Proud to be a Pakistani !

[Pracs]

<b>Pakistan Revisited Islamabad a City at Peace With Itself</b>

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ISLAMABAD, 12 May 2008 — When the invitation came in from the Pakistani Consulate in Jeddah to visit Pakistan as part of a media delegation for the purpose of acquainting ourselves with that country, I had no hesitation in accepting their gracious offer. This in spite of my family’s vocal concerns about my personal safety, with pre-election violence that had plagued that country still fresh in their minds.

I had been to Pakistan before, albeit the city of Karachi only and that was 30 years ago. This trip would afford me the opportunity to visit several cities in Pakistan for the first time and my excitement at exploring new adventures knew no bounds and there was no stopping me.

It was PIA, the national airline that we boarded one night for our flight to Islamabad. Along with me was the rest of the media delegation Tarek Mishkhas, managing editor of Urdu News, Nasser Habtar, Al-Watan newspaper bureau chief in Abha, and Mohammed Yousuf, Arab News correspondent.

Having flown considerably on Saudia, our national airline, I had to admit that the service and seating comfort offered by PIA far exceeded our own. The flight was smooth, and the service impeccably professional.

Some four and a half hours later, our B-777 touched down at Islamabad airport. One thing that caught my attention was the single runway that doubled as a taxiway, which I found odd for a capital city.

Pakistan’s capital nestles at the foothills of the Margalla Hills. Spacious and carefully planned, Islamabad is a city of wide, tree-lined streets, and impressive public buildings. Traffic jams were rare during our forays onto public roads, and anticipated slums were nowhere to be seen. Sidewalks are shaded with rows of flame trees and hibiscus. Roses, jasmine and bougainvillea fill the many parks scattered around the city offering a haven of tranquility and harmony to its visitors

We checked into the local Marriot Hotel and rested before we set off that evening for a short sightseeing trip. Our first visit was to the National Monument in a park at Shakarparian set on a hill with some impressive-looking monuments, and an expansive view of Faisal Mosque, an imposing architectural structure with four high minarets.

Designed to signify the unity, faith and discipline of the people of Pakistan, the National Monument is an icon represented by four massive blossoming petals, each symbolizing the four separate regions of Pakistan. The star and crescent along the inner walls of petals represent the star and crescent on Pakistan’s flag. Our delegation was visibly impressed by the respect and cleanliness observed by all its visitors.

It is said that the monument has been designed to reflect the culture and civilization of the country, depict the story of the Pakistan movement and dedicated to those who sacrificed themselves for future generations.

At 518 meters above sea level, Islamabad I was told is at its best from October to March, when visitors can enjoy crisp days and cool nights. Once we were through with our visit to the monument, we set off to a restaurant at the peak of Margalla Hills, where we feasted endlessly on a sumptuous offering of mutton kababs, chicken tikkas and lamb karahis. The cool wind blowing across the hills did wonders to our appetites, before our group finally called it a day and turned in.

<i>— This is the first of a six-part series on Pakistan by the author.</i>