A family trip to Paragon Fish point

off Shahpur Dam, Fateh Jang

23rd March, 2017

Shaikh Muhammad Ali

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Friends have been telling me about the Shahpur Dam which is rather close to Islamabad
but somehow I always ended up @ Kund (Off GT Road) or Khanpur Lake to quench our
appetite for local fish. On 23rd March 2017, I finally took the plunge and decided to take
my family to the Paragon Fish point; one of the three or four restaurants off Tarnol on
Fateh Jang road.

We leave the house rather late i.e. around 11:53 a.m. while reaching Tarnol interchange
@ 12:25 p.m. The above picture was taken at this spot. We passed the Qutbal cadet
college at 12:43 pm i.e. thus covering a distance of around 35 kms from our home in G-
11/1, Islamabad.

We reached the venue i.e. the Paragon fish point exactly @ 1:00 p.m. and parked the
car. The waiters were all too excited to have received us and rushed to welcome our
family.

As soon as we got off our car, the first restaurant that we saw across the road was
Shahpur Banquet Hall but since we had parked our vehicle at the parking lot of Paragon
Fish point thus it would have been impolite on our part to have gone to the other
restaurant.

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Rather than going directly to the restaurant, we decided to take a brisk walk and visited
a small canal which was flowing close-by since water always attracts humans and we
being mere mortals; decided to take the subject visit.

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After spending a little time around the water, we walked back to the restaurant and
decided to sit in the lawns rather than inside the sitting lounge. Lemm’e ask a question
here. What is the first thing that you ask for when you are seated in a restaurant? The
loo, water. No. You ask for the menu. LOVL  Well, this is what we got from the waiter!

By the time we decided as to what should we order, Ayesha found swings in the play
area and rushed to relish her playfulness.

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While we waited for the food to arrive, I took a walk and noticed another restaurant
across the road.

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The wait was indeed the worth since the food was simply awesome. We had had fish in
other places but the barbequed fish that was served here was mouthwatering and we
ate to our heart’s content.

Once we finished our grub, we asked for directions to the Shahpur dam which was
actually right behind the restaurant where we ate.

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It was a mere 5 minutes’ drive to the lake and thus we headed in that direction. The
place was serene and a mysterious calm prevailed around the lake.

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Adil, Mohsin and Ayesha sprang to get their feet wet in the water while their Mom
continued to shout at the kids to be careful. When it comes to water, kids become kids
and stopping them is almost impossible. I just wanted to stay at a close distance to
address any emergencies. Yes, I know how to swim while Sabeen did not and thus I was
more composed 

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The kids played in the water as long as they could do so and finally we had to ask them
to return which they grudgingly did and thus after offering our late Zuhr prayer; we left
the place around 3:50 p.m. and subsequently reached home by 5:00 p.m. while adding
another feather in my itinerant cap.

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Incidentally, I am writing this article on 1st May 2018 which happens to be Labor Day as
well as Shab-e-Mairaj. The night, when sinners like me get a chance to ask for
forgiveness and immunity from hellfire. Since I am again being provided this
opportunity so I think I should rather avail this and call it a day here. I would also
recommend that you do the same. Till next time. Au revoir 

Shaikh Muhammad Ali

‘The Wandering Dervish’
E-mail: dushkashaikh@gmail.com
Cell: +00-92-317-0003623
14 Shaban, 1439 Hijri
1 May 2018, 08:39 p.m. (PST)
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