Islamabad- Capital of Pakistan History

Islamabad:

The name of the city, Islamabad, is derived from two words, Islam and abad, meaning "City of Islam". Islam is an Urdu word which refers to the religion of Islam and -abad is a Persian suffix indicating an inhabited place or city. The name is influenced from the Mughal name for the port city of Chittagong, previously known as Islamabad.

Islamabad Capital Territory, located on the Pothohar Plateau of the Punjab region, 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 by Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Lone reveal evidence of a prehistoric culture in the area. Relics and human skulls have been found dating back to 5000 BCE that indicate the region was home to Neolithic peoples who settled on the banks of the Swaan River, and who later developed small communities in the region around 3000 BCE.

The Indus Valley Civilization flourished in the region between the 23rd and 18th centuries BCE. Later the area was an early settlement of the Aryan community which migrated into the region from Central Asia. Many great armies such as those of Zahiruddin Babur, Genghis Khan, Timur and Ahmad Shah Durrani crossed the region during their invasions of the Indian Subcontinent.In 2015–16, the Federal Department of Archaeology and Museums, with the financial support of National Fund for Cultural Heritage, carried out initial archaeological excavations in which unearthed the remains of a Buddhist stupa at Ban Faqiran, near the Shah Allah Ditta caves, which was dated to the 2nd to the 5th century CE.

15th century Pharwala Fort beside the Swaan River;

                                              Shrine of Meher Ali Shah

The popular Shrine of Meher Ali Shah was completed immediately before construction began on the future capital city just east of the shrine.

                                                        Shah Allah Ditta

The caves at Shah Allah Ditta, on Islamabad's outskirts, were part of an ancient Buddhist monastic community.

                                                        Village of Saidpur

The restored village of Saidpur predates the surrounding city of Islamabad.

                                                             Faisal Mosque

                                                                

                                                     Pakistan Monument

Assassination Of Liaquat Ali Khan

It has been 64 years since the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, was assassinated during a speech in Rawalpindi. Following the early demise of Mr. Jinnah, Liaquat Ali Khan was the senior most leader of All India Muslim League. Belonging to a landowning family from United Provinces (U.P), Liaquat Ali Khan was active in provincial and national politics. He played a pivotal role in the return of Mr. Jinnah in 1930s after the veteran politician had lost enthusiasm for the cause of Muslim nationalism. Mr. Liaquat was elected as the first Prime Minister of Pakistan after Partition. In October 1951, Liaquat Ali Khan rose to address a crowd in Municipal Park, Rawalpindi, when he was shot to death by Syed Akbar. Syed Akbar was shot fatally on the spot by members of the security. An official investigation of this murder was ordered by the Governor General of Pakistan. During the course of investigation, a plane containing the chief investigative officer of the case developed malfunction and was destroyed. Till date, the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan has remained a mystery.

New information has surfaced in the recent years, that sheds some light on the incident and the hidden hands involved in getting rid of Pakistan’s first Prime Minister. Pakistan’s premier news agency ‘Offline’ reported that a renowned Saudi Newspaper ‘Arab News’ reported that a declassified document from the US State Department clearly identified the powers that were interested in getting Liaqat Ali Khan killed. The declassified cable quoted a well-sourced Urdu newspaper from Bhopal named ‘Nadeem’ which ran a sting operation to obtain information that Liaquat’s murder had been ‘a deep-rooted conspiracy and recognizable hands were involved in it’. The US Cable from US Embassy in Delhi mentioned the news and recommended a Pulitzer Prize for the journalists behind this vital scoop.

     Bhopal-based Urdu newspaper ‘Nadeem’ ran a sting operation to obtain crucial information

The cable mentioned that secretary to the assistant to the secretary of US Ambassador in Karachi has jotted down ‘Holiday’ for October 19th in a table diary and then immediately struck it off. Other words that were written and then removed by the US official included ‘conspiracy’, ‘Bambino’, ‘Nietzsche’, ‘Humidity’ and ‘Chutzpah’. The story also mentioned how the US Ambassador in Karachi called Liaquat’s wife Ra’ana for condolences only thirty-five seconds before the Governor General of Pakistan and this was a crucial link that was not investigated properly.

Another beacon of objective journalism in Pakistan, the Lakspress Urdu paper divulged further details from the plot. The paper revealed that America was eyeing Iranian oil reserves in those days and Pakistan was quite cosy with Iran while Afghanistan didn’t fancy Pakistan much. The American President had personally begged Liaquat Ali Khan to intervene on his behalf in the matter of oil contracts being discussed between Iran and the United States. India was sulking next door because it was being ignored in this ménage-à-trois. Liaquat Ali Khan refused to entertain the American request and threatened to form a separate bloc. Upon hearing of this discretion, the CIA decided to bump off Liaquat.

      Descendants of the eyewitnesses recall that Liaquat Ali Khan’s last words were ‘Et tu, Truman?’

The King of United States phoned the King of Afghanistan and a plan was finalised. Syed Akbar and two other secret service officials were deputed with the task of assassinating Liaquat Ali Khan in Rawalpindi. The US wanted a Sunni Muslim Assassin so that the blame can be deflected from itself (More than half of the population of United States was Shia at the time).

According to our own investigation into this mystery, Liaquat Ali Khan’s assassination was not actually conducted by Syed Akbar. Instead, an earlier version of a drone was used to kill the ghairat-mand Prime Minister. Our investigations revealed that a few days prior to Mr. Liaqat’s death, American officials had wanted to obtain permission for using Pakistan’s northern areas as a testing ground for HAARP but the request was denied. The cartridges found from Prime Minister Liaquat’s body were custom made in the United States. Descendants of the eyewitnesses to that event recall that Liaquat Ali Khan’s last words actually were, ‘Et tu, Truman?’

President Truman accompanies Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan in Washington D.C

Julian Assange and his organisation, WikiLeaks, should be awarded the highest civilian honour

There have been many mysterious murders in Pakistan’s history, besides the Liaquat Ali Khan assassination. The nation still doesn’t know the details about the deaths of Zia-ul-Haq, Benazir Bhutto and Osama bin Laden. The release of crucial information about the Liaquat Ali Khan case is welcome news for all the murder conspiracy enthusiasts in the Land of Pure. Julian Assange and his organisation, WikiLeaks, should be awarded the highest civilian honour for unearthing such valuable information from the troves of U.S. State Department cables. It is my humble request to the relevant authorities that perpetrators of this heinous murder be brought to justice at the earliest opportunity so that enemies of our country think long and hard before conspiring against this great nation.

History Of Azad Jammu Kashmir

Azad Kashmir, area of the Pakistani-administered sector of the Kashmir region, in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. Azad (“Free”) Kashmir, established in 1947 after the partition of India, is neither a province nor an agency of Pakistan but has a government of its own that is regarded by Pakistan as “independent,” even though it is protected by and economically and administratively linked to Pakistan. It has an area of approximately 650 square miles (1,680 square km) and consists of an arc of territory bordering the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir to the east, the Pakistani provinces of Punjab to the south and southwest and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the west, and the Gilgit and Baltistan regions of Pakistani-administered Kashmir (part of what are called the Northern Areas) to the north.Northern Azad Kashmir comprises foothills of the Himalayas rising to Jamgarh Peak (15,531 feet [4,734 metres]); south of this are the northwestern reaches of the Pir Panjal Range, which has an average crest line of 12,500 feet (3,800 metres). The region is in the subduction zone at the most northerly extension of the Indian-Australian tectonic plate and is prone to powerful seismic activity. In 2005 a strong earthquake devastated the administrative centre of Muzaffarabad and surrounding regions.

The administration of Azad Kashmir is overseen by Pakistan’s Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and headquartered at Muzaffarabad, which is linked by road with Abbottabad to the southwest. Mirpur is the major town in the southern part of the territory.

Muzaffarabad – The capital of Azad Jammu Kashmir

                           

Muzaffarabad is the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, comprising of hilly area, located at the bank of Neelum and Jhelum rivers. It offers breathtaking views of the Tarai Mountains the foothills of Himalaya and also has the 5 star hotel pearl continental. Striking scenic beauty and pollution free atmosphere occupies every part of the city. However, the roads are not yet well-constructed. The name “Muzaffarabad” comes from the name of Sultan Muzaffar Khan, a former ruler of the Bomba Dynasty.It was going towards development to a large extent however; the 8th October 2005’s (earthquake) tragedy destroyed almost 50% of the city hence, leading it backwards in terms of development.The culture of Muzaffarabad has many similarities to that of northern Punjabi’s culture. It has always been one of the important cities of Kashmir showcasing conflate of various cultures and languages.Muzaffarabad being the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has the beauty worth watching. Occupied in the middle of mountains, this attractive city could attract the tourists from different countries. But unfortunately its tourism is not yet well established and needs to be promoted.

Third Marshsal Law in Pakistan

Third Martial Law (1977):

The army staged third coup when General Ziaul Haq overthrew the Bhutto government and took over as CMLA on July 5, 1977. The federal and provincial governments were dismissed; political parties were banned; National and provincial assemblies were dissolved; the constitution was put in abeyance; civil courts continued to function as usual but fundamental rights were suspended.

On July 15, 1977, Justice Mushtaq Hussein of the Lahore High Court was appointed chairman of a committee to formulate election procedures and laws. Two days later, Justice Mushtaq Hussein also took over as the Chief Election Commissioner and announced that elections would be held in the first fortnight of October 1977 under the supervision of the armed forces and the judiciary. October 18 was fixed for the general elections and nomination papers were invited between August 7 and 18, 1977.

On September 21, 1977, General Zia issued a 15-point code of ethics to regulate the election campaign which started from September 18. The code prohibited all actions and deeds, including words, symbolic representations, which were likely to prejudice the solidarity of Pakistan and its Islamic foundations.

On October 1, the elections were postponed indefinitely. On November 10, 1977 the Supreme Court unanimously validated the imposition of martial law, under the doctrine of necessity.

In its judgement dismissing Begum Nusrat Bhutto's petition challenging detention under martial law of former Prime Minister Z.A. Bhutto and 10 others, the nine-member court headed by Chief Justice Anwarul Haq observed that after massive rigging of elections followed by complete breakdown of law and order situation bringing the country on the brink of disaster, the imposition of martial law had become inevitable.

Zia's martial law came to an end on December 30, 1985.

The Rawalpindi City

Rawalpindi is the 4th largest city of Pakistan. It is in Punjab province and located in Pothohar region of Pakistan. Rawalpindi is in the northernmost part of the Punjab province, 275 km (171 mi) to the north-west of Lahore. Rawalpindi is also known as Pindi. Pindi is also known as twin cities along with capital Islamabad. In the 1950s, the city’s economy received a boost during the building of Islamabad (1959–1969) during which time Rawalpindi served as the national capital and its population increased from 180,000 at the time of independence. It is the administrative seat of the Rawalpindi district. The total area of the city is approximately 108.8 square kilometers (42.0 sq. mi). The City-District of Rawalpindi comprises seven autonomous tehsils. Rawalpindi is the military headquarters of the Pakistan Armed forces.

The Bazzars of Rawalpindi

The bazaars of the old city offer exciting bargains. You can leisurely browse in the quaint old shops in sadder bazaar, Moti bazaar, Raja bazaar and Kashmiri bazaar while Sarafa bazaar is famous for beaten gold and silver jewelry, brass and copper-ware. Numerous shopping bazaars, parks and a cosmopolitan population attract shoppers from all over Pakistan and abroad. Rawalpindi Population is combination of people having different background. The crowded alleys of the old city are home to many attractions, including Hindu, Sikh temple’s and Mosques. Art council of is also located near Rawalpindi cricket stadium.  People of Pakistan came here from all over the Pakistan and settled here for a long period of time. Local people of Rawalpindi known as Pothwari people. The city is home to several industries and factories. Rawalpindi city has its own culture specially after developing into a large city, Rawalpindi has International Airport, and Railway station International sports ground, good hotels, restaurants, clubs, museums and parks. Rawalpindi forms the base camp for the tourists visiting the holiday resorts and hill station of galiyat area such as murree, nathia gali, kotli, Muzafarabad, Bagh, Abbottabad, Swat, Kaghan, gilgit, hunza, skardo and chitral.

Rawalpindi has many good hotels, restaurants, clubs, museums and parks. It has many important places for foods which show the true heritage of Punjab which is famous for its dishes. The main places are food street, kartar pura, banni chowk and sadder. Along with the food streets there are many parks here in Rawalpindi which enhances the beauty of city including the Ayub National Park, Liaquat Bagh, Nawaz Sharif Park, Jinnah Park, Rumi Park, 502 Park, triangular Park and Children Park.Rawalpindi has borne many famous international players in different sports which include the world fastest bowler in history of cricket Shoaib Akhter, one of the best hockey forward Shakeel Abbasi and other players which represented the national teams on international circuit. The city have many sports venues includes Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, KRL Cricket Stadium, Army Hockey Stadium, Army Football Stadium, Municipal Football Stadium, Jinnah Park.

                     

Rawalpindi has a big history in terms of assassinations. At first in 1951, Rawalpindi saw the assassination of the first elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan in Company Bagh which later turns its name as Liaquat Bagh Park. Then in late 70’s Prime Minister Zulifiqar Ali Bhutto was hanged in Rawalpindi jail. In 2007, Liaquat Bagh Park’s gate in Rawalpindi was also the site of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.The city has two main roads: the Grand Trunk Road and is known as The Mall as it passes through the cantonment, Murree Road breaks north from The Mall,  its way to Islamabad. Murree road which has been has been a hot spot for various political and social events. Others roads are Said Purr Road, Liaqat road, Kashmir road, Bank road, Civil Line road, Jamia Masjid road, Sarfraz Road, College Road, Rawal Road, Band khana road, Iqbal road, circular road, Haider road, 4-7th roads etc. Liaquat Memorial Hall was constructed in memorization of late Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan. It features a huge auditorium and library. Art shows, public shows and stage Dramas are performed right here frequently. Garden Rawalpindi well-laid garden with sports facilities and children’s park has been developed near the community hall in Rawalpindi. Rawalpindi has its significance in terms of its forces headquarters. It has headquarters of the Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air force and also has an active airbase in chakala cantt of Rawalpindi.