The Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI), organised launch of the book ‘Islamabad Travel Guide’ by Syed Sharfuddin, a former diplomat and civil servant. The chief guest at the occasion was the Honourable Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, Pervaiz Rasheed. Other distinguished speakers on the occasion were Lt. General Talat Masood, a senior defense analyst, Mr. Imtiaz Inayat Elahi, former Chairman, Capital Development Authority and Chaudhry Kabir Ahmed Khan, Managing Director, Pakistan Tourism Development Authority.
Mr. Pervaiz Rasheed in his inaugural address said that the purpose of a travel guide is to help travelers in making informed decisions about where to go, stay, shop and how to spend quality travel time in the new place and setting. He said that the most interesting thing about ‘Islamabad Travel Guide’ is that it is a book with not just an annotated map of places of interest, hotels and restaurants, but also an easily understood and user friendly account of the history, culture and heritage of Islamabad in simple English, covering subjects often not discussed in travel books. He said that the Capital city of Islamabad, in many ways, is a microcosm of Pakistan, which evolved over the years from a newly planned city, to becoming a living example of how a vision of a great city can be turned into reality using local resources and the ingenuity of its people. ‘Islamabad Travel Guide’, he said, is a combination of both public information and experienced diplomatic advice about Islamabad which aims to educate foreign diplomats, international visitors and overseas Pakistanis, including local Pakistanis not familiar with the capital city, about what our beautiful city of Islamabad offers to visitors in terms of historical background, lifestyle and facilities which are at par with those available in some of the most advanced capitals of the world.
