Members' Recommendations

Islamabad is the capital city of Pakistan situated on the foothills of the Himalayas called Margalla Hills. It is well planned with wide roads, abundance of parks and grand state buildings. Islamabad is best viewed from the Margalla Hills which provide a pleasant backdrop to the north of the city.  The metro area population of Islamabad in 2021 was 1,164,000.

Fig. 1: Map of Islamabad (Sectors F6, F7, F8 & G6 highlighted with red boundary)

Above are the recommended sectors to look out for housing. They are F6, F7, F8 and G6 as highlighted by the red outline

Like many capitals of the world, Islamabad is remarkably different from the rest of Pakistan. For one thing, it is a city of tree-lined avenues and gardens. There is a significant number of expats mostly from the diplomatic community who are regular patrons to a growing number of carpet and handicraft stores, not to mention imported goods in grocery shops and restaurants offering a variety of cuisines. It can be a deceptively sleepy town, but with a bit of caution and imagination, anyone can experience fun and thrill true to Islamabad.

Climate

There are four distinct seasons in Islamabad:

Spring :- March – April (10 ⁰C – 24 ⁰C)

Summer :- May – June (25 ⁰C -35 ⁰C)

Summer Monsoon :- July – September (23 ⁰C -33 ⁰C)

Winter :- December – February (3 ⁰C -20 ⁰C)

Renting a furnished house would be easier, if you get to know a local person in advance.

Islamabad is a very good place to live compared to other Pakistani cities, it’s safe and its neighborhood is also very nice. Most of the expats live in E and F sectors

Islamabad has recently become a family station for the World Bank and UN agencies. At present, the available schools are limited in numbers, but of international standard.

1.          International School of Islamabad

Johar Road, Sector H-9/1, Islamabad

+92-51-443-4950, +92-51-443-4951, +92-51-443-4952, +92-51-443-4953 https://www.isoi.edu.pk/about-isoi

2.          Frobel’s International School

Street – 13, Sector F – 7/2, Islamabad

                      http://froebels.edu.pk/about_us.html

+92 512 652164, +92 512 652165, +92 512 652166

 info.isb@froebels.edu.pk

3.          International Grammar School Islamabad

Street-58, F 11/4, F11, Islamabad http://igsc.edu.pk/

051-2102526, 051-2102549, 051-8359366, 051-8359367 internationalgrammar@gmail.com

info@igsc.edu.pk

4.          Sheikh Zaid International Academy

School, Jamali Road, Street – 8, Sector H – 8/4, Islamabad

http://www.szia.ae/about/

+92 51 4939298 +92 51 4939299 +92 51 4939301 info@szia.ae

Islamabad is a relatively safe city; however, it is advised to avoid walking and travelling in isolated dark areas. It is very useful to always keep an eye on the WBG security advisory.

Maroof International Hospital

In Pakistan there are many malls and they are very good for shopping. Also there are many organic shops, a very nice one is Esajee . You will find very good quality restaurants and cheap ones are also very nice

Jinnah Super Market (Sector: F-7 Markaz)

Jinnah Super is Islamabad's most popular place for shopping and socializing. Offering more upscale merchandise compared to other markets, Jinnah Super Market hosts several fashion shops. SAFA Gold Mall is also located in Jinnah Super Market where excellent local and international brands are available.

In Jinnah Super market, men’s and women’s clothes can be purchased for prices starting at Rs 3,000 (approx.). Some of the most popular shops in Jinnah Super Market are as follows

Name

Description

The Body Shop

Cosmetics

Saeed Book Bank

Large Book Shop

Florist

Best stoked florist in the city

Traditions

Leather goods

Hang Ten

Name brand clothing for men, women and children

Chen One

Large department store selling household goods

Amer Adnan

High-end Pakistani men’s designer outlet

Juanid Jamshed

Mid-market Pakistani designer outlet

Maria B

High-end Pakistani women’s designer outlet

Levi’s

American jeans outlet

Khadi

Mid to High end pakistani designer outlet

Bata

International shoe brand

Jinnah Super also hosts numerous and ever-changing food stands and restaurants, and a landscaped outdoor seating area. Jinnah Super is a very popular hangout for the young and trendy who come out in numbers.

Super Market (Sector: F-6 Markaz)

Super Market is one of Islamabad’s oldest and most attractive markets, offering reasonable prices on a large range of goods. Popular shops include United Bakery, one of Islamabad's oldest and popular bakeries; Shaheen Chemist, which sells medicines and cosmetics; Mr. Books, a very popular bookstore selling a wide range of new books; Shams, selling imported sweets and cosmetics, and Floral Market, the ideal place to purchase flowers of any kind and variety. Super Market is also a haven for the trendy and hip. A larger and older market, it offers more variety than others, and hosts a handful of novel stores offering books, clothes, shoes and groceries.

Aabpaara Market (Sector: G-6)

Located close to the city center, Aabpaara is the oldest and most comprehensive market in Islamabad. There are dry fruit stores, antique shops, novelty shoe stores, mechanical and electrical repair kiosks, clothes, consumer electronics and many other shops. Most goods here are very affordable.

Melody Market (Sector: G-6 Markaz)

Close to the Aabpaara Market is the Melody Market, known throughout the city for its excellent clothing and accessory stores, food markets and novelty book stores. The market is also one of the oldest in the city, and, due to its affordable prices, very popular. It attracts many people from the city and is Islamabad's most convenient and accessible shopping areas.

Duty- Free Privileges

All IRS can benefit from duty free privileges. As members of United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), all IRS can avail duty-free privileges including duty-free import of household goods and vehicles. Duty-free shops can be found at all the international airports, and in major cities. The duty-free shops in Islamabad are located on Jinnah Avenue, Blue Area, and in the Diplomatic Enclave. Once the diplomatic card has been issued, IRS can purchase liquor/items from UN duty- free shop. Membership fee currently is USD 500 which is refundable. For further information on duty-free privileges, please refer to the attached document on Key Pointers in Pakistan.

There are very good parks ,trekking spots and many more. Museums, concert halls, zoo are everywhere. Lok virsa cultural museum and Daman-e-koh,Rawal Lake are very nice spots.

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• IFWA International Foreign Women Association Islamabad

You will find lots of books about Islamabad on Google.

You will need to learn the local language, but its okay if you don´t know much, as most of the people speak English. Islamabad , the capital of Pakistan, is located against the back of Margalla Hills at the northern edge of Potohar Plateue. In contrast to its twin city Rawalpindi, it is lush green, spacious and peaceful. It is a well planned city. Security its good these days, and many foreigners are happy and enjoying living here.