Rawalpindi and Islamabad, each of which has its own independent city administration, are often regarded as twin cities because of their physical nearness. The distance between the two is about 9 miles and with the expansion of the build-up area they may not take long to combine. An Islamabad airport serves both. The two are very different in construction and layout, and in functions. Islamabad is primarily an administrative centre, while Rawalpindi is a multi-functional city.
Rawalpindi is a thriving city, growing more rapidly since the selection of Islamabad as the capital of Pakistan in 1959. It is an old town, and has a favorable location on the Pindi Plain of the Potwar Plateau, on the Grand Trunk Road. A Cunnungham, a renowned archeologist of British India, identified it with Gajipur (Or Gajnipur), the seat of Bhatti tribe in the centuries preceding the Christian era.
It is located 173 km from Peshawar and 286 km from Lahore. It is also on the road through Murree to Kashmir. The main extension of the city in recent years has been along the Murree Road, where a sizable residential area Satellite Town, was planned in 1952. Since than, the commercial function of the road between the Satellite Town and the old city has been improved remarkably, furnishing an interesting example of re-adjustment in the functional landscape of the city.
Divisional headquarter and the headquarter of the Army, the city has also been growing as an industrial centre, with 2% of Pakistan's industrial establishment now located there. Industries comprise cotton and silk textiles, hosiery, foundries, electrical goods, medicines, printings and publishing, an oil refinery. There are many worth seeing places as Ayub National Park, Public Park (Nawaz Sharif Park), Play land, Children Park, Liaqat Bagh, Old city and modern architectural buildings.
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan. This consists of gently undulating land with the Himalayan foothills forming a scenic background. The diversified topography has been utilized in a spacious and attractive layout, with different functional zones. The eight zones are
1. Administrative Sectors
2. Diplomatic Enclave
3. Special Institutions
4. Industrials Area
5. Commercial Area
6. Residential sectors
7. National Park Area
8. Forests and Green Belts
As buildings were completed, more and more functions of the national government were transferred to Islamabad from Karachi, the former capital. All foreign embassies have long been transferred there. The site of the ancient city of Taxila and the hill station of Murree are nearby.
Rawalpindi is a thriving city, growing more rapidly since the selection of Islamabad as the capital of Pakistan in 1959. It is an old town, and has a favorable location on the Pindi Plain of the Potwar Plateau, on the Grand Trunk Road. A Cunnungham, a renowned archeologist of British India, identified it with Gajipur (Or Gajnipur), the seat of Bhatti tribe in the centuries preceding the Christian era.
It is located 173 km from Peshawar and 286 km from Lahore. It is also on the road through Murree to Kashmir. The main extension of the city in recent years has been along the Murree Road, where a sizable residential area Satellite Town, was planned in 1952. Since than, the commercial function of the road between the Satellite Town and the old city has been improved remarkably, furnishing an interesting example of re-adjustment in the functional landscape of the city.
Divisional headquarter and the headquarter of the Army, the city has also been growing as an industrial centre, with 2% of Pakistan's industrial establishment now located there. Industries comprise cotton and silk textiles, hosiery, foundries, electrical goods, medicines, printings and publishing, an oil refinery. There are many worth seeing places as Ayub National Park, Public Park (Nawaz Sharif Park), Play land, Children Park, Liaqat Bagh, Old city and modern architectural buildings.
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan. This consists of gently undulating land with the Himalayan foothills forming a scenic background. The diversified topography has been utilized in a spacious and attractive layout, with different functional zones. The eight zones are
1. Administrative Sectors
2. Diplomatic Enclave
3. Special Institutions
4. Industrials Area
5. Commercial Area
6. Residential sectors
7. National Park Area
8. Forests and Green Belts
As buildings were completed, more and more functions of the national government were transferred to Islamabad from Karachi, the former capital. All foreign embassies have long been transferred there. The site of the ancient city of Taxila and the hill station of Murree are nearby.
