Islamabad - The beautiful ! .... ?

Few days back, I went to visit some old visiting spots in my old, beloved city where I gre up most of my life. Islamabad is very different from what it was a decade back. It used to be a beautiful garden city with some great family spots. There were times when crime was almost zero in this city. People in fact used to joke that Islamabad is a separate country within Pakistan, oblivious of the problems surrounding it. But frankly speaking, Pakistan of those days was a thousand times better then what it is today. The city was small, serene and somewhat just and equal. I remember those days of school where I met my love for first time. One of my class-mates was son of a parliamentarian and numerous others were from good families. The reason being that Islamabad was a small city, a garden city inhabited by bureaucrats, teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers and scientists. Those were good, old simple days. Over time, islamabad has become infested by millions from all over Pakistan hungry for power, authority and importance. The real islooites - the quiet middleclass who literally built Islamabad has died. Little is left of the good peaceful people who while living in Islamabad thought Pakistan was as beautiful, serene and at peace with itself as are the natives of this city.

Today, all greenery has vanished, schools are rotting houses of corrupt student unions, the literate people simply left for greener pastures, others simply vanished. There is no peace, no beauty in anything. People always seem to be in a hurry, ready to spit out anger, furious on God-knows-what. Big, useless roads span over, what used to be greenbelts of trees. Vulgar, immoral beings haunt poor girls in this city where once a switched off street light made an issue. No rules, no manners, no patience, no respect...nothing is same. It seems like the city is there but not the spirit. It hurt to see my beautiful isloo in hands of the unknown people. As I think of it, Isloo simply became part of Pakistan...

So coming back to my trip, I went to some old picnic spots of the city.

Pir Sohawa (Gokina)

Shakar Pariyan (with obnoxious new Pakistan monument there)

Damn-e-koh

Islamabad zoo

Islamabad Playland (Japenese Children Garden)

Track-3 (hiking place)

Rawal dam

Rose and Jasmine Garden

Lotus Lake (now dead)

Museum of natural history (almost empty and closed)

Open air theatre (also almost dead)

the trip was sort of refreshing, very very nostalgic and beautiful. I remembered all those good and beautiful times and days. My this trip also became better as my elder bro was with me and we dont usually hangout so much now.

I took some pictures, hiked a bit, sat and thought about the million problems people in pakistan face. And after a great day of remembrance, nostalgia and smiles, I headed back home in evening, hoping that life and people will change and someday I will see the same old islamabad someday :)