5 Reasons Why Islamabad Is No Longer The City I Grew Up In

We are very fortunate to be living in a country that is blessed with historic sites, lush landscapes and all other sorts of aesthetics. Islamabad makes up for a huge chunk of this beauty! A majestic and peaceful city which has always succeeded in winning people’s heart.

However, time has taken a toll on the capital’s environment. Keeping the good ones aside for a while, here are the 5 drastic changes that Islamabad has seen in the last 10 years.

Read: 6 Islamabad Eateries Worth Ditching Office For In The Rain!

Quiet and Peaceful? Not Anymore!

I completely understand if people living in Lahore and Karachi cannot relate to this point but the truth of the moment is that Islamabad is not as quiet as it once used to be.

Back in the days, the city used to get virtually shut down around 8 PM. However, now you can see throngs of people in every Markaz and other public places till after midnight which is something new to the capital.

Islamabad the Green!

There was a time when we would see nothing but greenery around us but due to non-stop construction in the last ten years (by both from the government and private sector) the city is rapidly losing its greenery.

Lack of Civic Sense!

A lack of civic sense can be seen among people especially when it comes to following traffic rules, maintaining cleanliness of streets and waiting in queues.

This was not the case a decade ago. Isoolites were known for their great civic sense. However, urban sprawl is quickly making good manners a thing of the past.

Read: You’re NOT A True Islamabadi If You Don’t Do These 5 Things!  

Political Mesh

Every other month we see political rallies choking key routes in Islamabad which become a source of frustration for the residents.

Sure, recording protest is every citizen’s right but making others miserable to get your message across isn’t the way to do it!

Sense of Insecurity!

Islamabad is known to be a safe city even though it has faced a fair amount of terrorist attacks and bombings in the early 2000s. Thank God, there hasn’t been such an incident for a while now but the heightened security measures and numerous check-posts are a constant reminder of the sordid chapter in the city’s history.

The purpose of these security protocols is without a doubt to protect us but at the same time they also, ironically, rob the citizens of the sense of security that was once a signature perk of living in the capital.

In addition to the above, there is a lot more Islamabad has lost in over the years. The heavy rains in monsoon have significantly reduced, the winters have shrunk from 6 months to merely 3 months and the summer has become unbearable because of climate change!

What changes do you think the city has seen over the last few years?

Read: These Changes In Islamabad Are Killing The Capital’s Buzz And We’re So Not Happy!