List of capitals in Pakistan
Islamabad officially became the capital of Pakistan on 14 August 1967, exactly 20 years after the country's independence. Previously, Rawalpindi was the capital, designated in 1958. The first capital of Pakistan was the coastal city of Karachi, which was selected by Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Karachi was and still is the largest city and economic capital of Pakistan. It remained the seat of government until 1959, when the military president, Ayub Khan, decided to build a new capital in the north of Pakistan, near the general headquarters of the Pakistani Armed Forces at Rawalpindi.
Hashoo Group
On September 20, 2008, a Hashoo Group-owned hotel in Pakistan's capital Islamabad was bombed when a suicide attacker with an explosive-laden truck detonated the explosives, killing at least 53 people and injuring no less than 266, including many foreign guests. The explosion, a truck bomb heard away in Rawalpindi, occurred at 7:40 P.M. PDT, just hours after newly elected President Asif Ali Zardari addressed Parliament of Pakistan, promising to end terrorism in the country. On 23 September 2008, Sadruddin Hashwani promised to reopen the hotel on 31 December 2008, which would be accompanied by a celebration. Keeping his promise, the hotel was reopened before the end of 2008.