Essential Urdu phrases

The universal greeting, used across every register from a ministry corridor to a fruit stall. Skipping it before business reads as curt.

Thank you. 'Bohat shukriya' warmer. Islamabad's official register is more formal than Lahore's or Karachi's and courtesy formulas do more work here.

Islamabad's basic unit of geography — a letter and a number, F-7, G-9, E-11. Nobody uses street names. Learn the grid and the city becomes trivially navigable.

The commercial centre at the heart of each sector — F-7 Markaz, F-10 Markaz. Every sector has one, and it is where the shops, banks and restaurants are.

The Capital Development Authority — the federal body that owns the land, plans the sectors and approves every building. In Islamabad the CDA is the government you actually deal with.

Rawalpindi, the older twin city fifteen minutes south. Cheaper, denser, and — crucially — in Punjab, which means different tenancy law, different licensing and a different police force.

The wooded hills the city backs onto, and a national park. Trails 3, 5 and 6 start inside the city and Islamabad's weekend culture is built around them.

No Objection Certificate — the document that unlocks almost everything bureaucratic in Pakistan, from a building approval to travel in restricted areas. In the capital you will hear it constantly.

'God willing', attached to every future commitment. In government offices it is both sincere and the standard polite delivery of an indefinite timeline.

Tea, and the medium of every meeting in the capital. A ministry appointment that starts without chai has already gone badly.

Police emergency, the Islamabad rescue and fire service, and the ICT traffic helpline. Islamabad Police also runs 1715 for complaints and 1815 for its online women's police station.