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
Demographics
According to the 1998 census, the total population of the city was 805,235; 434,239 for males and 370,996 for females.The average annual population growth rate from 1981 to 1998 was 5.19. The urban population of the city was 529,180; with 209,717 males and 238,463 females. The total rural population in 1998 was 276,055; 143,522 males and 132,533 females.
The main language spoken in Islamabad is Urdu which is predominantly used within the city due to an ethnic mix of populations. English, being the official language of Pakistan, is also commonly understood. Other languages include Punjabi, Pashto and Pothohari. The mother tongue of majority of the population is Punjabi, with 71.66%. Pashto with 10.52%, followed by Urdu which is the mother tongue of 10.11% of the population, Saraiki with 1.11%, Sindhi with 0.56% and other languages accounting for 7.04%. The total migrant population of the city is 397,731, with the majority from Punjab (241,977). Around 76,614 of the migrated population belongs to NWFP, 26,143 from Sindh, 24,438 from Pakistani Kashmir, and 21,372 from other countries. Smaller population belongs to FATA, Baluchistan, and Northern Areas.
Islam is the largest religion in the city, with 95.53% of the population Muslim. In rural areas this percentage is 98.80%, while in urban areas the percentage of Muslims is 93.83%. The second largest religion is Christianity, with 4.07% of the population; 0.94% in Rural areas and 5.70% in the urban city. Hindus account for 0.02% of the population, Ahmadis 0.34%, and other minorities 0.03%.
The majority of the population lies in the age group of 15–64 years, around 59.38%. Only 2.73% of the population is above 65 years of age and 37.90 below the age of 15. Islamabad has the highest literacy ratio in Pakistan, at 72.88%. 9.8% of the population has done intermediate (equivalent to 11 and 12 grades). 10.26% have a bachelor or equivalent degree while 5.2% have a master or equivalent degree. The labor force of Islamabad is 185,213 and the unemployment rate is 15.70.
Economy
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.
Basic Necessities and Infrastructure
Education
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.
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%.
Health Care
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.
Transport
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.
