Whilst nobody who is familiar with both cities would ever mistake one for the other, Australia’s and Pakistan’s capital cities share many key characteristics.
Each was meticulously sited and planned.
Canberra is a deal smaller than Islamabad, but both have relatively modest populations – much smaller than several other cities in Australia and Pakistan.
Each is a young, inland city, established in the 20th century as a “showcase” national capital.
Like Canberra, Islamabad is spacious, with an uncommonly large amount of “green” and quasi-“natural” open space.
Islamabad is a pleasant city.
That said – again, like Canberra – the best reason to visit the national capital is to take advantage of the easy access it provides to some superb, much more elevated, and definitely-not-urban terrain.
I took this post’s photo of Islamabad at 3.31 pm on 14 May 2024.
The next day, we flew to Skardu; that one-hour flight delivered fine views of one of the world’s biggest and most lethal mountains. (as you will see in this series’ next chapter)
Spectacular as it was, “Nanga Parbat, from the air” would prove not even close to that particular week’s most amazing or beautiful sight!