PAMCH

Experience to hill station Murree can be a mixed bag. It is popularfor cold pine forests, amidst magnificent mountain scenery that makeit a first choice for a day’s outing or serious hill walking. It iscommon with locals throughout the country as well as foreigners innearby Islamabad on the run from the sweltering heat of plains insummer. And in summers it is crowded like a cinema hall some time.This archetypal hill station is famous for other things too: It is aconvenient political pawn to keep the loyal and or hideout for foreigndignitaries on their way to secret strategic missions elsewhere.In the Himalayan foothills Murree — known as Malika-e-Kohsar meaningthe queen of hills — was founded as a hill station by the British in1851. Like other cities set up by the British, the town has the Mallfor promenading, parks, churches, schools, clubs and plenty of othercrumbling colonial charms. Remember, during Britis guitar chords h rule, access tothe Mall was restricted for locals. After independence Murree has onceagain become the summer retreat of the government and since Islamabadbecame the capital of Pakistan in 1962, has expanded rapidly. There isa governor house, other government houses and summer homes of affluentclass from all over the country. The residences are built on thesummit and sides of an irregular ridge, and command magnificent viewsover forest-clad hills and deep valleys, studded with villages andcultivated fields, with snow-covered peaks of Kashmir in background. Murree town spreads along the top of a ridge for about fivekilometres. At the north-east end is Kashmir Point, with views acrossthe valley of the Jhelum River into Azad Kashmir. At the south-westend is Pindi Point, looking back towards Rawalpindi and Islamabad.Between the two runs the Mall, at the centre of which is the mainshopping area, where visitors flock.

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