Why does Islamabad hate trees? |
My first stay in Islamabad was many decades back, when, as a young school student, I came here to attend the World Scout Jamboree. It was mid 70s, and like all scout gatherings, it was a big camp spreading over many acres in the foothills of the Margalla Hills. In the early morning, we were guided by earlier arrivals to the hot springs near our camps, and they became our daily place to freshen up instead of the cold water available from the camp administration.
As kids, we were very surprised to see that hot springs were just a few feet above the ground, while cold-water streams were also flowing on the ground. I still could remember dozens, if not hundreds, of small fish in these crystal-clear waters unworried about humans. That was the Islamabad which many old residents of the city still remember.
Nearly twenty years ago, I returned from abroad, and Islamabad was going to be my new home. House rents in Islamabad then were at least twice, if not thrice, more than the rent of a similar house in Lahore in a........