Islamabad
(1998 pop. 529,000). Soon after Pakistan achieved independence in 1947, the idea of the national capital of Islamabad was conceived by President Ayub Khan (1907–1974). Karachi had been contemplated as the capital because it was Pakistan'scommercial center, but it was not considered an appropriate administrative center. Therefore, the decision was to construct a new city at the eastern part of the Margalla Hills, which are located at the base of the Himalayas in northern Punjab region.
The Parliament compound in Islamabad, which was closed off and guarded by soldiers during days of political instability in October 1999. (REUTERS NEWMEDIA INC./CORBIS)Islamabad, which officially became the capital of Pakistan in 1959, was designed to maximize its relationship with nature, thus adding to its natural beauty. Many streams flow through the landscape, over 6 million trees have been planted since Islamabad's inception, and, more recently, several lakes, such as Simly, Khanpur, and Rawal, have been added to the terrain.
Further Reading
Adams, Francis, Satya Dev Gupta, and Kidane Mengisteab, eds. (1999) Globalization and the Dilemmas of the State in the South. New York: St. Martin's Press.
Cleveland, William L. (1994) A History of the Modern Middle East. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Cole, Juan R. I., ed. (1992) Comparing Muslim Societies: Knowledge and the State in a World Civilization. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
Norton, Augustus Richard, ed. (1996) Civil Society in the Middle East. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill.
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