Islamabad (Urdu: اسلام
آباد, Islām ābād, Urdu
pronunciation: [ɪsˌlɑːm ɑˈbɑːd̪]) is the national capital city of Pakistan
located within the Islamabad Capital Territory. According to a 2012 estimate by
the Census Department, the population of Islamabad including its surrounding
territory has increased to 2 million and together with its neighbouring twin
city of Rawalpindi, the greater Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area is the
third largest conurbation in Pakistan with a population of over 4.5 million
inhabitants. Since its foundation, Islamabad has attracted people from all over
Pakistan, making it one of the most cosmopolitan and urbanised cities of
Pakistan. As the national capital, Islamabad is the seat of the Government of
Pakistan; the Presidential Palace (Aiwan-e-Sadr) is located here. Islamabad is
also home to the Pakistan Monument, which is one of the two national monuments
of Pakistan. Islamabad is known as a clean, calm and green city. It hosts a
large number of foreign diplomats, politicians and government employees.
Islamabad is a modern, planned and maintained city located
in the Pothohar Plateau in the northeastern part of the country, within the
Islamabad Capital Territory. The region has historically been a part of the
crossroads of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with the Margalla Pass acting as
the gateway between the two regions.The city was built during the 1960s to
replace Karachi as Pakistan's capital. Islamabad is a well-organised
international city divided into several different sectors and zones. It is
regarded as the most developed city in Pakistan and is ranked as a Gamma+ world
city. The city is home to the Faisal Mosque, the largest mosque in South Asia
and the fourth largest mosque in the world.
Islamabad has the highest literacy rate in Pakistan. There
are 16 recognised universities in Islamabad, including some of the top-ranked
universities in Pakistan: Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan Institute of
Engineering & Applied Sciences, and National University of Sciences and
Technology.[Allama Iqbal Open University in Islamabad is one of the world's
largest universities by enrolment. Islamabad has the lowest infant mortality
rate in the country at 38 deaths per thousand as compared to the national
average of 78 deaths per thousand. The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences
hospital in Islamabad is one of the largest hospitals in Pakistan.
History
Islamabad Capital Territory, located on the Pothohar
Plateau, is considered one of the earliest sites of human settlement in Asia.
Some of the earliest Stone Age artefacts in the world have been found on the
plateau, dating from 100,000 to 500,000 years ago. Rudimentary stones recovered
from the terraces of the Soan River testify to the endeavours of early man in
the inter-glacial period. Items of pottery and utensils dating back to
prehistory have been found.
Excavations have revealed evidence of a prehistoric culture.
Relics and human skulls have been found dating back to 5000 BC that show this
region was home to Neolithic people who settled on the banks of the Swaan
River, who developed small communities in the region at around 3000 BC.Situated
at one end of the Indus Valley Civilization, the area was an early settlement
of the Aryan community.Their civilisation flourished here between the 23rd and
18th centuries BC. A Buddhist town once existed in the region. Many great
armies such as those of Zahiruddin Babur, Genghis Khan, Timur and Ahmad Shah
Durrani used the corridor through Islamabad on their way to invade the rest of
the Indian Subcontinent.Modern Islamabad is based on the old settlement known
as Saidpur. The British took control of the region from the Sikhs in 1849 and
built South Asia's largest cantonment in the region.
Construction and Development
When Pakistan gained independence in 1947, the southern port
city of Karachi was its first national capital. In 1960, Islamabad was
constructed as a forward capital for several reasons. Traditionally,
development in Pakistan was focused on the colonial centre of Karachi, and
President Ayub Khan wanted it equally distributed. Moreover, Karachi having tropical
weather conditions, was located at one end of the country, making it vulnerable
to attacks from the Arabian Sea. Pakistan needed a capital that was easily
accessible from all parts of the country. Karachi, a business center, was also
considered unsuitable partly because of intervention of business interests in
government affairs.The newly selected location of Islamabad was closer to the
army headquarters in Rawalpindi and the disputed territory of Kashmir in the
north.
In 1958, a commission was constituted to select a suitable
site for the national capital with particular emphasis on location, climate,
logistics, and defence requirements along with other attributes. After
extensive study, research, and a thorough review of potential sites, the
commission recommended the area northeast of Rawalpindi in 1959. A Greek firm
of architects, Konstantinos Apostolos Doxiadis, designed the master plan of the
city based on a grid plan which was triangular in shape with its apex towards
the Margalla Hills.The capital was not moved directly from Karachi to
Islamabad; it was first shifted temporarily to Rawalpindi in the early sixties
and then to Islamabad when the essential development work was completed in
1966.
Recent History
Islamabad has attracted people from all over Pakistan,
making it one of the most cosmopolitan and urbanised cities of Pakistan.As the
capital city it has hosted a number of important meetings, such as the South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit. Year 2014 has brought in
major changes in Islamabad. Construction of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metrobus
began on February 28, 2014 and its expected to be completed by January 2015,
with 60 buses initially plying on the route. The Rawalpindi Development
Authority is overlooking the project with a cost of approximately Rs24 billion,
which will be shared by both the Federal government and the provincial government
of Punjab. In October 2005, the city suffered some damage due to the 2005
Kashmir earthquake having a magnitude of 7.6. Islamabad has experienced a
series of terrorist incidents including the July 2007 Siege of Lal Masjid (Red
Mosque), the June 2008 Danish embassy bombing, and the September 2008 Marriott
bombing. In 2011, four terrorism incidents occurred in the city, killing four
people, including the murder of the then Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer. Tragic
air crashes also took place here: on 28 July 2010, Airblue Flight 202 crashed
in the Margalla Hills killing all 152 flight crew and passengers on boardand
Bhoja Air Flight 213 carrying 121 passengers crashed while making the final
approach for landing, killing all on board on 20 April 2012.
Geography and Climate
Islamabad is located at 33.43°N 73.04°E at the northern edge
of the Pothohar Plateau and at the foot of the Margalla Hills in Islamabad
Capital Territory. Its elevation is 540 metres (1,770 ft). The modern capital
and the ancient Gakhar city of Rawalpindi stand side by side and are commonly
referred to as the Twin Cities,where no exact boundary exists between the two
cities.To the northeast of the city lies the hill station of Murree, and to the
north lies the Haripur District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Kahuta lies on the
southeast, Taxila, Wah Cantt, and Attock District to the northwest, Gujar Khan,
Rawat, and Mandrah on the southeast, and the metropolis of Rawalpindi to the
south and southwest. Islamabad is located 120 kilometres (75 mi) SSW of
Muzaffarabad, 185 kilometres (115 mi) east of Peshawar, 295 kilometres (183 mi)
NNE of Lahore, and 300 kilometres (190 mi) WSW of Srinagar, the capital of
Indian Kashmir.
The city of Islamabad expanses an area of 906 square kilometres
(350 sq mi). A further 2,717 square kilometres (1,049 sq mi) area is known as
the Specified Area, with the Margala Hills in the north and northeast. The
southern portion of the city is an undulating plain. It is drained by the
Kurang River, on which the Rawal Dam is located.
Climate
The climate of Islamabad has a typical version of humid
subtropical climate, with five seasons: Winter (November–February), Spring
(March and April), Summer (May and June), Rainy Monsoon (July and August) and
Autumn (September and October). The hottest month is June, where average highs
routinely exceed 38 °C (100.4 °F). Wettest month is July, with heavy rainfalls
and evening thunderstorms with the possibility of cloudburst and flooding.
Coolest Month is January. Islamabad's micro-climate is regulated by three
artificial reservoirs: Rawal, Simli, and Khanpur Dam. The later is located on
the Haro River near the town of Khanpur, about 40 kilometres (25 mi) from
Islamabad. Simli Dam is 30 kilometres (19 mi) north of Islamabad. 220 acres (89
ha) of the city consists of Margalla Hills National Park. Loi Bher Forest is
situated along the Islamabad Highway, covering an area of 1,087 acres (440
ha). Highest monthly rainfall of 743.3 millimetres (29.26 in) was recorded
during July 1995. Winters generally feature dense fog in the mornings and
sunny afternoons. In the city, temperatures stay mild, with snowfall over the
higher elevations points on nearby hill stations, notably Murree and Nathia
Gali. The temperatures range from 13 °C (55 °F) in January to 38 °C (100 °F) in
June. The highest recorded temperature was 46.6 °C (115.9 °F) on 23 June 2005
while the lowest temperature was −6 °C (21.2 °F) on 17 January 1967. The city
has recorded snowfall. On 23 July 2001, Islamabad received a record breaking
620 millimetres (24 in) of rainfall in just 10 hours. It was the heaviest
rainfall in Islamabad in the past 100 years and the highest rainfall in 24
hours as well.
Civic Administration
The main administrative authority of the city is Islamabad
Capital Territory Administration (ICT) with some help from Capital Development
Authority (CDA), which oversees the planning, development, construction, and
administration of the city. Islamabad Capital Territory is divided into eight
zones: Administrative Zone, Commercial District, Educational Sector, Industrial
Sector, Diplomatic Enclave, Residential Areas, Rural Areas and Green Area.
Islamabad city is divided into five major zones: Zone I, Zone II, Zone III,
Zone IV, and Zone V. Out of these, Zone IV is the largest in area.Zone I
consists mainly of all the developed residential sectors while Zone II consists
of the under-developed residential sectors. Each residential sector is
identified by a letter of the alphabet and a number, and covers an area of
approximately 2 km × 2 km (1 1⁄4 mi × 1 1⁄4 mi). The sectors are lettered from
A to I, and each sector is divided into four numbered sub-sectors.
Series A, B, and C are still underdeveloped. The D series
has seven sectors (D-11 to D-17), of which only sector D-12 is completely
developed. This series is located at the foot of Margalla Hills. The E
Sectors are named from E-7 to E-17. Many foreigners and diplomatic personnel
are housed in these sectors. In the revised Master Plan of the city, CDA
has decided to develop a park on the pattern of Fatima Jinnah Park in sector
E-14. Sectors E-8 and E-9 contain the campuses of Bahria University, Air University,
and the National Defence University. The F and G series contains the most
developed sectors. F series contains sectors F-5 to F-17; some sectors are
still under-developed. F-5 is an important sector for the software industry in
Islamabad, as the two software technology parks are located here. The entire
F-9 sector is covered with Fatima Jinnah Park. The Centaurus complex will be
one of the major landmarks of the F-8 sector. G sectors are numbered G-5
through G-17. Some important places include the Jinnah Convention Center and
Serena Hotel in G-5, the Red Mosque in G-6, and the Pakistan Institute of
Medical Sciences, the largest medical complex in the capital, located in G-8.
The H sectors are numbered H-8 through H-17. The H sectors
are mostly dedicated to educational and health institutions. National
University of Sciences and Technology covers a major portion of sector H-12.The
I sectors are numbered from I-8 to I-18. With the exception of I-8, which is a
well-developed residential area, these sectors are primarily part of the
industrial zone. Currently two sub-sectors of I-9 and one sub-sector of I-10
are used as industrial areas. CDA is planning to set up Islamabad Railway
Station in Sector I-18 and Industrial City in sector I-17.Zone III consists
primarily of the Margalla Hills and Margalla Hills National Park. Rawal Lake is
in this zone. Zone IV and V consist of Islamabad Park, and rural areas of the
city. The Soan River flows into the city through Zone V.
Islamabad/Rawalpindi
Metropolitan Area
When the master plan
for Islamabad was drawn up in 1960, Islamabad and Rawalpindi, along with the
adjoining areas, would be integrated to form a large metropolitan area called
Islamabad/Rawalpindi Metropolitan Area. The area would consist of the developing
Islamabad, the old colonial cantonement city of Rawalpindi, and Margalla Hills
National Park, including surrounding rural areas.However, Islamabad city is
part of the Islamabad Capital Territory, while Rawalpindi is part of Rawalpindi
District, which is part of province of Punjab .
Initially, it was
proposed that the three areas would be connected by four major highways: Murree
Highway, Islamabad Highway, Soan Highway, and Capital Highway. However, to date
only two highways have been constructed: Kashmir Highway (the former Murree
Highway) and Islamabad Highway. Plans of constructing Margalla Avenue are
also underway. Islamabad is the hub all the governmental activities while
Rawalpindi is the centre of all industrial, commercial, and military
activities. The two cities are considered sister cities and are highly
interdependent.
Architecture
Islamabad's
architecture is a combination of modernity and old Islamic and regional
traditions. The Saudi-Pak Tower is an example of the integration of modern
architecture with traditional styles. The beige-coloured edifice is trimmed
with blue tile works in Islamic tradition, and is one of Islamabad's tallest
buildings. Other examples of intertwined Islamic and modern architecture
include Pakistan Monument and Faisal Mosque. Other notable structures are:
Secretariat Complex designed by Gio Ponti, Presidency based on Mughal
architecture and the National Assembly by Edward Durell Stone.
The murals on the inside
of the large petals of Pakistan Monument are based on Islamic architecture. The
Shah Faisal Mosque is a fusion of contemporary architecture with a more
traditional large triangular prayer hall and four minarets, designed by Vedat
Dalokay, a Turkish architect and built with the help of funding provided by King
Faisal of Saudi Arabia. The architecture of Faisal Mosque is unusual as it
lacks a dome structure. It is a combination of Arabic, Turkish, and Mughal
architectural traditions. The Centaurus is an example of modern architecture
under construction in Islamabad. The seven star hotel was designed by WS Atkins
PLC.The newly built Islamabad Stock Exchange Towers is another example of modern
architecture in the city.,
Demographics
Islamabad had an
estimated population of 805,235 according to the 1998 census which according to
the estimate of Population Census Organization of Pakistan has risen to around
2 million in 2012.Urdu, the national and first official language of the country,
is predominantly spoken within the city due to the ethnic mix of populations.
English, is widely used and is also commonly understood. Other languages
include Punjabi, Pashto and Pothohari. The mother tongue of the majority of the
population is Punjabi, at 68%. 15% of the population are native Sindhi
speakers, 10% are native Pashto speakers, and 8% other languages. The total
migrant population of the city is 397,731, with the majority from Punjab
(241,977). Around 590,614 of the migrated population came from Sindh and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, 24,438 from Azad Kashmir, and 21,372 from other countries. Smaller
populations emigrated from Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Balochistan,
and Gilgit–Baltistan.
The majority of the
population lies in the age group of 15–64 years, around 59.38%. Only 2.73% of
the population is above 65 years of age; 37.90% is below the age of 15. Islamabad has the highest literacy rate in Pakistan, at 88%. 9.8% of the
population has done intermediate education (equivalent to grades 11 and 12).
10.26% have a bachelor or equivalent degree while 5.2% have a master or
equivalent degree.The labour force of Islamabad is 185,213 and the unemployment
rate is 15.70%.
Islam is the largest
religion in the city, with 95.53% of the population Muslim. In rural areas this
percentage is 98.80%, while in urban areas the percentage of Muslims is 93.83%.
The second largest religion is Christianity, with 4.07% of the population,
0.94% in rural areas and 5.70% in the city. Hinduism accounts for 0.02% of the
population, and other minorities 0.03%.
Economy
Islamabad is a net
contributor to the Pakistani economy, as whilst having only 0.8% of the
country's population, it contributes 1% to the country's GDP. Islamabad Stock
Exchange, founded in 1989, is Pakistan's third largest stock exchange after
Karachi Stock Exchange and Lahore Stock Exchange.The exchange has 118 members
with 104 corporate bodies and 18 individual members. The average daily turnover
of the stock exchange is over 1 million shares. As of 2012, Islamabad LTU
(Large Tax Unit) was responsible for Rs 371 billion in tax revenue, which
amounts to 20% of all the revenue collected by Federal Board of Revenue.
Islamabad has seen an
expansion in information and communications technology with the addition two
Software Technology Parks, which house numerous national and foreign
technological and information technology companies. The tech parks are located
in Evacuee Trust Complex and Awami Markaz. Awami Markaz houses 36 IT companies
while Evacuee Trust house 29 companies. Call centres for foreign companies
have been targeted as another significant area of growth, with the government
making efforts to reduce taxes by as much as 10% to encourage foreign
investments in the information technology sector. Most of Pakistan's
state-owned companies like PIA, PTV, PTCL, OGDCL, and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd.
are based in Islamabad. Headquarters of all major telecommunication operators
such as PTCL, Mobilink, Telenor, Ufone, and China Mobile are located in
Islamabad.
Culture
Islamabad is home to
many migrants from other regions of Pakistan and has a cultural and religious
diversity of considerable antiquity. Due to its location on the Pothohar
Plateau, remnants of ancient cultures and civilisations such as Aryan, Soanian,
and Indus Valley civilisation can still be found in the region. A 15th-century
Gakhar fort, Pharwala Fort, which was built on the remains of a 10th-century
Hindu fort, is located near Islamabad.Rawat Fort in the region was
built by the Gakhars in 16th century and contains the grave of the Gakhar
chief, Sultan Sarang Khan.
Saidpur village in
Islamabad is supposedly named after Said Khan, the son of Sultan Sarang Khan.
The 500-year-old village was converted into the a place of Hindu worship by a
Mughal commander, Raja Man Singh. He constructed a number of small ponds: Rama
kunda, Sita kunda, Lakshaman kunda, and Hanuman kunda.The region is home to
many Hindu temples that are preserved, showing the history of Hindu
civilisation and architecture in the region.. The shrine of Sufi mystic Pir
Meher Ali Shah is located at Golra Sharif, which has a rich cultural heritage
of the pre-Islamic period. Archaeological remains of the Buddhist era can also
still be found in the region. The shrine of Bari Imam was built by Mughal Emperor
Aurangzeb. Thousands of devotees from across Pakistan attend the annual Urs of
Bari Imam. The event is one of the largest religious gatherings in Islamabad.
In 2004, the Urs was attended by more than 1.2 million people.
The Lok Virsa Museum
in Islamabad preserves a wide variety of expressions of folk and traditional
cultural legacy of Pakistan. It is located near the Shakarparian hills and
boasts a large display of embroidered costumes, jewellery, musical instruments,
woodwork, utensils and folkloristic objects from the region and other parts of
Pakistan.
Education
Islamabad boasts the
highest literacy rate in Pakistan at 87%, and has some of the most advanced
educational institutes in the country.A large number of public and private
sector educational institutes are present here. The higher education institutes
in the capital are either federally chartered or administered by private
organisations and almost all of them are recognised by the Higher Education
Commission of Pakistan. High schools and colleges are either affiliated with
the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education or with the UK
universities education boards, O/A Levels, or IGCSE. According to Academy of
Educational Planning and Management's report, in 2009 there were a total of 913
recognised institutions in Islamabad (31 pre-primary, 2 religious, 367 primary,
162 middle, 250 high, 75 higher secondary and intermediate colleges, and 26
degree colleges). There are seven teacher training institutes in Islamabad with
a total enrolment of 604,633 students and 499 faculty.
The Gender Parity
Index in Islamabad is 0.93 compared to the 0.95 national average. There are 178
boys only institutes, 175 girls only, and 551 mixed institutes in Islamabad.
Total enrolment of students in all categories is 267,992; 138,272 for boys and
129,720 for girls. There are 16 recognised universities in Islamabad with a
total enrolment of 372,974 students and 30,144 teachers.The world's second
largest general university by enrolment, Allama Iqbal Open University is
located in Islamabad for distance education. The two top ranked engineering
universities by Higher Education Commission; Pakistan Institute of Engineering
& Applied Sciences and National University of Sciences and Technology, also
have their headquarters in the capital. Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad is
the top ranked university in Pakistan in the general category.Other
universities include Air University, Bahria University, Center for Advanced
Studies in Engineering, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Federal
Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology, Hamdard University, National
University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, National Defence University,
Shifa College of Medicine, National University of Modern Languages, Iqra
University, International Islamic University, Virtual University of Pakistan,
and Muhammad Ali Jinnah University.
In 2006–2007, the
Federal Government spent a total of 54,523.637 million Rs. on the education
sector out of which 25,830.670 million was the developmental fund. This amount
is 25.18% of the total educational budget spend in that year, which was
216,518.059 million Rs. The public expenditure on education as a percentage of
total government spending that year was 14.09%.
Health Care
Islamabad has the
lowest rate of infant mortality in the country at 38 deaths per thousand
compared to the national average of 78 deaths per thousand. Islamabad has both
public and private medical centres. The largest hospital in Islamabad is
Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital. It was established in
1985 as a teaching and doctor training institute. PIMS functions as a National
Reference Center and provides specialised diagnostic and curative services. The
hospital has 30 major medical departments.[86] PIMS is divided into five
administrative branches. Islamabad Hospital is the major component with a
592-bed facility and 22 medical and surgical specialities. Children's Hospital
is a 230-bed hospital completed in 1985. It contains six major facilities:
Surgical and Allied Specialities, Medical and Allied Specialties, Diagnostic
Facilities, Operation Theatre, Critical Care (NICU, PICU, Isolation &
Accident Emergency), and a Blood Bank. The Maternal and Child Health Care
Center is a training institute with an attached hospital of 125 beds offering
different clinical and operational services. PIMS consists of five academic
institutes: Quaid-e-Azam Postgraduate Medical College, College of Nursing,
College of Medical Technology, School of Nursing, and Mother and Child Health
Center.
PAEC General Hospital
and teaching institute, established in 2006, is affiliated with the Pakistan
Atomic Energy Commission. The hospital consists of a 100-bed facility and 10
major departments: Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatric, General Medicine,
General Surgery, Intensive Care Unit/Coronary Care Unit, Orthopedics,
Ophthalmology, Pathology, Radiology, and Dental Department. Shifa International
Hospital is a teaching hospital in Islamabad that was founded in 1987 and
became a public company in 1989. The hospital has 70 qualified consultants in
almost all specialties, 150 IPD beds and OPD facilities in 35 different specializations.
According to the Federal Bureau of Statistics of the Government of Pakistan, in
2008 there were 12 hospitals, 76 dispensaries, and 5 Maternity and Child
Welfare Centers in the city with a total of 5,158 beds.
Transport
Islamabad is
connected to major destinations around the world through Benazir Bhutto
International Airport, previously known as Islamabad International Airport.The airport is the third largest in Pakistan and is located outside Islamabad,
in Chaklala, Rawalpindi. In fiscal year 2004–2005, over 2.88 million passengers
used Benazir Bhutto International Airport and 23,436 aircraft movements were
registered. Islamabad Gandhara International Airport is under construction at
Fateh Jang to cope with the increasing number of passengers. When completed,
the airport will be the largest in Pakistan. The airport will be built at a
cost of $400 million and is expected to be complete and operational by 2014.
This will be the first green field airport in Pakistan with an area of
3,600-acre (15 km2).
All major cities and
towns are accessible through regular trains and bus services running mostly from
the neighbouring city of Rawalpindi. Lahore and Peshawar are linked to
Islamabad through a network of motorways, which has significantly reduced
travelling times between these cities. M-2 Motorway is 367 km (228 mi) long and
connects Islamabad and Lahore. M-1 Motorway connects Islamabad with Peshawar
and is 155 km (96 mi) long. Islamabad is linked to Rawalpindi through the
Faizabad Interchange, which has a daily traffic volume of about 50,000 vehicles.
Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metrobus Service was inaugurated in February 2014 and the
work is scheduled to complete in 2015.
There is an
Islamabad/Rawalpindi central railway station that allows travel to every major
city in Pakistan. In addition to freight, Pakistan Railways provides passenger
rail service throughout the day, with train coaches that have air-conditioning
in first-class. The routes the British built from Rawalpindi, which contained a
major military base, linked to Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan,
Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Sindh, Sukkur, Bahawalpur, Jhelum, Gujrat, Gujranwala,
Kohat, Khanewal, Nawabshah, Nowshera and the Malakand Pass.
Metro bus service
between Islamabad and Rawalpindi is under construction and will be completed in
December 2014.
Sports
Islamabad has a
multi-purpose Sports Complex opposite Aabpara. The complex includes Liaquat
Gymnasium for indoor games, Mushaf Squash Complex and Jinnah Stadium for
outdoor games, which is a venue for regular national and international events.
2004 SAF Games were held in the stadium. Major sports in the city include
Football, Cricket, Squash, Hockey, Table Tennis and Boxing. The Islamabad Golf
Club has recently been enlarged to 27 holes (with 9 holes under repair in
2012/2013). Other golfcourses are the Navy course (18 holes) and the Air Force
golf course (9 holes). Modest water sporting facilities are developed at the
Rawal Lake. Islamabad also has various rock climbing spots in the Margalla
Hills.