Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area The Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area is Pakistan's third most populous metropolitan area. It consists principally of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, along with smaller towns such as Murree, Wah Cantonment, Taxila, Gujar Khan, Golra Sharif, and several gated suburbs including Bahria Town and DHA Islamabad. Covering the Pothohar Plateau, the area consists of the ancient town of Taxila, which is a World Heritage Site; the colonial cities of Rawalpindi and Murree, and the modern planned city of Islamabad. The region received a major boom with the construction of Islamabad as the capital city of Pakistan in
Islamabad which unearthed the remains of a Buddhist stupa at Ban Faqiran, near the Shah Allah Ditta caves, which was dated to the 2nd to the 5th century CE. When Pakistan gained independence in 1947, the southern port city of Karachi was its first national capital. In the 1960s, Islamabad was constructed as a forward capital for several reasons. Traditionally, development in Pakistan was focused on the colonial centre of Karachi - a tradition which President Ayub Khan wished to abolish. Karachi was also located at the southern end of the country, and exposed to attacks from the Arabian Sea. Pakistan