APARTMENTS in Islamabad are not like the ones in Karachi, where one can easily eavesdrop on the domestic disputes of neighbours or guess what’s on for lunch next door. Islooites are different and that is why apartment living in the Capital is gaining popularity with each passing day.
Although the Sunday classifieds have always been full of real estate advertisements for flats and bungalows, the property scene in the past six months indicates a bullish trend. It took a nose-dive with the arrival of the Chief Executive of Pakistan more than three years ago, and it did a somersault with the departure of the position. To quote a real estate broker, property in the Capital has become too overpriced within the last six months.
Until the 1980s, other than the government apartments, rented to government servants working in ministries, apartment buildings only existed in the posh diplomatic enclave; the sector devoted to embassies and foreign donor agencies. These were costly apartments, mostly bought for investment and rented out to foreigners or locals working for UN agencies. The rent was charged in dollars and the place seemed to fetch much more if furnished.
When the situation in Karachi started to deteriorate, more and more people diverted to Islamabad. That was the time when apartment complexes overlooking Capital Park and the Margalla Hills came up in Sector F-10, luring Islooites to its luxuries and convenience. If your bare feet cannot enjoy the morning dew in the garden, at least your eyes can relish the fresh morning Margalla view from the 7th-floor balcony of your high-rise apartment building.
Land in Islamabad has always been overpriced, which did not allow a middle-class person to invest in real estate. The hike in price of land during this decade occurred because, up till now, people were only in transit here and this is the first generation of Islamabad growing up and keen to settle here.
The basic reason for the late start was that there was too much land available and not many people living in Islamabad permanently. Until the late ’60s, people who moved upcountry were hesitant to buy land here, as they did not want to invest in the newly-born capital. Government servants transferred from Karachi thought it a ridiculous idea to move to Islamabad.
According to the property dealers, the recent price hike is “because Pakistanis living abroad are investing in property in Pakistan or rather Islamabad, specially since the registration process began in the US, Pakistani Americans have become apprehensive about their bank accounts. Apnay mulk mei koi zameen to ho.” But the prices of houses have shot up so much that people cannot afford to buy them anymore, and they are left with the option of investing in an apartment. In the kind of money you could buy a house some six months back, you can only find an apartment now.
Apartments are safe investments as one directly pays the developer. There are no questions asked about the legitimacy of the money, whether white or black. Moreover, you pay in instalments. But there are some other benefits as well. “I live in a flat by choice and for convenience,” says poetess Kishwer Naheed. As a single person, Kishwer feels an apartment fulfils her requirements within her budget, as she need not keep a chowkidar, cook, mali or a maasi.
Coming home after staying abroad for many years, Iftikhar Arif, a poet/writer, finds it much more convenient to stay in a compact apartment rather than in a house. “The bigger the house, the bigger the brigade of servants,” he says. “My salary does not allow me to keep a fleet of servants,” he envisages.
Coffee morning: Gossip is not a dish cooked by Pakistani women, but a trait present in females of all nationalities. A well-attended gathering of the ladies of the Islamabad Foreign Women’s Association (IFWA) for the monthly fund-raising coffee morning had lot on their plate. The gossip platter is usually made of some regular and a few seasonal ingredients. The regular is weather talk, hot when it’s summer and cold when it’s winter, or the ongoing virus, if any. School holidays and summer plans are used as seasonal dressings, whereas the topping this time was made of a bit of Saddam, with a sprinkle of the SARS virus as a side order. But on a serious note, this gathering brings together dedicated ladies of many nationalities who get a chance to know each other and also plan activities to raise funds for the health and education sectors of Pakistan.
The special item on the agenda this month was the Sri Lankan dance by a troupe that had just arrived the night before. Dilhani Weerasooriya, wife of the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Pakistan, had arranged the exclusive performance for her IFWA member friends. Cultural integration is a good way of promoting goodwill and understanding among the people of the world.
The Army Cultural Dance Troupe, made up of many Army personnel, both male and female, delighted the audience. Magul Bera, ceremonial drums, were the first to come on stage. According to custom, every auspicious occasion is heralded by these drums to invoke the blessings of the Triple Gem and the gods. The Kandy Ves dance, interspersed with other acrobatic performances, also entertained the audience.
Thanks to the new building of the IFWA Community Centre, one is spared the hassle of going through the security checks inside the diplomatic enclave, where these functions were usually arranged. Now, with the expatriate community on the decline, more and more Pakistani women are also joining this association.
APARTMENTS in Islamabad are not like the ones in Karachi, where one can easily eavesdrop on the domestic disputes of neighbours or guess what’s on for lunch next door. Islooites are different and that is why apartment living in the Capital is gaining popularity with each passing day.
