A Tale of a City.

Today I desire to narrate a tale of a city that is very dear to me, a city that has remained an epicentre of my life since my birth. Through this article, I wish to relay the history of this city and shed light on the current plight of this once-a nature-adorned city that has been reduced to a concrete-bound cosmopolitan city where a vast majority of city dwellers vie to establish ownership of the prime real estate.

The plan to develop a new capital city was conceived by the Ayub administration shortly after the military dictator toppled a democratically elected government in 1960. The Ayub administration correctly identified that Karachi-a cosmopolitan and coastal city- would crumble under the excessive strain caused due to the phenomenon of urban sprawl and unsustainable population growth and may render the then capital city unrendered. Another factor that might have played a pivotal role in designating Islamabad as the new capital of the newly established state according to some critics is due to the central location the city enjoys. However, the plans to shift the capital from Karachi to Islamabad met fierce resistance from the residents of East Pakistanis who harbored a feeling of disenfranchisement and resented the fact that their collective opinions were not factored in by the ruling elite of the country. Though Karachi served the purpose of an economic hub and a major driver of the Pakistani economy-a status that it still enjoys today- to some it seemed like an absurd decision to erect a city from scratch and whose economic prospects roamed in oblivion. For the bureaucracy and the government to have oversight of the planning and development phase of the new city, Rawalpindi was designated as the interim capital city of Pakistan, a designation that the city enjoyed until Islamabad became operational in 1969. To alleviate the grievances of the Bengali population, Dhaka was designated as the Legislative Capital in 1962.

The plan to develop a new city from scratch was a costly affair and as per some estimates billions of rupees were earmarked for the town's establishment. The primitive version of the city's master plan was developed by a Greece-based firm, Doxiadis Associates. The lead architect Constantinos A. Doxiadis drafted the master plan which warranted the grid-lock design of the city which has become the hallmark of modern-day Islamabad. As per the original master plan developed by Constantinos A. Doxiadis, Islamabad was categorized and split into 8 zones, each zone reserved for a distinct functionality. The 8 zones encompass administrative, diplomatic, residential, institutional, industrial, and commercial areas, a greenbelt, and Margalla and Shakarparian National Parks. The city was further divided into sectors that stretched from Barakhau to Fateh-jang. In 1960, the Capital Development Authority was established to manifest the dreams and aspirations of city planners working on the master plan of the city into a reality.

In a bid to solidify the stance of the government regarding the speedy development of the capital city, numerous diplomatic missions initiated the great move to Islamabad. The US embassy shifted its diplomatic mission to Islamabad though it maintained a consular presence in Karachi. Other diplomatic missions soon followed suit however the development of pristine and grandiose mission buildings continues up to this date. The US embassy building was reconstructed and the security of the mission was heightened in 1979 after a violent mob torched the embassy building and reduced it to ashes. The US mission last made its move to a new building in 2013. Most of the embassies and missions primarily maintain a presence in Islamabad's exclusive Diplomatic enclave (E-5). The red zone houses the residences and offices of the chief executive of the country and chief executive of government in addition to the parliament house where the parliamentarians convene. The minister's enclave as well as lounging for members of parliamentarians are also situated in the vaulted red zone of Islamabad. The Supreme Court of Pakistan is also situated across a linear exclusive road that goes by the name of the constitutional avenue and connects all these high-profile buildings. The sectors E-5 and G-5 are part of the administrative and diplomatic zones of the city. Currently, 43 diplomatic missions maintain a presence in the diplomatic enclave of Islamabad while diversified missions have established their presence in other affluent sectors of Islamabad primarily sectors F-6, F-8, and F-10 to justify the limited diplomatic relationship that the national figureheads of office bearers of these embassies have established with Pakistan.

Islamabad is divided into several sectors and each sector is primarily divided into 4 subsectors. Each sector has a main "Markaz" and each subsector has its market. Each sector has its own relevance and status.

Now getting back to the development of the city. Sectors G-6, G-7, G-8, and G-9 are deemed as Islamabad's antiqued sectors. Sector G-6 was developed in 1960 and the Abpara market which is the hallmark of this sector is regarded as one of the antiqued markets of Islamabad. It is rumored that the market situated in G-6 was named to honor the legacy of a newborn infant named Aabpara who was born to Bengali parents who were stationed in Islamabad. The story as it goes claims that the market was named after the girl as she was the first baby to be born amongst the families of the government staff stationed in the sector. Sectors G-6, G-7, and G-8 were primarily built to accommodate government employees associated with diversified government organizations like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, Pakistan secretariat, and the list goes on. Sectors for a different class of bureaucrats and business tycoons were established in tandem with the development of G sectors. Sectors F-6, F-7, F-8, and F-10 accommodated the families of bureaucrats, ministers, highly-paid government officials, and businessmen. Sector F-11 was developed in the late 90s and was added to the list during the early 2000s. F sectors can be safely deemed as posh and up-scaled sectors of the city as these sectors are considered as highly affluent sectors meant to cater to the requirements of upper-middle and upper-class segments of the population These sectors have now morphed into highly affluent residential and commercial zones. The recent new additions to these sectors include Centaurus and Safa-Gold malls that resumed operations in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Before the establishment of these malls, the residents of Islamabad used to throng Khosar Market situated in sector F-6, Jinnah Supper situated in sector F-7, and sector F-8. These sectors offer a wide option and variety of eateries, restaurants, and fast food outlets in addition to local and international apparel outlets. The G sectors of Islamabad were constructed to accommodate the families of mid-ranged Government employees and the local lower and middle class of the city. The commercial markets and hubs established within sectors G-6, G-8, G-9, G-10, and G-11 are more apt to meet the requirements of the lower-middle and middle-class segments of Islamabad's population. Sector G-9 features a grandiose market that informally goes by the name of Karahi Company. G-9 Markaz or Karachi company is akin to any market zone established in Rawalpindi. Its haphazard topographical features earn it the title of "Islamabad's most chaotic and haphazard" market.

The E-sectors of Islamabad are primarily reserved to cater to the operational and professional requirements of three wings of Pakistan's military, the Airforce, the Navy, and the Army. Sector E-8 features Naval Headquarters and the Navy's premier and well-reputed higher educational institute, Bahria College and University. The sector is jointly shared by civilians as well as naval personnel deputed at the Naval installations developed in the sector. Sector E-9 features the Air Headquarters, the old campus of Air University, the Air hospital, and Fizia College, and is inhabited by the families of Air Force personnel as well as civilians. Sector E-10 is currently under development.

The H sectors of Islamabad are designated to feature primarily educational institutes. A vast proportion of Islamabad's prestigious higher educational institutes ranging from NUST, FAST, NUML, Islamic university, etc are based out of H sectors. In addition to educational institutes, these sectors also feature hospitals i.e. Shifa Hospital, NIH, PAEC hospital, institutes, and regulatory bodies associated with the educational sector of Pakistan i.e. NTS, FBISE, and HEC are based out of H sectors. The development of H sectors aimed to alleviate the traffic congestion caused by to development of private sector educational institutes within the vicinity and jurisdiction of residential sectors of Islamabad. As per a report published by Dawn News reportedly 363 private schools are operating out of residential areas of Islamabad which is a blatant violation of Islamabad's building code. CDA's policy regarding this matter encompasses a mechanism involving allocating plots to the Federal Directorate of Education in addition to private contenders wishing to establish private educational institutes within the residential sectors of Islamabad. Over the course of 8 years, CDA has carried out multiple operations against the private schools violating the building code of Islamabad by establishing an educational institute within a residential building. This matter remains contentious and no formidable action has been undertaken up to this date that would mandate the rehabilitation of all residential-area-bound educational institutes to purpose-build sectors dubbed as "Education zones".

The Industrial and essence and importance of " I" sectors perhaps is a defining facet of Islamabad's heritage. The I sectors enjoy proximity to Rawalpindi and are situated on the borderline of the 2 cities. The "I" sectors i.e. I-8 to I-11 just like the G sectors were developed during the early stages of the evolution of Islamabad from a town to a city. I sectors were designated as Industrial zones of Islamabad that permitted the operations of the Industrial units established in these sectors in tandem with the residential zones designated to accommodate the local population. Sectors between I-12 and I-16 are relatively new and have yet to mature. The real estate situated in these recently-developed I sectors comes with a price tag that can satisfy the budget of a middle-class or lower-middle-class segment of the population aspiring to acquire a private residence.

The A, B C, and D sectors of Islamabad are yet to be developed, though out of the B sectors, only B-17 has been developed yet. The masterplan of Islamabad is inclusive of D sectors bordering E sectors, though only D-12 is the only sector out of 7 D sectors that were mandated to be developed as per the masterplan of Islamabad.

The J, K, L, N, O, and Q sectors of Islamabad that are part of Islamabad's original masterplan have been encroached upon by private players who have initiated a construction spree violating Islamabad's building codes. These sectors are situated adjacent to Golra Road, a road that originates at the borderline of sector G-13 and runs south to Rawalpindi. An aerial view of this region depicts the discrepancy between the 2 cities ranging from the divergent nature of the building codes and the SOPs that the town planners are bound to abide by during the development of the residential areas. H-13 and adjoining sectors are subject to Islamabad's jurisdiction, however, the grid-based design that is the hallmark of other sectors of Islamabad is non-existent in these sectors arguably due to the fact these sectors have fallen prey to encroachers and illegal developers. The fate and future of these sectors hinge on balance as CDA and RCB are embroiled in a legal dispute pertaining to the matter of jurisdiction of sectors H-13, H-14, and H-15.

The jurisdiction of Islamabad is not limited to the aforementioned sectors. Private societies like Bahria town, PWD, Pakistan town, Bahria Enclave, Ghauri town, Tarramari, Koral, Soan Gardens, and Naval Anchorage are situated on the outskirts of zone-1 of Islamabad. These private housing societies are part of Zone-5 of Islamabad which has been earmarked for the development of the private housing societies. Zone 2 of Islamabad enjoys proximity to the new Islamabad International Airport and Wah-Cantt and is also reserved to manifest the aspirations of private real estate developers. This zone encompasses private housing societies like Faisal Town(F-17), Top-city, Eighteen Heights, and Capital Smart City. This zone has gained traction amongst the investor and real-estate developer community due to its bright prospects and its strategic geographical location. This zone is situated at a nexus of Peshawar and Lahore motorway, GT road, and Islamabad airport. This zone remained isolated from zone-1 of the city which encompasses major residential sectors of Islamabad, however, the erection of Margalla Avenue has rendered a convenient medium of transportation to the residents of these societies who had to endure an excruciating hour-long commute to access the heart and city center of Islamabad. The development of this avenue has shaved the entire commuting time to merely 25 minutes in case one commutes from zone 2 i.e. B-17 to sector F-11 of zone-1.

Zone-3 of Islamabad encompasses Margalla National Park and rural areas of the city i.e. Saidpur village and Shah-Allah Ditta. The CDA has decreed the status of zone-3 as a "Safe zone" and construction and development activities in this region are warranted to be monitored stringently through development tycoons harboring vested interests leverage upon the loopholes existing within the system. This Zone encompasses of highly upscale restaurants and resorts like Monal, La-Montana, and Whispering Tree resorts. However Supreme Court of Pakistan in a recent landmark judgment declared that the construction of the aforementioned resorts posed an environmental threat to the natural forest cover of the national park and directed the concerned departments and the management of these resorts to take steps to rehabilitate the operations elsewhere. The construction activities that are being carried out at an accelerated rate have undoubtedly played a pivotal role in deforestation, a phenomenon that has plagued this national park. As per a study conducted by The Image Analysis Lab, which is associated with the School of Interdisciplinary Engineering and Sciences NUST, Islamabad's forest cover has receded at an alarming rate over 2 decades. The researchers unraveled that forest cover encompassed an area alluding to a figure of 656 square km, while the developed or "built-up" area encompassing residential and industrial units correlated to a petty figure of 60 square kilometers.

However, the latest figures published by the research-based entity in 2020 illustrate a haunting trend. The forest cover was restrained and confined to a figure of 420 square km in 2020, down from 656 square km representing a 45 percent receding rate of the forest cover of Islamabad. The built-up area circumscribing residential, industrial, and educational units or zones of Islamabad rose to a staggering figure of 374 square kilometers. The expansion and development of Islamabad have been officiated and expedited at the cost of the natural forest cover of the city. The receding trend of the city's forest cover has exposed the residents of Islamabad to chilling winter and scathing summer seasons. The weather pattern in Islamabad has departed from its steady nature and now depicts erratic behavior. The city over the past decade has witnessed multiple waves of heatwaves, torrential monsoon outpours that evolve into urban flooding in low-lying areas of the town, and smog. The average temperature has risen by 1 degree Celsius over the past decade from 28.3 degree Celsius in 2013 to 29.4 degrees Celsius in 2022. Sky-rocketing carbon emission levels have further compounded the overall weather and climatic pattern of the city. The city-dwellers who once relished the downpours occurring during the initial stages of the winter have become jaded with the depreciating trend of winter rainfall in terms of aqueous contents delivered by these spells. In 2012, the winter rainfall spell deposited 87.2 millimetres of rain while in December 2022 the city received 9 millimetres of rain. The monsoon season has also illustrated a departure from the peak summer season to the late summer season. In November 2016, I became acquainted with the 5th season of Pakistan, smog that had not afflicted Islamabad for many years since it first debuted in the region. A thick layer of smoke and pollutants cloaked the entire city making it impossible for the residents to commute during the early hours of the day. The wave of the smog was counteracted by a late-winter rain spell and alleviated the health complications developed by the vulnerable segment of the urbanities. According to some estimates, the private vehicles and automobiles plying on the road network of Islamabad are the culprits behind the ever-increasing volumes of CO gasses being introduced into the ecosystem. The carbon emission generated due to vehicles contributes to 45 percent of the total volume of carbon emitted into the environment of the city.

Deforestation and illegal logging being undertaken by unlicensed lumberjacks have wreaked havoc upon the national park of the city. Margalla National Park has been reeling from the effects of the so-called "Wild forest fire" for the past 6 years. Every year distressing visuals of the incinerated forest make rounds on social, print, and electronic media, and the seemingly impromptu rounds of forest fires waging havoc upon the national park beg the attention of officials concerned.

Zone 4 of Islamabad encompasses of rural towns, farms, and private urban residential societies. Towns like Bani Gala and water reservoir Rawal Dam fall within the jurisdiction of zone-4 in addition to residential areas and farmland of the Chakshehzad region. Pakistan's elite "Islamabad Club" whose members include affluent dignitaries and personalities of Pakistan, is also part of this zone. This zone is an amalgamation of rural and urban regions of Islamabad and for years, CDA lacked stringent regulatory oversight over the region. In mid 2010s CDA launched a campaign to regularise the residential and commercial units of the town suspected of being constructed without the grant or nod of the regulatory body, CDA.

Islamabad has come a long way since its inception in 1969. The city is home to diversified ethnicities and races. The city's culture is fuelled by a ferocious tendency of its residents to exercise and demonstrate tolerance and inclusiveness. As the residents of Islamabad, we must assume the patronage of this city and take concrete steps to conserve the fragile natural beauty of this city and must develop civic sense amongst ourselves and our fellow residents to ensure that this city progresses at an unparalleled rate.