::: Designation as Capital: February 24, 1958
::: Construction: Started on October, 1961
::: Languages: English, Urdu, Punjabi
::: Best time to visit: Between the month of September and April

Continued from Page 1: Introduction

slamabad benefits greatly from its position at the foot of the Margalla Hills. Not much of the country has vegetative cover (2%) and as such the greenery in Islamabad is to be treasured. The Margallas cover an area of approximately 12,000 hectares and are limestone formed which accounts for the numerous crystal clear limestone pools that are to be found along some hiking routes. The hills extend northwards in a series of ridges and rise to a height of 1580m.

The hills are home to a variety of vegetation. Below 1000m there is mainly dry, semi-evergreen vegetation, with acacia and olive predominating. The thorny scrubs that adorn the hills prevent soil erosion. Above 1000m, Pine and White Oak trees predominate. There are also numerous other species including Sheesham and Wild Date Palm, Silk Cotton trees and Peepal. There are also a number of ornamental species including Jacaranda, Bottlebrush, Eucalyptus, Amalthus, Lilies and Chir. In spring and early summer beware of the paper mulberry tree that was introduced to Islamabad when it was being planned and has caused increasing problems for asthma and allergy sufferers.

The Margallas are excellent for hiking purposes and cater to both the serious hiker and the less serious enthusiast. Trail lengths vary from 1.5kms to 15kms and ranging from heights of 640-1580m. There are a number of short walks and day or half day hikes. There are also longer treks of 2-3 days. For details check out the Asia Study Groups (ASG) publication Hiking Around Islamabad (1992, Revised Edition). The best season to hike are the mild winter months when there is less rain and the days are extremely pleasant. January and February may be too cold and wet but otherwise October to April are your best bet. Beware though that twilight is very short in Islamabad and once the sun sets, darkness falls very quickly.

Wildlife is less evident than could have been expected but there are a variety of species to be seen. Those that are most often in evidence are the rhesus monkeys, jackals (often heard cackling at night near the hills), wild boar, porcupines, mongoose and the pangolin or scaly anteater. The wild boar in particular can be seen at some of the least expected places in the city. While they generally stay close to the hills, occasionally, particularly in winter when the hills are cold, they can be seen quite far from the Margallas. Often the boars will have small hide-outs in the green belts in and around the city. The increasing practice of throwing litter near the hills also attracts both monkeys and wild boar to come and forage through the rubbish. The wild boar can be quite large and is very solidly built making it not an animal you want to mess with. In addition, they usually travel in large groups …so where there is one there may well be others.

Less common are leopards that usually remain high up in the hills. The two cubs that strayed down to Islamabad were promptly shot by security personnel obviously concerned at the threat to residents from the cubs!!! Even more rare is the elusive snow leopards. These beautiful animals confine themselves to the highest ridges of the range. If you see one consider yourself extremely fortunate.

There are another group of animals that deserve mention. Marg - halla - literally translated means 'house of snakes'. There are a number of known species of poisonous snakes in the area including cobra; Russell's Viper and the krait - known in local parlance as the half-minute killer. The snakes hibernate in the winter months but tread carefully in the hotter months and particularly the monsoon months when snakes abound. While they are to be found mainly in and around the hills, occasionally an overgrown garden is an ideal home. It is said that wherever there are a large number of snakes you will also find the noble mongoose. Well they too are in Islamabad in abundance apparently introduced by General Ayub Khan when the Islamabad area was being cleared for building. By the way, hunting is strictly prohibited.

The Margallas are rich in bird life and for further information get hold of the Guide to the Birds of the Sub-Continent by Corfield. Being an extremely comprehensive and therefore large book, it may be easier to start at the Asian Study Groups list of birds taken from the Corfield book.

While the Margalla Hills have been declared a protected zone there are incidents of areas of the Hills being cleared by the 'timber mafia'. Every now and again you will catch site of the Margallas 'on fire'. Particularly in the summer this can be a common occurrence. While it makes a spectacular sight and can occasionally be the result of the extreme heat of summer more often it is either due to carelessness of hikers or then the timber mafia covering up any evidence of logging.

In this age of environmental degradation, Islamabad remains comparatively well situated. However, the shockingly rapid demise of vegetation en route Murree and the nearby 'galis' points to the need for great vigilance. As mentioned, the natural environment of the area is a treasure and must be protected.

Continue: Architecture >>>

<<< Back: Introduction