Ok I have come back to Karachi and just jotting down this post so that I don’t forget things I experienced in Islamabad. Do forgive me if you find things unlinked with previous paragraphs or statements. It will also have errors about Islamabad info so do forgive me for that mistake as well and correct me by making comments.-Thanks

Finally I was able to visit Islamabad first time in my life. Many would be surprised after reading that but I know more people would get surprised when they would learn that Islamabad is the first Pakistani city which I have visited in my life!(don’t I sound like a true and loyal Karachiite? hehe ). Incase one would like to know reason, I have one answer; I never got chance neither found any reason to visit. Have gone outside of Pakistan but this was my first ever trip for other Pakistani city and Inshallah I hope I will be able to visit more cities in future.

My Islamabad trip was an official trip on 24th October, 2007. It was so much official that I didn’t get chance to vist the place which you are seeing in above picture. The Faisal Masjid.

It was only a three days trip. I reached Islamabad around 12:45 PM. The current Islamabad Airport is comparitively very simple than Karachi’s Jinnah terminal. I had read about new Airport constrution somewhere near Zeropoint(?). I hope that airport would have all latest facilities available. I went via Airblue flight which is very good airline service so far in Pakistan. Educate host and hostesses, nice and fresh food and safer flight! Something which you can’t say about PIA anymore. I was not alone. I had my two seniors along with me. we were travelling in business class sos didn’t have much passengers so in order to balance the load, they allowed passengers from economy class to get in. I was sleepy so I tried to take some nap and fortunately I was able to take naps during flight. I suddenly wokeup due to conversation between two women behind our seat. First I thought that they were hostesses who were busy in their cabin which was behind my seat. When I woke up for meal and saw on right, I found a familiar chinese face of the woman who was wearing glasses (Pretty Zinta style) and busy in listening music. When I asked my friend,he told me that she’s a model but I remembered I had seen her in some program, my friend further increased my knowledged that the woman was Sophia Chee, A chinese living i Pakistan for loong time and now host of a TV show. I don’t know whether it’s just another fashion among models or burgers or she was too natural that she was sitting on seat like any Pakistani villager that is keeping leg(s) on seat. The other woman with her was a Pakistani and they might be travelling for official purpose too. I also saw actor Humayun Saeed and Abdullah Kadwani at Karachi Airport when I was waiting for other colleagues. Humayoun Saeed looks like a gaint. I must say he looks much better on TV than real life.

Ok, back to the topic. No, when did I go off topic? the topic is Journey to Islamabad so covering things from beginning

As I was telling, I found ISB airport very simple. My office is in Sector G-6. First thing I noticed in Islamabad that there were no rickshaws and Buses . First I thought that there were some strike but later I was told that there was no such concept in Islamabad. People use either vans or private suzuki cars as Public Transport. I think this is the main reason other than lots of trees Islamabad has wayyy less pollution than Karachi. Khair we were heading to our office. The other noticeable thing I found was a hill which reminded me famous Hollywood Sign was Jinnah’s golden words(Unity,faith and discipline) on some Hill along with his picture. I don’t know the name of that place. I don’t remember I saw any other thing prominent, all I remember I was seeing different signs of locations on roads like Rawat, Gangaal East and Gangaal West. That gangaal name just reminded me PTV drama Janjaal Pura, hehe.

Both sides of roads have trees and trees and trees. So much green stuff just remind me a Biiiiig park in the form of city for Jogging purpose. . Oh between there is grand park in Islamabad which is as big as a sector in Islamabad. If I am not wrong, the sector is F-9, correct me if I am wrong.

My other colleagues had visited our Islamabad office and ISB city lots of time but that was my first trip. We were dropped direcltly at office. After Salam dua with ISB team, Me and other pals just got busy at work and left office around 9:00 PM! yeah no rest at all! I was hungry and unlike our Karachi team, poor ISB team had no fixed time for lunch. I protested my senior who also came with me that I wanted to eat something. My other member of Karachi team and few guys of ISB team got up around 4:00 PM to eat some stuff. We headed towards Melody, it’s actually a food park and very good concept which is similar to Food court concept in Karachi. Unlike Karachi food courts, the Melody park was an open area and was looking quite natural. People say right tht Islamabad is expensive, the chicken role which’s worth is no more than Rs.40 in Karachi was being sold in Rs.60 in Islamabad and trust me, the taste was not outclass or exceptional and better than roles one could try at Silver Spoon Hussainabad,Karachi. I bought a chicken role and Banana shake. I felt hunger again around 9:00 PM. The guys decided to go Savour Foods which I heard a LOT by my other peers who used to go ISB frequently. One of my senior despise that place a lot. The way they used to discuss savour, I had impression that they visit some Dhabba in Islamabad which is very cheap so they call it Saver but got surprised when I saw the building which is actually owned by Emaar Group and 3 floors were under use of Savour Guys. The story of this resturant is very interesting. More than a decade ago, the owner had bought ticket(s) of Asif Zardari’s famous savour Raffle Scheme and he got a prize. He started the busines with that money. His hard work and Allah’s blessings made him millionaire and now he runs a big resturant. The thing which surprised me more that one could have Pulao(Chawal) as Garebi in that resturant. That is, you can ask as much chawal as you want beside the actual double or single plate dish. If I remember,the full name of Resturant is Savour Pulao and its famous due to its Pulao which consist of boiled rice with some color, chicken pieces and two Shami Kebabs, that’s it. I liked this new taste of chawal and being a hard core fan of Biryani, the pulao didn’t disappoint me at all.

The other thing which I noticed myself and just had read in papers that I found people NOT violating signals even there was no car on other roads and time was around 11:00 PM! I was told that the credit goes to Motorway Police who made ISLOO drivers civilized. The thing is that motorway police is not some other creatures on earth. They are just paid good enough salary(was told that low rank official earns upto RS.25,000/month) so they don’t get corrupted by bribes. The other factor is that they all are graduates. Though our assembly is graduate too but in ignorance and stupidity. I was told that same Motorway police is in Lahore now and training lahoris how to drive and follow traffic rules. I can just hope they come to Karachi, they will earn millions of prayers by Karachiites.

As I told you that I didn’ have time to go for outing and only outing I had was to go out for food or back to Guest house. Since I am fond of food stuff so did get chance to try few famous Islamabadi things. Like I tried Mango Shake with Icecream with the Bakery called Rahat. The shake was too good though I didn’t have enough room to try stuff from Rahat Bakery. I didn’t go inside the place but God! the bakery was looking very well decorated and I personally didn’t find any such well decorated bakery in Karachi. Our guest house was in Sector G-9 if I am not wrong, all I know that there is a food place called Karachi Company which locals pronounce as Karachi Kompany which was near to my guest house( i think it was named as Orion something). We chose the short cut which went thru a patch of jungle and crossed the small canal with the help of bridge. It reminded me the famous song, sanu nehar walay pull te bula k maahi kithey rah gaya. The place was looking so weired and romantic as well. Weired in a sense that there was too much darkness in the absence of street lights and we were going from a place where I was just hearing different sound of bats and other creatures and romantic because it was calm and there was a moon on sky. I was cursing that why the heck I am going with my peers rather with some beautiful soul :-).

Anyway after crossing the area we were on main roads. I found pushcarts of shoes and chappals and surprisingly they were selling good sandals in very cheap prices. I didn’t buy since I already had a pair of sandals back at home.

Finally I reached Karachi Company another open place. The place was like parking area of Clifton Center, if one start using the area as sitting arrangment for customers then you would have something like I saw at that Karachi Company place. I don’t know why do they call it Karachi company but all I saw that it was live like any other food place in Karachi even after 10:00 PM. We decided to sit inside the resturant since whether was getting chilled and I was just in jeans and t-shirt, so my other two colleagues. I have a habit(good or bad you decide!) that whenever I go in some hotel, I do see what stuff others are eating. I saw two guys were having Pulao while I just saw menu of Biryani as a rice dish. Then I learnt another thing that in Punjab, there is no such thing as Biryani and they call Pulao as Biryani. I also learnt at same place that in ISB, Roti and Naan, both are same things while in Karachi roti as referred as Chappati. The thing which they call one roti is its due to flour which is usually look brown or red which makes roti reddish or brownish. Other is same like Tandoori Roti of Karachi. I ordered Chappal Kebab which I was trying first time in my life. Yeah I know I claim i love foods and I would be sounding hypocrite to you but yaar, I had not found good place in Karachi. Only good places in Karachi for Chappal Kebabs are Shah Faisal Colony and Banaras and both are way out of my way. The worth of chappal Kabab was Rs.40, not much!. IT was very tasty. we also had ordered Qeema fry and Chanay k daal. I also noticed and other guys from Karachi that 1 ^1/2 litre 7up bottle was more stronger than Karachi. I experinced it first at Savour food than at The Karachi company. I don’t know its true or its just we guys felt like that, no idea *shrug*. When we were returning back to guest house, I said to my friend that I didn’t find any Paanshop in ISB and I wanted to eat Paan. The thing which shocked me that Paan is not common in Pakistan and if Paan is available, its cost is around Rs.15!..I was like w00t??..Rs.15!!. My friend who’s a Karachiite but spent more time than me in iSB, told me that the only place of Pan he found was at Melody Food pak. It was quite surprising for me.

I offered Friday prayers at Masjid-e-Bilal near my office and there my friend helped me to taste something new and that’s called Challee, Bhutta(Corn on Cob) whic is actually a steamed rather baked or roasted and trust me it sounds so amazing and good. The process of stramed Corn is itself very interesting. They boil water in some big drum for hours and put bhutta on some filter stuff for hours(from 8-10 hours). The steam keeps cooking bhutta for whole night and they have it ready in the morning. Another good experience!

Last night we all went to have Icecream at Jinnah Market or Jinnah Super market I don’t remember but I do remember that Icecream parlour’s name was Mama’s (am I right??). I ordered one scoop of chocolate crunch and one of peanut crunch. The worth of cup was Rs.50 but very well justified. I was having a good icecream after a looooong time. I was told that it’s a home-made Icecream. God knows. All I can say that it was cool!

One thing which I felt a lot that ISB is the place where you can feel a big gap between elites and poor. There was no such middleclass areas like we have in Karachi. Maybe I don’t know much that’s why or it’s really true. ANyway, this was the only thing which I felt painful about Islamabad.

The last thing which I noticed today that there were lots of banners about Kashmiris and Kashmir. I don’t know it’s a norm in Islamabad or just there is something special which is going on in Islamabad. Ironically, Islamabad is the place where a regime has hurt Kashmir cause a lot by declarding Kashmiris freedom fighters as terrorists- *sigh*

After spending three days in Islamabad, I can just say that if you want to enjoy Islamabad, DON’t go for office work, just go for outing otherwise you will feel restless like me. There are so many lovely sights that one could just wish to spend life on that place, even there are lovely sights around my Islamabad office and guest house but then a Karachiite like me who loves too much noise and activities around could get bored soon after experiencing too much serenity in surroundings.

Thanks Islamabad to bring a minor change in my routine. I hope I will visit you soon for non-official purpose or even if I come for office work, I will make sure to visit famous sites of Islamabad.

Images Credit: Wikipedia and Savour foods.

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