Artificial marble vs. Natural marble

We are building our house in bani gala islamabad, i have been surveying the local market for white color marble for kitchen counter-top and bathroom’s vanity. Pure white marble is expensive. There is an option of artificial marble in market, which you can get in any desired color. I googled it and typical characteristics of an artificial marble were that they were more stronger then natural marble and less prone to scratches. My question is : what about artificial marble quality in pakistan (specifically in pindi/islamabad). Are they durable and have anybody in this forum used them ? And where can i get good quality artificial marble in islamabad ?