Located in the footsteps of the mighty Himalayas, and ranked as the best city in Pakistan to live in by Asiaweek/Time Magazine. The city proudly offers great weather, natural beauty, planned infrastructures/roads, a diverse atmosphere, the best education in the country, and is relatively pollution/crime free! This also explains why it is hard to find any property in the mainland of the city for less than 10 Crores, and is still skyrocketing despite the slump in real estate.
This is something that was constructed recently, and is called the Pakistan monument. Though it was pretty pricey to construct, nevertheless it looks very pretty and towers the city near the Zero-Point area. illuminated by floodlights.
Over the years, Islamabad is gradually turning into a city. Back in the 90's, once Japanese ambassador termed Islamabad as a camp on Eid eve - by noting that If your car's tyre bursted on Eid, you would have to drag it to Rawalpindi to get it repaired!
I lived for about two years there in 1990-1992 and surely those were the best years of my life. And one day travelling through London's Putney and Sheen areas, I just felt if I were back in Islamabad!
Over the years, Islamabad is gradually turning into a city.
Depends on what your definition of a city is really. We we would to keep it free of slums, tooti roads, congestion, pollution. For all that halla-gulla, pindi is next doors (less than 15 mins away). I just wish it stayed like that, because the Islamabad of the 80s was much better than what it is now.
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Back in the 90's, once Japanese ambassador termed Islamabad as a camp on Eid eve - by noting that If your car's tyre bursted on Eid, you would have to drag it to Rawalpindi to get it repaired!
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Not true really, Islamabad was just 'expensive' in the 90s, everything was there. The cheaper 2 rupiyya tire shops weren't found in Islamabad back then as illegal encroachment wasn't allowed in Islamabad, and the property was beyond the reach of someone who would normally open up a small lube shop, only proper dealerships and repair shops could be found back then.
Btw, the camp thing on Eid was because back in the 80s and early 90s was true, most of the people used to leave Islamabad and visit their native home towns and cities because they weren't really from Islamabad. Now its a totally diff situation, its hard to get into the city with all that traffic during such times.
Another cool fact, Islamabad was always exempted from load shedding, and most of the interior sectors still are! :)
islamabad is the best! my dream house will one day insahallah be build there.
and this momument must be new, have not seen it yet.
True, this is the only city thats really worth living in, if one is to move back. If one misses the shor-sharaba, as i mentioned b4 pindi is right next doors too! I just hope with all the recent commercialization of everything they preserve the beauty of the city. There is already a campaign against building the 'avenues' by many Islamabadi residents.
The property values have sky rocketed, but those that bought their houses in those areas like F-7, I-8, F-8, F-10, F-11, E-7, E-11 are lucky! It is still possible to get a good house in I-8 for less than 4 crores, which is the cheapest amongst these places.
SaadiaB, you should check out the monument at nighttime, it looks much prettier trust me. And yes, its new, I think its less than an year old. Alot of money was spent making it, but who cares, its Islamabad, it has to be expensive!
True, this is the only city thats really worth living in, if one is to move back. If one misses the shor-sharaba, as i mentioned b4 pindi is right next doors too! I just hope with all the recent commercialization of everything they preserve the beauty of the city. There is already a campaign against building the 'avenues' by many Islamabadi residents.
The property values have sky rocketed, but those that bought their houses in those areas like F-7, I-8, F-8, F-10, F-11, E-7, E-11 are lucky! It is still possible to get a good house in I-8 for less than 4 crores, which is the cheapest amongst these places.
SaadiaB, you should check out the monument at nighttime, it looks much prettier trust me. And yes, its new, I think its less than an year old. Alot of money was spent making it, but who cares, its Islamabad, it has to be expensive!
Yeah spock the prices are crazy, we are lucky to have bought two plots in the new F sector.
I too hope that they dont over do with all this new buildings and schemes.
Yeah spock the prices are crazy, we are lucky to have bought two plots in the new F sector.
I too hope that they dont over do with all this new buildings and schemes.
New F sectors? You mean F-11?? I doubt the F sectors will be commercialized to the extent that we have anything to worry about.
Btw, the camp thing on Eid was because back in the 80s and early 90s was true, most of the people used to leave Islamabad and visit their native home towns and cities because they weren't really from Islamabad. Now its a totally diff situation, its hard to get into the city with all that traffic during such times.
That's what I meant. I spent one Eid in Islamabad in April 1991 (Eid ul Fitr) and literally Islamabad was almost empty. And I had to walk a long to get some naans to Karachi company from G-8/4 Islamabad then.
There were some senior office colleagues who went to Islamabad from Karachi late 60's and early 70's. They used to tell me that they were the only poeple who used to stay in Islamabad on Eids. The bus service from Pindi used to finish before dusk then.
Now Islamabadies having their 3rd generation who are interested to stay in Islamabad on Eid instead of visiting their native towns.
Once there was a death in my apartments and within 2 hours, there was nothing at that home as they took the body to their native village for burial.
My office colleagues used to say that the only thing in Islamabad which was free of cost was a 2 yards plot for one's grave - H-8 cemetry was almost empty then!
During those days, there used to be an acute shortage of water in Islamabd during summer. And I was literally beaten up by Bhatti sahab who were living at the ground floor our flat. I was on the 2nd floor. The careless lads in the flat did not close the tap if there was no water in the overhead tank. And when the CDA pumped the water in the overhead tanks early in the morning - Bhatti Saheb used to check the open taps in all the flat in his block before dawn. Once one of our tap was open and when he knocked I opened the dooor and then ..........................!
Mo, that H-8 graveyard has now been closed down for further burials, apparently they dont want to bury anymore ppl because its full, but its planned and not a mess like the graveyards in Pindi these days. Good decision I think. I heard they made a new one.
The water shortage is still there in some sectors, mostly G-6, G-7, G-8 and every summers you get that. The other sectors have tube well supplies coming there way now to deal with this.
not a mess like the graveyards in Pindi these days. Good decision I think.
I attended a burial in January 1991 there in Rawalpindi - that was the cemetry in the street next to Committee Chowk (on the rigt side of the Muree Road, if you are heading towards Islamabad and Muree)! I was really surprised to see plenty of free space then in that graveyard and kids were playing cricket and flying kites over there. That was unthinkable in Karachi then!
