Rawalpindi launched his "coup d'etat" from Rawalpindi. In 1959, the city became the interim capital of the country under Ayub Khan, who had sought the creation of a new planned capital of Islamabad in the vicinity of Rawalpindi. As a result, Rawalpindi saw most major central government offices and institutions relocate to nearby territory, and its population rapidly expand. Construction of Pakistan's new capital city of Islamabad in 1961 led to greater investment in Rawalpindi. Rawalpindi remained the headquarters of the Pakistani Army after the capital shifted to Islamabad in 1969, while the Pakistan Air Force continues to maintain an airbase
Embassy of the United States, Islamabad Embassy of the United States, Islamabad The Embassy of the United States in Islamabad is the diplomatic mission of the United States in Pakistan. Ambassador David Hale is currently the United States Ambassador to Pakistan, as of November 2015. The U.S. Department of State also maintains Consulates in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar. It is one of the largest U.S. embassies abroad, with a staff of 2,500 people. The first U.S. embassy in Pakistan was established on August 15, 1947 in Karachi, then-capital of Pakistan. When the capital was moved to Islamabad in 1960, a new embassy was constructed there. After