<P> The restored village of Saidpur predates the surrounding city of Islamabad . </P> <P> 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, and President Ayub Khan wanted it equally distributed . Moreover, Karachi was located at the southern end of the country, making it vulnerable to attacks from the Arabian Sea . Pakistan needed a capital that was easily accessible from all parts of the country . Karachi, a business centre, was also considered unsuitable partly because of intervention of business interests in government affairs . The newly selected location of Islamabad was closer to the army headquarters in Rawalpindi and the disputed territory of Kashmir in the north . </P> <P> In 1958, a commission was constituted to select a suitable site for the national capital with particular emphasis on location, climate, logistics, and defence requirements along with other attributes . After extensive study, research, and a thorough review of potential sites, the commission recommended the area northeast of Rawalpindi in 1959 . A Greek firm of architects, Konstantinos Apostolos Doxiadis, designed the master plan of the city based on a grid plan which was triangular in shape with its apex towards the Margalla Hills . The capital was not moved directly from Karachi to Islamabad; it was first shifted temporarily to Rawalpindi in the early sixties and then to Islamabad when the essential development work was completed in 1966 . </P> <P> Islamabad has attracted people from all over Pakistan, making it one of the most cosmopolitan and urbanised cities of Pakistan . As the capital city it has hosted a number of important meetings, such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit . Year 2014 has brought in major changes in Islamabad . Construction of the Rawalpindi - Islamabad Metrobus began on 28 February 2014 which was completed in March 2015, with 60 buses plying on the route . The Rawalpindi Development Authority took care of the project with a cost of approximately Rs 24 billion, which was shared by both the Federal government and the provincial government of Punjab . In October 2005, the city suffered some damage due to the 2005 Kashmir earthquake which had a magnitude of 7.6 . Islamabad has experienced a series of terrorist incidents including the July 2007 Siege of Lal Masjid (Red Mosque), the June 2008 Danish embassy bombing, and the September 2008 Marriott bombing . In 2011, four terrorism incidents occurred in the city, killing four people, including the murder of the Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer . </P>

When did islamabad became the capital of pakistan