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Azad Kashmir

April 09, 2023

This article is about the Pakistani administrative territory. For other uses, see Kashmir (disambiguation).

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (/ˌɑːzæd kæʃˈmɪər/;[6] Urdu: آزاد جموں و کشمیر, transl. 'Free Jammu and Kashmir' listen (help·info)),[7] abbreviated as AJK and colloquially referred to as simply Azad Kashmir, is a region administered by Pakistan as a nominally self-governing entity[8] and constituting the western portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947.[9] The territory shares a border to the north with Gilgit-Baltistan, together with which it is referred to by the United Nations and other international organizations as Pakistani-administered Kashmir.[note 1] Azad Kashmir also shares borders with the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the south and west, respectively. On its eastern side, Azad Kashmir is separated from the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (part of Indian-administered Kashmir) by the Line of Control (LoC), which serves as the de facto border between the Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of Kashmir. Geographically, it covers a total area of 13,297 km2 (5,134 sq mi) and has a total population of 4,045,366 as per the 2017 national census.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir
Region administered by Pakistan as an self-administrative territory
A map of the disputed Kashmir region showing Pakistani-administered Azad Kashmir
Coordinates: 33°50′36″N 73°51′05″E / 33.84333°N 73.85139°E / 33.84333; 73.85139Coordinates: 33°50′36″N 73°51′05″E / 33.84333°N 73.85139°E / 33.84333; 73.85139
Administering CountryPakistan
EstablishedOctober 24, 1947 (Azad Kashmir Day)
CapitalMuzaffarabad
Largest cityMuzaffarabad
Government
 • TypeSelf-governing state under Pakistani administration[1][2]
 • BodyGovernment of Azad Kashmir
 • PresidentSultan Mehmood Chaudhry
 • Prime MinisterSardar Tanveer Ilyas
 • Chief SecretaryMuhammad Usman Chachar[3]
 • LegislatureAzad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly
 • High CourtSupreme Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir
Area
 • Total13,297 km2 (5,134 sq mi)
Population
 (2017)
 • Total4,045,366
 • Density300/km2 (790/sq mi)
Languages
 • OfficialUrdu
 • Spoken
Time zoneUTC+05:00 (PKT)
ISO 3166 codePK-AJK
Literacy rate (2017)74%[4]
HDI (2019)0.612 [5]
Medium
Divisions3
Districts10
Tehsils33
Union Councils182
Websitewww.ajk.gov.pk

The territory has a parliamentary form of government modelled after the British Westminster system, with the city of Muzaffarabad serving as its capital. The President of AJK is the constitutional head of state, while the Prime Minister, supported by a Council of Ministers, is the chief executive. The unicameral Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly elects both the Prime Minister and President. The territory has its own Supreme Court and a High Court, while the Government of Pakistan's Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan serves as a link between itself and Azad Jammu and Kashmir's government, although the autonomous territory is not represented in the Parliament of Pakistan.

Northern Azad Kashmir lies in a region that experiences strong vibrations of the earth as a result of the Indian plate underthrusting the Eurasian plate.[15] A major earthquake in 2005 killed at least 100,000 people and left another three million people displaced, causing widespread devastation to the region's infrastructure and economy. Since then, with help from the Government of Pakistan and foreign aid, reconstruction of infrastructure is underway. Azad Kashmir's economy largely depends on agriculture, services, tourism, and remittances sent by members of the British Mirpuri community. Nearly 87% of Azad Kashmiri households own farm property,[16] and the region has the highest rate of school enrollment in Pakistan and a literacy rate of approximately 74%.[17][4]

Name

Azad Kashmir (Free Kashmir) was the title of a pamphlet issued by the Muslim Conference party at its 13th general session held in 1945 at Poonch.[18] It is believed to have been a response to the National Conference's Naya Kashmir (New Kashmir) programme.[19] Sources state that it was no more than a compilation of various resolutions passed by the party.[20] But its intent seems to have been to declare that the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir were committed to the Muslim League's struggle for a separate homeland (Pakistan),[18] and that the Muslim Conference was the sole representative organisation of the Muslims of Kashmir.[19] However, the following year, the party passed an "Azad Kashmir resolution" demanding that the maharaja institute a constituent assembly elected on an extended franchise.[21] According to scholar Chitralekha Zutshi, the organisation's declared goal was to achieve responsible government under the aegis of the maharaja without association with either India or Pakistan.[22] The following year, the party workers assembled at the house of Sardar Ibrahim on 19 July 1947 reversed the decision, demanding that the maharaja accede to Pakistan.[23][24]

Soon afterward, Sardar Ibrahim escaped to Pakistan and led the Poonch rebellion from there, with the assistance of Pakistan's prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan and other officials. Liaquat Ali Khan appointed a committee headed by Mian Iftikharuddin to draft a "declaration of freedom".[25] On 4 October an Azad Kashmir provisional government was declared in Lahore with Ghulam Nabi Gilkar as president under the assumed name "Mr. Anwar" and Sardar Ibrahim as the prime minister. Gilkar travelled to Srinagar and was arrested by the maharaja's government. Pakistani officials subsequently appointed Sardar Ibrahim as the president of the provisional government.[26][note 2]

Geography

 
Landscape of Azad Kashmir

The northern part of Azad Jammu and Kashmir encompasses the lower area of the Himalayas, including Jamgarh Peak (4,734 m or 15,531 ft). However, Sarwali Peak (6326 m) in Neelum Valley is the highest peak in the state.[1]

The region receives rainfall in both the winter and the summer. Muzaffarabad and Pattan are among the wettest areas of Pakistan. Throughout most of the region, the average rainfall exceeds 1400 mm, with the highest average rainfall occurring near Muzaffarabad (around 1800 mm). During the summer season, monsoon floods of the rivers Jhelum and Leepa are common due to extreme rains and snow melting.

Climate

 
Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification

The southern parts of Azad Kashmir, including the Bhimber, Mirpur, and Kotli districts, have extremely hot weather in the summer and moderate cold weather in the winter. They receive rain mostly in monsoon weather.[citation needed]

 
Paddy field in Leepa valley

In the central and northern parts of the state, the weather remains moderately hot in the summer and cold and chilly in the winter. Snowfall also occurs there in December and January.[citation needed]

The region receives rainfall in both the winter and the summer. Muzaffarabad and Pattan are among the wettest areas of the state, but they don't receive snow. Throughout most of the region, the average rainfall exceeds 1400 mm, with the highest average rainfall occurring near Muzaffarabad (around 1800 mm). During summer, monsoon floods of the Jhelum and Leepa rivers are common, due to high rainfall and melting snow.[citation needed]

History

Main articles: History of Azad Kashmir and 1947 Poonch rebellion
 
A 1946 map of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir; present-day Azad Kashmir constitutes areas of the three western-most districts

At the time of the Partition of India in 1947, the British abandoned their suzerainty over the princely states, which were left with the options of joining India or Pakistan or remaining independent. Hari Singh, the maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, wanted his state to remain independent.[28][29] Muslims in the western districts of the Jammu province (current day Azad Kashmir) and in the Frontier Districts province (current day Gilgit-Baltistan) had wanted to join Pakistan.[30]

In Spring 1947, an uprising against the maharaja broke out in Poonch, an area bordering the Rawalpindi division of West Punjab. The maharaja's administration is said to have started levying punitive taxes on the peasantry which provoked a local revolt and the administration resorted to brutal suppression. The area's population, swelled by recently demobilised soldiers following World War II, rebelled against the maharaja's forces and gained control of almost the entire district. Following this victory, the pro-Pakistan chieftains of the western districts of Muzaffarabad, Poonch and Mirpur proclaimed a provisional Azad Jammu and Kashmir government in Rawalpindi on October 3, 1947.[31][note 3] Ghulam Nabi Gilkar, under the assumed name "Mr. Anwar," issued a proclamation in the name of the provisional government in Muzaffarabad. However, this government quickly fizzled out with the arrest of Anwar in Srinagar.[33] On October 24, a second provisional government of Azad Kashmir was established at Palandri under the leadership of Sardar Ibrahim Khan.[34]

On October 21, several thousand Pashtun tribesmen from North-West Frontier Province poured into Jammu and Kashmir to "liberate" it from the maharaja's rule. They were led by experienced military leaders and were equipped with modern arms. The maharaja's crumbling forces were unable to withstand the onslaught. The raiders captured the towns of Muzaffarabad and Baramulla, the latter of which is 32 kilometres (20 mi) northwest of the state capital Srinagar. On October 24, the Maharaja requested military assistance from India, which responded that it was unable to help him unless he acceded to India. Accordingly, on October 26, 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh signed an Instrument of Accession, handing over control of defence, external affairs, and communications to the Government of India in return for military aid.[35] Indian troops were immediately airlifted into Srinagar.[36] Pakistan intervened subsequently.[29] Fighting ensued between the Indian and Pakistani armies, with the two areas of control more or less stabilised around what is now known as the "Line of Control".[37]

India later approached the United Nations, asking it to resolve the dispute, and resolutions were passed in favour of the holding of a plebiscite with regard to Kashmir's future. However, no such plebiscite has ever been held on either side, since there was a precondition that required the withdrawal of the Pakistani army along with the non-state elements and the subsequent partial withdrawal of the Indian army.[38] from the parts of Kashmir under their respective control – a withdrawal that never took place.[39] In 1949, a formal cease-fire line separating the Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of Kashmir came into effect.

Following the 1949 cease-fire agreement with India, the government of Pakistan divided the northern and western parts of Kashmir that it controlled at the time of the cease-fire into the following two separately controlled political entities:

  • Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) – the narrow, southern part, 400 km (250 mi) long, with a width varying from 15 to 65 km (10 to 40 mi).
  • Gilgit–Baltistan formerly called the Federally Administered Northern Areas (FANA) – the much larger political entity to the north of AJK with an area of 72,496 km2 (27,991 sq mi).

In 1955, the Poonch uprising broke out. It was largely concentrated in areas of Rawalakot as well as the rest of Poonch Division. It ended in 1956.[40]

At one time under Pakistani control, Kashmir's Shaksgam tract, a small region along the northeastern border of Gilgit–Baltistan, was provisionally ceded by Pakistan to the People's Republic of China in 1963 and now forms part of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

In 1972, the then current border between the Indian and Pakistani controlled parts of Kashmir was designated as the "Line of Control". This line has remained unchanged[41] since the 1972 Simla Agreement, which bound the two countries "to settle their differences by peaceful means through bilateral negotiations". Some political experts claim that, in view of that pact, the only solution to the issue is mutual negotiation between the two countries without involving a third party such as the United Nations.[citation needed] The 1974 Interim Constitution Act was passed by the 48-member Azad Jammu and Kashmir unicameral assembly.[42]

In April 1997, the Nawaz Sharif government refused to grant constitutional status to Azad Jammu and Kashmir stating that "'The grant of constitutional rights to these people will amount to unilateral annexation of these areas."[43]

Government

See also: Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir, and Interim Constitution of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (1974)
 
Muzaffarabad, the capital city of Azad Kashmir

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is nominally a self-governing state, but ever since the 1949 ceasefire between Indian and Pakistani forces, Pakistan has exercised control over the state without actually incorporating it into Pakistan.[1][44] Azad Kashmir has its own elected president, prime minister, legislative assembly, high court (with Azam Khan as its present chief justice), and official flag.[45]

Azad Kashmir's financial matters, i.e., budget and tax affairs, are dealt with by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council rather than by Pakistan's Central Board of Revenue. The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council is a supreme body consisting of 14 members, 8 from the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 6 from the government of Pakistan. Its chairman/chief executive is the prime minister of Pakistan. Other members of the council are the president and the prime minister of Azad Kashmir (or an individual nominated by her/him) and 6 members of the AJK Legislative Assembly.[45][44] Azad Kashmir Day is celebrated in Azad Jammu and Kashmir on October 24, which is the day that the Azad Jammu and Kashmir government was created in 1947. Pakistan has celebrated Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5 of each year since 1990 as a day of protest against India's de facto sovereignty over its State of Jammu and Kashmir.[46] That day is a national holiday in Pakistan.[47] Pakistan observes the Kashmir Accession Day as Black Day on October 27 of each year since 1947 as a day of protest against the accession of Jammu and Kashmir State to India and its military presence in the Indian-controlled parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

Brad Adams, the Asia director at the U.S.-based NGO Human Rights Watch said in 2006: "Although 'azad' means 'free,' the residents of Azad Kashmir are anything but; the Pakistani authorities govern the Azad Kashmir government with tight controls on basic freedoms."[48] Scholar Christopher Snedden has observed that despite tight controls, the people of Azad Kashmir have generally accepted whatever Pakistan has done to them, which in any case has varied little from how most Pakistanis have been treated (by Pakistan). According to Christopher Snedden, one of the reasons for this was that the people of Azad Kashmir had always wanted to be part of Pakistan.[49]

Consequently, having little to fear from a pro-Pakistan population devoid of options,[49] Pakistan imposed its will through the Federal Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and failed to empower the people of Azad Kashmir, allowing genuine self-government for only a short period in the 1970s. According to the interim constitution that was drawn up in the 1970s, the only political parties that are allowed to exist are those that pay allegiance to Pakistan: "No person or political party in Azad Jammu and Kashmir shall be permitted... activities prejudicial or detrimental to the State's accession to Pakistan."[49] The pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front has never been allowed to contest elections in Azad Kashmir.[50] While the interim constitution does not give them a choice, the people of Azad Kashmir have not considered any option other than joining Pakistan.[49] Except in a legal sense, Azad Kashmir has been fully integrated into Pakistan.[49]

Azad Kashmir is home to a vibrant civil society. One of the organizations active in the territory and inside Pakistan is YFK-International Kashmir Lobby Group, an NGO that seeks better India-Pakistan relations through conflict resolution in Kashmir.

Development

According to the project report by the Asian Development Bank, the bank has set out development goals for Azad Kashmir in the areas of health, education, nutrition, and social development. The whole project is estimated to cost US$76 million.[51] Germany, between 2006 and 2014, has also donated $38 million towards the AJK Health Infrastructure Programme.[52]

Administrative divisions

See also: List of tehsils of Azad Kashmir
 
Districts of Azad Kashmir

The state is administratively divided into three divisions which, in turn, are divided into ten districts.[53]

Division District Area (km2) Population (2017 Census) Headquarters
Mirpur Mirpur 1,010 456,200 New Mirpur City
Kotli 1,862 774,194 Kotli
Bhimber 1,516 420,624 Bhimber
Muzaffarabad Muzaffarabad 1,642 650,370 Muzaffarabad
Hattian 854 230,529 Hattian Bala
Neelam Valley 3,621 191,251 Athmuqam
Poonch Poonch 855 500,571 Rawalakot
Haveli 600 152,124 Forward Kahuta
Bagh 768 371,919 Bagh
Sudhanoti 569 297,584 Palandri
Total 10 districts 13,297 4,045,366 Muzaffarabad

Demographics

Population

The population of Azad Kashmir, according to the preliminary results of the 2017 Census, is 4.045 million.[54] The website of the AJK government reports the literacy rate to be 74%, with the enrolment rate in primary school being 98% and 90% for boys and girls respectively.[55]

The population of Azad Kashmir is almost entirely Muslim. The people of this region culturally differ from the Kashmiris living in the Kashmir Valley of Jammu and Kashmir and are closer to the culture of Jammu. Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber are all old towns of the Jammu region.[56]

Religion

Azad Jammu and Kashmir has an almost entirely Muslim population. According to data maintained by Christian community organizations, there are around 4,500 Christian residents in the region. Bhimber is home to most of them, followed by Mirpur and Muzaffarabad. A few dozen families also live in Kotli, Poonch, and Bagh. However, the Christian community has been struggling to get residential status and property rights in AJK. There is no official data on the total number of Bahais in AJK. Only six Bahai families are known to be living in Muzaffarabad with others living in rural areas. The followers of the Ahmadi faith are estimated to be somewhere between 20,000 and 25,000, and most of them live in Kotli, Mirpur, Bhimber, and Muzaffarabad.[57]

Ethnic groups

See also: Azad Kashmiri diaspora

Christopher Snedden writes that most of the native residents of Azad Kashmir are not of Kashmiri ethnicity; rather, they could be called "Jammuites" due to their historical and cultural links with that region, which is coterminous with neighbouring Punjab and Hazara.[58][59] Because their region was formerly a part of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir and is named after it, many Azad Kashmiris have adopted the "Kashmiri" identity, whereas in an ethnolinguistic context, the term "Kashmiri" would ordinarily refer to natives of the Kashmir Valley region.[60] The population of Azad Kashmir has strong historical, cultural and linguistic affinities with the neighbouring populations of upper Punjab and Potohar region of Pakistan,[61][62] whereas the Sudhans have the oral tradition of the Pashtuns.[63][64]

The main communities living in this region are:[65]

  • Gujjars – They are an agricultural tribe and are estimated to be the largest community living in the ten districts of Azad Kashmir.[65][66][67]
  • Sudhans – (also known as Sadozai, Sardar) are the second largest tribe, living mainly in the districts of Poonch, Sudhanoti, Bagh, and Kotli in Azad Kashmir, and allegedly originating from the Pashtun areas.[68][65][66] Together with the Rajputs, they are the source of most of Azad Kashmir's political leaders.[69]
  • Jats – They are one of the larger communities of AJK and primarily inhabit the districts of Mirpur, Bhimber, and Kotli. A large Mirpuri population lives in the U.K. and it is estimated that more people of Mirpuri origins are now residing in the U.K. than in the Mirpur district, which retains strong ties with the U.K.[65][70]
  • Rajputs – They are spread across the territory, and they number a little under half a million. Together with the Sundhans, they are the source of most of Azad Kashmir's political class.[69]
  • Mughals – Largely located in the Bagh and Muzaffarabad districts.[67]
  • Awans – A clan with significant numbers in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, living mainly in the Bagh, Poonch, Hattian Bala, and Muzaffarabad. Awans also reside in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in large numbers.[65][66][67]
  • Dhund – They are a large clan in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and live mostly in the Bagh, Hattian Bala, and Muzaffarabad districts. They also inhabit Abbottabad and upper Potohar Punjab in large numbers.[65][66][67]
  • Kashmiris – Ethnic Kashmiri populations are found in the Neelam Valley and the Leepa Valley (see Kashmiris in Azad Kashmir).[71]

Languages

Languages by approximate number of speakers[72]

  Pahari-Pothwari (68%)
  Gojri (19%)
  Kashmiri (5%)
  Others (8%)

The official language of Azad Kashmir is Urdu,[73][note 4] while English is used in higher domains. The majority of the population, however, are native speakers of other languages. The foremost among these is Pahari–Pothwari with its various dialects. There are also sizeable communities speaking Kashmiri (mostly in the north), Gujari (throughout the territory), and Dogri (in the south), as well as pockets of speakers of Kundal Shahi, Shina and Pashto. With the exception of Pashto and English, those languages belong to the Indo-Aryan language family.

The dialects of the Pahari-Pothwari language complex cover most of the territory of Azad Kashmir. Those are also spoken across the Line of Control in the neighbouring areas of Indian Jammu and Kashmir and are closely related both to Punjabi to the south and Hinko to the northwest. The language variety in the southern districts of Azad Kashmir is known by a variety of names – including Mirpuri, Pothwari and Pahari – and is closely related to the Pothwari proper spoken to the east in the Pothohar region of Punjab. The dialects of the central districts of Azad Kashmir are occasionally referred to in the literature as Chibhali or Punchi, but the speakers themselves usually call them Pahari, an ambiguous name that is also used for several unrelated languages of the lower Himalayas. Going north, the speech forms gradually change into Hindko. Today, in the Muzaffarabad District the preferred local name for the language is Hindko, although it is still apparently more closely related to the core dialects of Pahari.[74] Further north in the Neelam Valley the dialect, locally also known as Parmi, can more unambiguously be subsumed under Hindko.[75]

Another major language of Azad Kashmir is Gujari. It is spoken by several hundred thousand[note 5] people among the traditionally nomadic Gujars, many of whom are nowadays settled. Not all ethnic Gujars speak Gujari, the proportion of those who have shifted to other languages is probably higher in southern Azad Kashmir.[76] Gujari is most closely related to the Rajasthani languages (particularly Mewati), although it also shares features with Punjabi.[77] It is dispersed over large areas in northern Pakistan and India. Within Pakistan, the Gujari dialects of Azad Kashmir are more similar, in terms of shared basic vocabulary and mutual intelligibility, to the Gujar varieties of the neighbouring Hazara region than to the dialects spoken further to the northwest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and north in Gilgit.[78]

There are scattered communities of Kashmiri speakers,[79] notably in the Neelam Valley, where they form the second-largest language group after speakers of Hindko.[80] There have been calls for the teaching of Kashmiri (particularly in order to counter India's claim of promoting the culture of Kashmir), but the limited attempts at introducing the language at the secondary school level have not been successful, and it is Urdu, rather than Kashmiri, that Kashmiri Muslims have seen as their identity symbol.[81] There is an ongoing process of gradual shift to larger local languages,[73] but at least in the Neelam Valley there still exist communities for whom Kashmiri is the sole mother tongue.[82]

There are speakers of Dogri in the southernmost district of Bhimber, where they are estimated to represent almost a third of the district's population.[72] In the northernmost district of Neelam, there are small communities of speakers of several other languages. Shina, which like Kashmiri belongs to the broad Dardic group, is present in two distinct varieties spoken altogether in three villages. Pashto, of the Iranian subgroup and the majority language in the neighbouring province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is spoken in two villages, both situated on the Line of Control. The endangered Kundal Shahi is native to the eponymous village and it is the only language not found outside Azad Kashmir.[83]

Economy

Main article: Economy of Azad Kashmir
 
Neelum Valley is a tourist destination in Azad Kashmir.

As of 2021, GDP of Azad Jammu and Kashmir was estimated to be 10 billion pounds, giving per capita an income of £5604.[84] Historically the economy of Azad Kashmir has been agricultural which meant that land was the main source or mean of production. This means that all food for immediate and long-term consumption was produced from the land. The produce included various crops, fruits, vegetables, etc. The land was also the source of other livelihood necessities such as wood, fuel, grazing for animals which then turned into dairy products. Because of this land was also the main source of revenue for the governments whose primary purpose for centuries was to accumulate revenue.[85]

Agriculture is a major part of Azad Kashmir's economy. Low-lying areas that have high populations grow crops like barley, mangoes, millet, corn (maize), and wheat, and also raise cattle. In the elevated areas that are less populated and more spread out, forestry, corn, and livestock are the main sources of income. There are mineral and marble resources in Azad Kashmir close to Mirpur and Muzaffarabad. There are also graphite deposits at Mohriwali. There are also reservoirs of low-grade coal, chalk, bauxite, and zircon. Local household industries produce carved wooden objects, textiles, and dhurrie carpets.[1] There is also an arts and crafts industry that produces such cultural goods as namdas, shawls, pashmina, pherans, Papier-mâché, basketry copper, rugs, wood carving, silk and woolen clothing, patto, carpets, namda gubba, and silverware. Agricultural goods produced in the region include mushrooms, honey, walnuts, apples, cherries, medicinal herbs and plants, resin, deodar, kail, chir, fir, maple, and ash timber.[1][44][86]

 
Munda Gali, Leepa Valley

The migration to the UK was accelerated and by the completion of Mangla Dam in 1967 the process of 'chain migration' became in full flow. Today, remittances from British Mirpuri community make a critical role in AJK's economy. In the mid-1950s various economic and social development processes were launched in Azad Kashmir. In the 1960s, with the construction of the Mangla Dam in Mirpur District, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Government began to receive royalties from the Pakistani government for the electricity that the dam provided to Pakistan. During the mid-2000s, a multibillion-dollar reconstruction began in the aftermath of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake.[87]

In addition to agriculture, textiles, and arts and crafts, remittances have played a major role in the economy of Azad Kashmir. One analyst estimated that the figure for Azad Kashmir was 25.1% in 2001. With regard to annual household income, people living in the higher areas are more dependent on remittances than are those living in the lower areas.[88] In the latter part of 2006, billions of dollars for development were mooted by international aid agencies for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of earthquake-hit zones in Azad Kashmir, though much of that amount was subsequently lost in bureaucratic channels, leading to considerable delays in help getting to the neediest. Hundreds of people continued to live in tents long after the earthquake.[87] A land-use plan for the city of Muzaffarabad was prepared by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Tourist destinations in the area include the following:

Education

The literacy rate in Azad Kashmir was 62% in 2004, higher than in any other region of Pakistan.[89] The current literacy rate of Azad Kashmir is 76.60% in 2018.[90] And it remained at 79.80% in 2019. According to the 2020–2021 census, the literacy rate in Azad Kashmir was 91.34%.[91] However, only 2.2% were graduates, compared to the average of 2.9% for Pakistan.[92]

Universities

The following is a list of universities recognised by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC):[93]

University Location(s) Established Type Specialization Website
Mirpur University of Science and Technology, Mirpur Mirpur 1980 (2008)* Public Engineering & Technology [1]
University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Muzaffarabad 1980 Public General [2]
University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Neelam Campus) Neelum 2013 Public General
University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Jhelum Valley Campus) Jhelum Valley District 2013 Public General [4]
Al-Khair University Bhimber 1994 (2011*) Private General [5]
Mohi-ud-Din Islamic University Nerian Sharif 2000 Private General [6]
University of Poonch (Rawlakot Campus) Rawalakot 1980 (2012)* Public General [7]
University of Poonch (SM Campus, Mong, Sudhnoti District) Sudhnoti District 2014 Public General [8]
University of Poonch (Kahuta Campus, Haveli District) Haveli District 2015 Public General [9]
Women University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Bagh Bagh 2013 Public General [10]
University of Management Sciences and Information Technology Kotli 2014 Public General
Mirpur University of Science and Technology (Bhimber Campus) Bhimber 2013 Public Science & Humanities [12]

* Granted university status.

Cadet College Pallandri

  • Cadet College Palandri is situated about 100 km (62 mi) from Islamabad

Medical colleges

The following is a list of undergraduate medical institutions recognised by Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) as of 2013.[94]

Private medical colleges

Sports

Football, cricket, and volleyball are very popular in Azad Kashmir. Many tournaments are also held throughout the year and in the holy month of Ramazan, night-time flood-lit tournaments are also organised.

Azad Kashmir has its own T20 tournament called the Kashmir Premier League, which started in 2021.

New Mirpur City has a cricket stadium (Quaid-e-Azam Stadium) which has been taken over by the Pakistan Cricket Board for renovation to bring it up to the international standards. There is also a cricket stadium in Muzaffarabad with a capacity of 8,000 people. This stadium has hosted 8 matches of the Inter-District Under 19 Tournament 2013.

There are also registered football clubs:

  • Pilot Football Club
  • Youth Football Club
  • Kashmir National FC
  • Azad Super FC

Culture

Main article: Culture of Kashmir

Tourism

These paragraphs are an excerpt from Tourism in Azad Kashmir.[edit]

The northern part of Azad Jammu and Kashmir encompasses the lower part of the Himalayas, including Jamgarh Peak (15,531 feet, or 4,734 meters). However, Sarwali peak in the Neelum Valley is the highest peak in the state.[95] Fertile, green, mountainous valleys are characteristic of Azad Kashmir's geography, making it one of the most beautiful regions on the subcontinent.[96]

The southern parts of Azad Kashmir including Bhimber, Mirpur and Kotli districts has extremely hot weather in summers and moderate cold weather in winters. It receives rains mostly in monsoon weather.

In the central and northern parts of state weather remains moderate hot in summers and very cold and chilly in winter. Snow fall also occurs there in December and January.

This region receives rainfall in both winters and summers. Muzaffarabad and Pattan are among the wettest areas of the state. Throughout most of the region, the average rainfall exceeds 1400 mm, with the highest average rainfall occurring near Muzaffarabad (around 1800 mm). During summer, monsoon floods of the Jhelum and Leepa river are common, due to high rainfall and melting snow.

Notable people

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The Indian government and Indian sources refer to the Pakistani-administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan as "Pakistan-occupied Kashmir" ("POK")[10] or, albeit more rarely, "Pakistan-held Kashmir" ("PHK").[11] Sometimes Azad Kashmir alone is meant by these terms.[10] The terms "Pakistani-administered Kashmir" and "Pakistani-controlled Kashmir"[12][13] are used by neutral sources. Conversely, the Pakistani government and Pakistani sources refer to the Indian-administered territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as "Indian-held Kashmir" ("IHK") or "Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir" ("IIOJK"), colloquially shortened to "Indian-occupied Kashmir" ("IOK").[10][14]
  2. ^ The official with direct involvement in the affair was the Commissioner of Rawalpindi Division, Khawaja Abdul Rahim. He was assisted by Nasim Jahan, the wife of Colonel Akbar Khan.[27]
  3. ^ Officially, the Mirpur and Poonch districts were in the Jammu province of the state and Muzaffarabad was in the Kashmir province. All three provinces spoke languages related to Punjabi, not the Kashmiri language spoken in the Kashmir Valley.[32]
  4. ^ Snedden 2013, p. 176: On p. 29, the census report states that Urdu is the official language of the government of Azad Kashmir, with Kashmiri, Pahari, Gojri, Punjabi, Kohistani, Pushto, and Sheena 'frequently spoken in Azad Kashmir'. Yet, when surveyed about their 'mother tongue', Azad Kashmiris' choices were limited to selecting from Pakistan's major languages: Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pushto, Balochi, Saraiki, and 'others'; not surprisingly, 2.18 million of Azad Kashmir's 2.97 million people chose 'others'.
  5. ^ Hallberg & O'Leary (1992, p. 96) report two rough estimates for the total population of Gujari speakers in Azad Kashmir: 200,000 and 700,000, both from the 1980s.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Azad Kashmir". Encyclopædia Britannica. from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  2. ^ "Kashmir profile". BBC News. November 26, 2014. from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  3. ^ "Usman Chachar Named New AJK Chief Secretary". from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Dr Pervez Tahir. "Education spending in AJK". The Express Tribune. from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  5. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. from the original on September 23, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  6. ^ . Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020.
  7. ^ Bose, Sumantra (2009). Contested Lands. Harvard University Press. p. 193. ISBN 978-0-674-02856-2. from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2016. Azad Kashmir – 'Free Kashmir,' the more populated and nominally self-governing part of Pakistani-controlled Kashmir
  8. ^ See:
    • Bird, Richard M.; Vaillancourt, François (2008). Fiscal Decentralization in Developing Countries. Cambridge University Press. pp. 127–. ISBN 978-0-521-10158-5. from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
    • Bose, Sumantra (2009). Contested Lands. Harvard University Press. p. 193. ISBN 978-0-674-02856-2. from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2016. Azad Kashmir – 'Free Kashmir,' the more populated and nominally self-governing part of Pakistani-controlled Kashmir
    • . Herald. May 7, 2015. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015. These are self-ruled autonomous regions. But restrictions apply.
  9. ^ The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary sources (a) and (b), reflecting due weight in the coverage:
    (a) "Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent", Encyclopædia Britannica, from the original on August 13, 2019, retrieved August 15, 2019 (subscription required) Quote: "Kashmir, region of the northwestern Indian subcontinent ... has been the subject of dispute between India and Pakistan since the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947. The northern and western portions are administered by Pakistan and comprise two areas: Azad Kashmir, Gilgit- Baltistan, the last being part of a territory called the Northern Areas. Administered by India are the southern and southeastern portions, which constitute the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir but are slated to be split into two union territories. China became active in the eastern area of Kashmir in the 1950s and has controlled the northeastern part of Ladakh (the easternmost portion of the region) since 1962.";
    (b) "Kashmir", Encyclopedia Americana, Scholastic Library Publishing, 2006, p. 328, ISBN 978-0-7172-0139-6, from the original on January 17, 2023, retrieved September 20, 2019 C. E Bosworth, University of Manchester Quote: "KASHMIR, kash'mer, the northernmost region of the Indian subcontinent, administered partly by India, partly by Pakistan, and partly by China. The region has been the subject of a bitter dispute between India and Pakistan since they became independent in 1947";
  10. ^ a b c Snedden 2013, pp. 2–3.
  11. ^ Chandra, Bipan; Mukherjee, Aditya; Mukherje, Mridula (2008). India since Independence. Penguin Books India. p. 416. ISBN 978-0143104094.
  12. ^ Bose, Sumantra (2009). Contested lands: Israel-Palestine, Kashmir, Bosnia, Cyprus and Sri Lanka. Harvard University Press. p. 193. ISBN 978-0674028562.
  13. ^ Behera, Navnita Chadha (2007). Demystifying Kashmir. Pearson Education India. p. 66. ISBN 978-8131708460.
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  19. ^ a b Kapoor, Politics of Protests in Jammu and Kashmir (2014), Chapter 6, p. 273.
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  21. ^ Saraf, Kashmiris Fight for Freedom, Volume 1 (2015), p. 663.
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  59. ^ Kennedy, Charles H. (August 2, 2004). "Pakistan: Ethnic Diversity and Colonial Legacy". In John Coakley (ed.). The Territorial Management of Ethnic Conflict. Routledge. p. 153. ISBN 9781135764425. from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  60. ^ Christopher Snedden (September 15, 2015). Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris. Hurst. pp. 21–24. ISBN 978-1-84904-622-0. from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  61. ^ Jabeen, Nazish; Malik, Sajid (June 2014), "Consanguinity and Its Sociodemographic Differentials in Bhimber District, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan", Journal of Health, Population, and Nutrition, 32 (2): 301–313, PMC 4216966, PMID 25076667, Kashmiri population in the northeast of Pakistan has strong historical, cultural and linguistic affinities with the neighbouring populations of upper Punjab and Potohar region of Pakistan.
  62. ^ Ballard, Roger (March 2, 1991), (PDF), Economic and Political Weekly, 26 (9/10): 513–517, JSTOR 4397403, archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016, retrieved July 19, 2020, ... they are best seen as forming the eastern and northern limits of the Potohari Punjabi culture which is otherwise characteristic of the upland parts of Rawalpindi and Jhelum Districts
  63. ^ Syed Ali (1998). "South Asia: The Perils of Covert Coercion". In Lawrence Freedman (ed.). Strategic Coercion: Concepts and Cases. Oxford University Press. p. 253. ISBN 0-19-829349-6. Poonch at the time of partition was predominantly Muslim and the overwhelming majority of them were Sudhans, who were descendants of Pashtuns of Afghanistan, settled in the region some centuries ago.
  64. ^ Snedden 2013, p. 43: "Sudhans from Poonch considered themselves to be Sudho Zai Pathans (Pukhtoons), which explained why the Pashtun tribesmen from NWFP province lost no time coming to help Jammu and Kashmir's Muslims in 1947..".
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  74. ^ The preceding paragraph is mostly based on Lothers & Lothers (2010). For further references, see the bibliography in Pahari-Pothwari.
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Sources
  • Akhtar, Raja Nasim; Rehman, Khawaja A. (2007). "The Languages of the Neelam Valley". Kashmir Journal of Language Research. 10 (1): 65–84. ISSN 1028-6640.
  • Behera, Navnita Chadha (2007), Demystifying Kashmir, Pearson Education India, ISBN 978-8131708460
  • Bose, Sumantra (2003). Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-01173-2.
  • Ganai, Muhammad Yousuf (1999), Dogra Raj and the Struggle for Freedom in Kashmir (1932–1947) (PhD thesis), University of Kashmir, hdl:10603/33268 – via Shodhganga
  • Hallberg, Calinda E.; O'Leary, Clare F. (1992). "Dialect Variation and Multilingualism among Gujars of Pakistan". In O'Leary, Clare F.; Rensch, Calvin R.; Hallberg, Calinda E. (eds.). Hindko and Gujari. Sociolinguistic Survey of Northern Pakistan. Islamabad: National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University and Summer Institute of Linguistics. pp. 91–196. ISBN 969-8023-13-5.
  • Kapoor, Sindhu (2014), Politics of Protests in Jammu and Kashmir from 1925 to 1951 (PhD thesis), University of Jammu, hdl:10603/78307 – via Shodhganga
  • Lothers, Michael; Lothers, Laura (2010). Pahari and Pothwari: a sociolinguistic survey (Report). SIL Electronic Survey Reports. Vol. 2010–012.
  • Rahman, Tariq (1996). Language and politics in Pakistan. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-577692-8.
  • Rahman, Tariq (2002). Language, ideology and power : language learning among the Muslims of Pakistan and North India. Karachi: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-579644-5.
  • Saraf, Muhammad Yusuf (2015) [first published 1977 by Ferozsons], Kashmiris Fight for Freedom, Volume 1, Mirpur: National Institute Kashmir Studies
    • Saraf, Muhammad Yusuf (1977), Kashmiris Fight for Freedom, Volume 1, Ferozsons
  • Saraf, Muhammad Yusuf (2015) [first published 1979 by Ferozsons], Kashmiris Fight for Freedom, Volume 2, Mirpur: National Institute Kashmir Studies
  • Snedden, Christopher (2013) [first published as The Untold Story of the People of Azad Kashmir, 2012]. Kashmir: The Unwritten History. HarperCollins India. ISBN 978-9350298985.

Further reading

  • Mathur, Shubh (2008). "Srinagar-Muzaffarabad-New York: A Kashmiri Family's Exile". In Roy, Anjali Gera; Bhatia, Nandi (eds.). Partitioned Lives: Narratives of Home, Displacement and Resettlement. Pearson Education India. ISBN 978-9332506206.
  • Schoefield, Victoria (2003) [First published in 2000]. Kashmir in Conflict. London and New York: I. B. Taurus & Co. ISBN 1860648983.

External links

  • Official website
  • Planning & Development Department AJ&K AJ&K Planning and Development Department
  • AJ&K Tourism & Archaeology Department Tourism in Azad Kashmir

April 09, 2023
azad, kashmir, this, article, about, pakistani, administrative, territory, other, uses, kashmir, disambiguation, azad, jammu, kashmir, ɑː, ɪər, urdu, آزاد, جموں, کشمیر, transl, free, jammu, kashmir, listen, help, info, abbreviated, colloquially, referred, simp. This article is about the Pakistani administrative territory For other uses see Kashmir disambiguation Azad Jammu and Kashmir ˌ ɑː z ae d k ae ʃ ˈ m ɪer 6 Urdu آزاد جموں و کشمیر transl Free Jammu and Kashmir listen help info 7 abbreviated as AJK and colloquially referred to as simply Azad Kashmir is a region administered by Pakistan as a nominally self governing entity 8 and constituting the western portion of the larger Kashmir region which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 9 The territory shares a border to the north with Gilgit Baltistan together with which it is referred to by the United Nations and other international organizations as Pakistani administered Kashmir note 1 Azad Kashmir also shares borders with the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the south and west respectively On its eastern side Azad Kashmir is separated from the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir part of Indian administered Kashmir by the Line of Control LoC which serves as the de facto border between the Indian and Pakistani controlled parts of Kashmir Geographically it covers a total area of 13 297 km2 5 134 sq mi and has a total population of 4 045 366 as per the 2017 national census Azad Jammu and KashmirRegion administered by Pakistan as an self administrative territorytop Arang Kel bottom Mangla reservoirA map of the disputed Kashmir region showing Pakistani administered Azad KashmirCoordinates 33 50 36 N 73 51 05 E 33 84333 N 73 85139 E 33 84333 73 85139 Coordinates 33 50 36 N 73 51 05 E 33 84333 N 73 85139 E 33 84333 73 85139Administering CountryPakistanEstablishedOctober 24 1947 Azad Kashmir Day CapitalMuzaffarabadLargest cityMuzaffarabadGovernment TypeSelf governing state under Pakistani administration 1 2 BodyGovernment of Azad Kashmir PresidentSultan Mehmood Chaudhry Prime MinisterSardar Tanveer Ilyas Chief SecretaryMuhammad Usman Chachar 3 LegislatureAzad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly High CourtSupreme Court of Azad Jammu and KashmirArea Total13 297 km2 5 134 sq mi Population 2017 Total4 045 366 Density300 km2 790 sq mi Languages OfficialUrdu SpokenPahari PothwariGojriHindkoKashmiriPunjabiTime zoneUTC 05 00 PKT ISO 3166 codePK AJKLiteracy rate 2017 74 4 HDI 2019 0 612 5 MediumDivisions3Districts10Tehsils33Union Councils182Websitewww wbr ajk wbr gov wbr pkThe territory has a parliamentary form of government modelled after the British Westminster system with the city of Muzaffarabad serving as its capital The President of AJK is the constitutional head of state while the Prime Minister supported by a Council of Ministers is the chief executive The unicameral Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly elects both the Prime Minister and President The territory has its own Supreme Court and a High Court while the Government of Pakistan s Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan serves as a link between itself and Azad Jammu and Kashmir s government although the autonomous territory is not represented in the Parliament of Pakistan Northern Azad Kashmir lies in a region that experiences strong vibrations of the earth as a result of the Indian plate underthrusting the Eurasian plate 15 A major earthquake in 2005 killed at least 100 000 people and left another three million people displaced causing widespread devastation to the region s infrastructure and economy Since then with help from the Government of Pakistan and foreign aid reconstruction of infrastructure is underway Azad Kashmir s economy largely depends on agriculture services tourism and remittances sent by members of the British Mirpuri community Nearly 87 of Azad Kashmiri households own farm property 16 and the region has the highest rate of school enrollment in Pakistan and a literacy rate of approximately 74 17 4 Contents 1 Name 2 Geography 2 1 Climate 3 History 4 Government 5 Development 6 Administrative divisions 7 Demographics 7 1 Population 7 2 Religion 7 3 Ethnic groups 7 4 Languages 8 Economy 9 Education 9 1 Universities 9 1 1 Cadet College Pallandri 9 2 Medical colleges 9 2 1 Private medical colleges 10 Sports 11 Culture 12 Tourism 13 Notable people 14 See also 15 Notes 16 References 17 Further reading 18 External linksNameAzad Kashmir Free Kashmir was the title of a pamphlet issued by the Muslim Conference party at its 13th general session held in 1945 at Poonch 18 It is believed to have been a response to the National Conference s Naya Kashmir New Kashmir programme 19 Sources state that it was no more than a compilation of various resolutions passed by the party 20 But its intent seems to have been to declare that the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir were committed to the Muslim League s struggle for a separate homeland Pakistan 18 and that the Muslim Conference was the sole representative organisation of the Muslims of Kashmir 19 However the following year the party passed an Azad Kashmir resolution demanding that the maharaja institute a constituent assembly elected on an extended franchise 21 According to scholar Chitralekha Zutshi the organisation s declared goal was to achieve responsible government under the aegis of the maharaja without association with either India or Pakistan 22 The following year the party workers assembled at the house of Sardar Ibrahim on 19 July 1947 reversed the decision demanding that the maharaja accede to Pakistan 23 24 Soon afterward Sardar Ibrahim escaped to Pakistan and led the Poonch rebellion from there with the assistance of Pakistan s prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan and other officials Liaquat Ali Khan appointed a committee headed by Mian Iftikharuddin to draft a declaration of freedom 25 On 4 October an Azad Kashmir provisional government was declared in Lahore with Ghulam Nabi Gilkar as president under the assumed name Mr Anwar and Sardar Ibrahim as the prime minister Gilkar travelled to Srinagar and was arrested by the maharaja s government Pakistani officials subsequently appointed Sardar Ibrahim as the president of the provisional government 26 note 2 Geography Landscape of Azad Kashmir The northern part of Azad Jammu and Kashmir encompasses the lower area of the Himalayas including Jamgarh Peak 4 734 m or 15 531 ft However Sarwali Peak 6326 m in Neelum Valley is the highest peak in the state 1 The region receives rainfall in both the winter and the summer Muzaffarabad and Pattan are among the wettest areas of Pakistan Throughout most of the region the average rainfall exceeds 1400 mm with the highest average rainfall occurring near Muzaffarabad around 1800 mm During the summer season monsoon floods of the rivers Jhelum and Leepa are common due to extreme rains and snow melting Climate Map of the Koppen Geiger climate classification The southern parts of Azad Kashmir including the Bhimber Mirpur and Kotli districts have extremely hot weather in the summer and moderate cold weather in the winter They receive rain mostly in monsoon weather citation needed Paddy field in Leepa valley In the central and northern parts of the state the weather remains moderately hot in the summer and cold and chilly in the winter Snowfall also occurs there in December and January citation needed The region receives rainfall in both the winter and the summer Muzaffarabad and Pattan are among the wettest areas of the state but they don t receive snow Throughout most of the region the average rainfall exceeds 1400 mm with the highest average rainfall occurring near Muzaffarabad around 1800 mm During summer monsoon floods of the Jhelum and Leepa rivers are common due to high rainfall and melting snow citation needed HistoryMain articles History of Azad Kashmir and 1947 Poonch rebellion A 1946 map of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir present day Azad Kashmir constitutes areas of the three western most districts At the time of the Partition of India in 1947 the British abandoned their suzerainty over the princely states which were left with the options of joining India or Pakistan or remaining independent Hari Singh the maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir wanted his state to remain independent 28 29 Muslims in the western districts of the Jammu province current day Azad Kashmir and in the Frontier Districts province current day Gilgit Baltistan had wanted to join Pakistan 30 In Spring 1947 an uprising against the maharaja broke out in Poonch an area bordering the Rawalpindi division of West Punjab The maharaja s administration is said to have started levying punitive taxes on the peasantry which provoked a local revolt and the administration resorted to brutal suppression The area s population swelled by recently demobilised soldiers following World War II rebelled against the maharaja s forces and gained control of almost the entire district Following this victory the pro Pakistan chieftains of the western districts of Muzaffarabad Poonch and Mirpur proclaimed a provisional Azad Jammu and Kashmir government in Rawalpindi on October 3 1947 31 note 3 Ghulam Nabi Gilkar under the assumed name Mr Anwar issued a proclamation in the name of the provisional government in Muzaffarabad However this government quickly fizzled out with the arrest of Anwar in Srinagar 33 On October 24 a second provisional government of Azad Kashmir was established at Palandri under the leadership of Sardar Ibrahim Khan 34 On October 21 several thousand Pashtun tribesmen from North West Frontier Province poured into Jammu and Kashmir to liberate it from the maharaja s rule They were led by experienced military leaders and were equipped with modern arms The maharaja s crumbling forces were unable to withstand the onslaught The raiders captured the towns of Muzaffarabad and Baramulla the latter of which is 32 kilometres 20 mi northwest of the state capital Srinagar On October 24 the Maharaja requested military assistance from India which responded that it was unable to help him unless he acceded to India Accordingly on October 26 1947 Maharaja Hari Singh signed an Instrument of Accession handing over control of defence external affairs and communications to the Government of India in return for military aid 35 Indian troops were immediately airlifted into Srinagar 36 Pakistan intervened subsequently 29 Fighting ensued between the Indian and Pakistani armies with the two areas of control more or less stabilised around what is now known as the Line of Control 37 India later approached the United Nations asking it to resolve the dispute and resolutions were passed in favour of the holding of a plebiscite with regard to Kashmir s future However no such plebiscite has ever been held on either side since there was a precondition that required the withdrawal of the Pakistani army along with the non state elements and the subsequent partial withdrawal of the Indian army 38 from the parts of Kashmir under their respective control a withdrawal that never took place 39 In 1949 a formal cease fire line separating the Indian and Pakistani controlled parts of Kashmir came into effect Following the 1949 cease fire agreement with India the government of Pakistan divided the northern and western parts of Kashmir that it controlled at the time of the cease fire into the following two separately controlled political entities Azad Jammu and Kashmir AJK the narrow southern part 400 km 250 mi long with a width varying from 15 to 65 km 10 to 40 mi Gilgit Baltistan formerly called the Federally Administered Northern Areas FANA the much larger political entity to the north of AJK with an area of 72 496 km2 27 991 sq mi In 1955 the Poonch uprising broke out It was largely concentrated in areas of Rawalakot as well as the rest of Poonch Division It ended in 1956 40 At one time under Pakistani control Kashmir s Shaksgam tract a small region along the northeastern border of Gilgit Baltistan was provisionally ceded by Pakistan to the People s Republic of China in 1963 and now forms part of China s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region In 1972 the then current border between the Indian and Pakistani controlled parts of Kashmir was designated as the Line of Control This line has remained unchanged 41 since the 1972 Simla Agreement which bound the two countries to settle their differences by peaceful means through bilateral negotiations Some political experts claim that in view of that pact the only solution to the issue is mutual negotiation between the two countries without involving a third party such as the United Nations citation needed The 1974 Interim Constitution Act was passed by the 48 member Azad Jammu and Kashmir unicameral assembly 42 In April 1997 the Nawaz Sharif government refused to grant constitutional status to Azad Jammu and Kashmir stating that The grant of constitutional rights to these people will amount to unilateral annexation of these areas 43 GovernmentSee also Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir and Interim Constitution of Azad Jammu and Kashmir 1974 Muzaffarabad the capital city of Azad Kashmir Bagh City Azad Jammu and Kashmir AJK is nominally a self governing state but ever since the 1949 ceasefire between Indian and Pakistani forces Pakistan has exercised control over the state without actually incorporating it into Pakistan 1 44 Azad Kashmir has its own elected president prime minister legislative assembly high court with Azam Khan as its present chief justice and official flag 45 Azad Kashmir s financial matters i e budget and tax affairs are dealt with by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council rather than by Pakistan s Central Board of Revenue The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council is a supreme body consisting of 14 members 8 from the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 6 from the government of Pakistan Its chairman chief executive is the prime minister of Pakistan Other members of the council are the president and the prime minister of Azad Kashmir or an individual nominated by her him and 6 members of the AJK Legislative Assembly 45 44 Azad Kashmir Day is celebrated in Azad Jammu and Kashmir on October 24 which is the day that the Azad Jammu and Kashmir government was created in 1947 Pakistan has celebrated Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5 of each year since 1990 as a day of protest against India s de facto sovereignty over its State of Jammu and Kashmir 46 That day is a national holiday in Pakistan 47 Pakistan observes the Kashmir Accession Day as Black Day on October 27 of each year since 1947 as a day of protest against the accession of Jammu and Kashmir State to India and its military presence in the Indian controlled parts of Jammu and Kashmir Brad Adams the Asia director at the U S based NGO Human Rights Watch said in 2006 Although azad means free the residents of Azad Kashmir are anything but the Pakistani authorities govern the Azad Kashmir government with tight controls on basic freedoms 48 Scholar Christopher Snedden has observed that despite tight controls the people of Azad Kashmir have generally accepted whatever Pakistan has done to them which in any case has varied little from how most Pakistanis have been treated by Pakistan According to Christopher Snedden one of the reasons for this was that the people of Azad Kashmir had always wanted to be part of Pakistan 49 Consequently having little to fear from a pro Pakistan population devoid of options 49 Pakistan imposed its will through the Federal Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and failed to empower the people of Azad Kashmir allowing genuine self government for only a short period in the 1970s According to the interim constitution that was drawn up in the 1970s the only political parties that are allowed to exist are those that pay allegiance to Pakistan No person or political party in Azad Jammu and Kashmir shall be permitted activities prejudicial or detrimental to the State s accession to Pakistan 49 The pro independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front has never been allowed to contest elections in Azad Kashmir 50 While the interim constitution does not give them a choice the people of Azad Kashmir have not considered any option other than joining Pakistan 49 Except in a legal sense Azad Kashmir has been fully integrated into Pakistan 49 Azad Kashmir is home to a vibrant civil society One of the organizations active in the territory and inside Pakistan is YFK International Kashmir Lobby Group an NGO that seeks better India Pakistan relations through conflict resolution in Kashmir DevelopmentAccording to the project report by the Asian Development Bank the bank has set out development goals for Azad Kashmir in the areas of health education nutrition and social development The whole project is estimated to cost US 76 million 51 Germany between 2006 and 2014 has also donated 38 million towards the AJK Health Infrastructure Programme 52 Administrative divisionsSee also List of tehsils of Azad Kashmir Districts of Azad Kashmir The state is administratively divided into three divisions which in turn are divided into ten districts 53 Division District Area km2 Population 2017 Census HeadquartersMirpur Mirpur 1 010 456 200 New Mirpur CityKotli 1 862 774 194 KotliBhimber 1 516 420 624 BhimberMuzaffarabad Muzaffarabad 1 642 650 370 MuzaffarabadHattian 854 230 529 Hattian BalaNeelam Valley 3 621 191 251 AthmuqamPoonch Poonch 855 500 571 RawalakotHaveli 600 152 124 Forward KahutaBagh 768 371 919 BaghSudhanoti 569 297 584 PalandriTotal 10 districts 13 297 4 045 366 Muzaffarabad Kotla Bagh DistrictDemographicsPopulation The population of Azad Kashmir according to the preliminary results of the 2017 Census is 4 045 million 54 The website of the AJK government reports the literacy rate to be 74 with the enrolment rate in primary school being 98 and 90 for boys and girls respectively 55 The population of Azad Kashmir is almost entirely Muslim The people of this region culturally differ from the Kashmiris living in the Kashmir Valley of Jammu and Kashmir and are closer to the culture of Jammu Mirpur Kotli and Bhimber are all old towns of the Jammu region 56 Religion Azad Jammu and Kashmir has an almost entirely Muslim population According to data maintained by Christian community organizations there are around 4 500 Christian residents in the region Bhimber is home to most of them followed by Mirpur and Muzaffarabad A few dozen families also live in Kotli Poonch and Bagh However the Christian community has been struggling to get residential status and property rights in AJK There is no official data on the total number of Bahais in AJK Only six Bahai families are known to be living in Muzaffarabad with others living in rural areas The followers of the Ahmadi faith are estimated to be somewhere between 20 000 and 25 000 and most of them live in Kotli Mirpur Bhimber and Muzaffarabad 57 Ethnic groups See also Azad Kashmiri diaspora Christopher Snedden writes that most of the native residents of Azad Kashmir are not of Kashmiri ethnicity rather they could be called Jammuites due to their historical and cultural links with that region which is coterminous with neighbouring Punjab and Hazara 58 59 Because their region was formerly a part of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir and is named after it many Azad Kashmiris have adopted the Kashmiri identity whereas in an ethnolinguistic context the term Kashmiri would ordinarily refer to natives of the Kashmir Valley region 60 The population of Azad Kashmir has strong historical cultural and linguistic affinities with the neighbouring populations of upper Punjab and Potohar region of Pakistan 61 62 whereas the Sudhans have the oral tradition of the Pashtuns 63 64 The main communities living in this region are 65 Gujjars They are an agricultural tribe and are estimated to be the largest community living in the ten districts of Azad Kashmir 65 66 67 Sudhans also known as Sadozai Sardar are the second largest tribe living mainly in the districts of Poonch Sudhanoti Bagh and Kotli in Azad Kashmir and allegedly originating from the Pashtun areas 68 65 66 Together with the Rajputs they are the source of most of Azad Kashmir s political leaders 69 Jats They are one of the larger communities of AJK and primarily inhabit the districts of Mirpur Bhimber and Kotli A large Mirpuri population lives in the U K and it is estimated that more people of Mirpuri origins are now residing in the U K than in the Mirpur district which retains strong ties with the U K 65 70 Rajputs They are spread across the territory and they number a little under half a million Together with the Sundhans they are the source of most of Azad Kashmir s political class 69 Mughals Largely located in the Bagh and Muzaffarabad districts 67 Awans A clan with significant numbers in Azad Jammu and Kashmir living mainly in the Bagh Poonch Hattian Bala and Muzaffarabad Awans also reside in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in large numbers 65 66 67 Dhund They are a large clan in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and live mostly in the Bagh Hattian Bala and Muzaffarabad districts They also inhabit Abbottabad and upper Potohar Punjab in large numbers 65 66 67 Kashmiris Ethnic Kashmiri populations are found in the Neelam Valley and the Leepa Valley see Kashmiris in Azad Kashmir 71 Languages Languages by approximate number of speakers 72 Pahari Pothwari 68 Gojri 19 Kashmiri 5 Others 8 The official language of Azad Kashmir is Urdu 73 note 4 while English is used in higher domains The majority of the population however are native speakers of other languages The foremost among these is Pahari Pothwari with its various dialects There are also sizeable communities speaking Kashmiri mostly in the north Gujari throughout the territory and Dogri in the south as well as pockets of speakers of Kundal Shahi Shina and Pashto With the exception of Pashto and English those languages belong to the Indo Aryan language family The dialects of the Pahari Pothwari language complex cover most of the territory of Azad Kashmir Those are also spoken across the Line of Control in the neighbouring areas of Indian Jammu and Kashmir and are closely related both to Punjabi to the south and Hinko to the northwest The language variety in the southern districts of Azad Kashmir is known by a variety of names including Mirpuri Pothwari and Pahari and is closely related to the Pothwari proper spoken to the east in the Pothohar region of Punjab The dialects of the central districts of Azad Kashmir are occasionally referred to in the literature as Chibhali or Punchi but the speakers themselves usually call them Pahari an ambiguous name that is also used for several unrelated languages of the lower Himalayas Going north the speech forms gradually change into Hindko Today in the Muzaffarabad District the preferred local name for the language is Hindko although it is still apparently more closely related to the core dialects of Pahari 74 Further north in the Neelam Valley the dialect locally also known as Parmi can more unambiguously be subsumed under Hindko 75 Another major language of Azad Kashmir is Gujari It is spoken by several hundred thousand note 5 people among the traditionally nomadic Gujars many of whom are nowadays settled Not all ethnic Gujars speak Gujari the proportion of those who have shifted to other languages is probably higher in southern Azad Kashmir 76 Gujari is most closely related to the Rajasthani languages particularly Mewati although it also shares features with Punjabi 77 It is dispersed over large areas in northern Pakistan and India Within Pakistan the Gujari dialects of Azad Kashmir are more similar in terms of shared basic vocabulary and mutual intelligibility to the Gujar varieties of the neighbouring Hazara region than to the dialects spoken further to the northwest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and north in Gilgit 78 There are scattered communities of Kashmiri speakers 79 notably in the Neelam Valley where they form the second largest language group after speakers of Hindko 80 There have been calls for the teaching of Kashmiri particularly in order to counter India s claim of promoting the culture of Kashmir but the limited attempts at introducing the language at the secondary school level have not been successful and it is Urdu rather than Kashmiri that Kashmiri Muslims have seen as their identity symbol 81 There is an ongoing process of gradual shift to larger local languages 73 but at least in the Neelam Valley there still exist communities for whom Kashmiri is the sole mother tongue 82 There are speakers of Dogri in the southernmost district of Bhimber where they are estimated to represent almost a third of the district s population 72 In the northernmost district of Neelam there are small communities of speakers of several other languages Shina which like Kashmiri belongs to the broad Dardic group is present in two distinct varieties spoken altogether in three villages Pashto of the Iranian subgroup and the majority language in the neighbouring province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is spoken in two villages both situated on the Line of Control The endangered Kundal Shahi is native to the eponymous village and it is the only language not found outside Azad Kashmir 83 EconomyMain article Economy of Azad Kashmir Neelum Valley is a tourist destination in Azad Kashmir As of 2021 GDP of Azad Jammu and Kashmir was estimated to be 10 billion pounds giving per capita an income of 5604 84 Historically the economy of Azad Kashmir has been agricultural which meant that land was the main source or mean of production This means that all food for immediate and long term consumption was produced from the land The produce included various crops fruits vegetables etc The land was also the source of other livelihood necessities such as wood fuel grazing for animals which then turned into dairy products Because of this land was also the main source of revenue for the governments whose primary purpose for centuries was to accumulate revenue 85 Agriculture is a major part of Azad Kashmir s economy Low lying areas that have high populations grow crops like barley mangoes millet corn maize and wheat and also raise cattle In the elevated areas that are less populated and more spread out forestry corn and livestock are the main sources of income There are mineral and marble resources in Azad Kashmir close to Mirpur and Muzaffarabad There are also graphite deposits at Mohriwali There are also reservoirs of low grade coal chalk bauxite and zircon Local household industries produce carved wooden objects textiles and dhurrie carpets 1 There is also an arts and crafts industry that produces such cultural goods as namdas shawls pashmina pherans Papier mache basketry copper rugs wood carving silk and woolen clothing patto carpets namda gubba and silverware Agricultural goods produced in the region include mushrooms honey walnuts apples cherries medicinal herbs and plants resin deodar kail chir fir maple and ash timber 1 44 86 Munda Gali Leepa Valley The migration to the UK was accelerated and by the completion of Mangla Dam in 1967 the process of chain migration became in full flow Today remittances from British Mirpuri community make a critical role in AJK s economy In the mid 1950s various economic and social development processes were launched in Azad Kashmir In the 1960s with the construction of the Mangla Dam in Mirpur District the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Government began to receive royalties from the Pakistani government for the electricity that the dam provided to Pakistan During the mid 2000s a multibillion dollar reconstruction began in the aftermath of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake 87 In addition to agriculture textiles and arts and crafts remittances have played a major role in the economy of Azad Kashmir One analyst estimated that the figure for Azad Kashmir was 25 1 in 2001 With regard to annual household income people living in the higher areas are more dependent on remittances than are those living in the lower areas 88 In the latter part of 2006 billions of dollars for development were mooted by international aid agencies for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of earthquake hit zones in Azad Kashmir though much of that amount was subsequently lost in bureaucratic channels leading to considerable delays in help getting to the neediest Hundreds of people continued to live in tents long after the earthquake 87 A land use plan for the city of Muzaffarabad was prepared by the Japan International Cooperation Agency Tourist destinations in the area include the following Muzaffarabad the capital city of Azad Kashmir is located on the banks of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers It is 138 km 86 mi from Rawalpindi and Islamabad Well known tourist spots near Muzaffarabad are the Red Fort Pir Chinassi Patika Subri Lake and Awan Patti The Neelam Valley is situated to the north and northeast of Muzaffarabad The gateway to the valley The main tourist attractions in the valley are Athmuqam Kutton Keran Changan Sharda Kel Arang Kel and Taobat Sudhanoti is one of the eight districts of Azad Kashmir in Pakistan Sudhanoti is located 90 km 56 mi away from Islamabad the Capital of Pakistan It is connected with Rawalpindi and Islamabad through Azad Pattan road Rawalakot city is the headquarters of Poonch District and is located 122 km 76 mi from Islamabad Tourist attractions in Poonch District are Banjosa Lake Devi Gali Tatta Pani and Toli Pir Bagh city the headquarters of Bagh District is 205 km 127 mi from Islamabad and 100 km 62 mi from Muzaffarabad The principal tourist attractions in Bagh District are Bagh Fort Dhirkot Sudhan Gali Ganga Lake Ganga Choti Kotla Waterfall Neela Butt Danna Panjal Mastan National Park and Las Danna The Leepa Valley is located 105 km 65 mi southeast of Muzaffarabad It is the most charming and scenic place for tourists in Azad Kashmir New Mirpur City is the headquarters of Mirpur District The main tourist attractions near New Mirpur City are the Mangla Lake and Ramkot Fort Education Mirpur University of Science and Technology The literacy rate in Azad Kashmir was 62 in 2004 higher than in any other region of Pakistan 89 The current literacy rate of Azad Kashmir is 76 60 in 2018 90 And it remained at 79 80 in 2019 According to the 2020 2021 census the literacy rate in Azad Kashmir was 91 34 91 However only 2 2 were graduates compared to the average of 2 9 for Pakistan 92 Universities The following is a list of universities recognised by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan HEC 93 University Location s Established Type Specialization WebsiteMirpur University of Science and Technology Mirpur Mirpur 1980 2008 Public Engineering amp Technology 1 University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Muzaffarabad 1980 Public General 2 University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Neelam Campus Neelum 2013 Public General 3 University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Jhelum Valley Campus Jhelum Valley District 2013 Public General 4 Al Khair University Bhimber 1994 2011 Private General 5 Mohi ud Din Islamic University Nerian Sharif 2000 Private General 6 University of Poonch Rawlakot Campus Rawalakot 1980 2012 Public General 7 University of Poonch SM Campus Mong Sudhnoti District Sudhnoti District 2014 Public General 8 University of Poonch Kahuta Campus Haveli District Haveli District 2015 Public General 9 Women University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Bagh Bagh 2013 Public General 10 University of Management Sciences and Information Technology Kotli 2014 Public General 11 Mirpur University of Science and Technology Bhimber Campus Bhimber 2013 Public Science amp Humanities 12 Granted university status Cadet College Pallandri Cadet College Palandri is situated about 100 km 62 mi from IslamabadMedical colleges The following is a list of undergraduate medical institutions recognised by Pakistan Medical and Dental Council PMDC as of 2013 update 94 Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Medical College in Mirpur Azad Jammu Kashmir Medical College in Muzafarabad Poonch Medical College in RawalakotPrivate medical colleges Mohi ud Din Islamic Medical College in MirpurSportsFootball cricket and volleyball are very popular in Azad Kashmir Many tournaments are also held throughout the year and in the holy month of Ramazan night time flood lit tournaments are also organised Azad Kashmir has its own T20 tournament called the Kashmir Premier League which started in 2021 New Mirpur City has a cricket stadium Quaid e Azam Stadium which has been taken over by the Pakistan Cricket Board for renovation to bring it up to the international standards There is also a cricket stadium in Muzaffarabad with a capacity of 8 000 people This stadium has hosted 8 matches of the Inter District Under 19 Tournament 2013 There are also registered football clubs Pilot Football Club Youth Football Club Kashmir National FC Azad Super FCCultureMain article Culture of KashmirTourismThese paragraphs are an excerpt from Tourism in Azad Kashmir edit The northern part of Azad Jammu and Kashmir encompasses the lower part of the Himalayas including Jamgarh Peak 15 531 feet or 4 734 meters However Sarwali peak in the Neelum Valley is the highest peak in the state 95 Fertile green mountainous valleys are characteristic of Azad Kashmir s geography making it one of the most beautiful regions on the subcontinent 96 The southern parts of Azad Kashmir including Bhimber Mirpur and Kotli districts has extremely hot weather in summers and moderate cold weather in winters It receives rains mostly in monsoon weather In the central and northern parts of state weather remains moderate hot in summers and very cold and chilly in winter Snow fall also occurs there in December and January This region receives rainfall in both winters and summers Muzaffarabad and Pattan are among the wettest areas of the state Throughout most of the region the average rainfall exceeds 1400 mm with the highest average rainfall occurring near Muzaffarabad around 1800 mm During summer monsoon floods of the Jhelum and Leepa river are common due to high rainfall and melting snow Notable peopleMuhammad Hayyat Khan former President of Azad Kashmir 97 See also Geography portal Asia portal Pakistan portalNorthern Pakistan 1941 Census of Jammu and Kashmir Kashmir conflict Tourism in Azad Kashmir List of cultural heritage sites in Azad KashmirNotes The Indian government and Indian sources refer to the Pakistani administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan as Pakistan occupied Kashmir POK 10 or albeit more rarely Pakistan held Kashmir PHK 11 Sometimes Azad Kashmir alone is meant by these terms 10 The terms Pakistani administered Kashmir and Pakistani controlled Kashmir 12 13 are used by neutral sources Conversely the Pakistani government and Pakistani sources refer to the Indian administered territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as Indian held Kashmir IHK or Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir IIOJK colloquially shortened to Indian occupied Kashmir IOK 10 14 The official with direct involvement in the affair was the Commissioner of Rawalpindi Division Khawaja Abdul Rahim He was assisted by Nasim Jahan the wife of Colonel Akbar Khan 27 Officially the Mirpur and Poonch districts were in the Jammu province of the state and Muzaffarabad was in the Kashmir province All three provinces spoke languages related to Punjabi not the Kashmiri language spoken in the Kashmir Valley 32 Snedden 2013 p 176 On p 29 the census report states that Urdu is the official language of the government of Azad Kashmir with Kashmiri Pahari Gojri Punjabi Kohistani Pushto and Sheena frequently spoken in Azad Kashmir Yet when surveyed about their mother tongue Azad Kashmiris choices were limited to selecting from Pakistan s major languages Urdu Punjabi Sindhi Pushto Balochi Saraiki and others not surprisingly 2 18 million of Azad Kashmir s 2 97 million people chose others Hallberg amp O Leary 1992 p 96 report two rough estimates for the total population of Gujari speakers in Azad Kashmir 200 000 and 700 000 both from the 1980s 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Kashmiris call themselves Kashmiris because of their region s historical connections with the former princely state of J amp K that popularly was called Kashmir Some Azad Kashmiris also call themselves Kashmiris simply because their region s official name Azad Jammu and Kashmir has the word Kashmir in it Using the same logic Azad Kashmiris could call themselves Jammuites which historically and culturally would be more accurate or even Azadi ites Kennedy Charles H August 2 2004 Pakistan Ethnic Diversity and Colonial Legacy In John Coakley ed The Territorial Management of Ethnic Conflict Routledge p 153 ISBN 9781135764425 Archived from the original on January 17 2023 Retrieved March 20 2018 Christopher Snedden September 15 2015 Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris Hurst pp 21 24 ISBN 978 1 84904 622 0 Archived from the original on January 17 2023 Retrieved March 20 2018 Jabeen Nazish Malik Sajid June 2014 Consanguinity and Its Sociodemographic Differentials in Bhimber District Azad Jammu and Kashmir Pakistan Journal of Health Population and Nutrition 32 2 301 313 PMC 4216966 PMID 25076667 Kashmiri population in the northeast of Pakistan has strong historical cultural and linguistic affinities with the neighbouring populations of upper Punjab and Potohar region of Pakistan Ballard Roger March 2 1991 Kashmir Crisis View from Mirpur PDF Economic and Political Weekly 26 9 10 513 517 JSTOR 4397403 archived from the original PDF on March 4 2016 retrieved July 19 2020 they are best seen as forming the eastern and northern limits of the Potohari Punjabi culture which is otherwise characteristic of the upland parts of Rawalpindi and Jhelum Districts Syed Ali 1998 South Asia The Perils of Covert Coercion In Lawrence Freedman ed Strategic Coercion Concepts and Cases Oxford University Press p 253 ISBN 0 19 829349 6 Poonch at the time of partition was predominantly Muslim and the overwhelming majority of them were Sudhans who were descendants of Pashtuns of Afghanistan settled in the region some centuries ago Snedden 2013 p 43 Sudhans from Poonch considered themselves to be Sudho Zai Pathans Pukhtoons which explained why the Pashtun tribesmen from NWFP province lost no time coming to help Jammu and Kashmir s Muslims in 1947 a b c d e f Snedden 2013 Role of Biradaries pp 128 133 a b c d District Profile Rawalakot Poonch PDF Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority July 2007 Archived from the original PDF on September 24 2015 Retrieved August 31 2015 a b c d District Profile Bagh PDF Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority June 2007 Archived from the original PDF on September 24 2015 Retrieved August 31 2015 Snedden Christopher 2012 The Untold Story of the People of Azad Kashmir Columbia University Press p xix ISBN 9780231800204 Archived from the original on January 17 2023 Retrieved June 12 2019 Sudhan Sudhozai one of the main tribes of southern Poonch allegedly originating from Pashtun areas a b With Friends Like These Human Rights Violations in Azad Kashmir II Background Human Rights Watch Archived from the original on March 8 2021 Retrieved June 14 2019 Moss Paul November 30 2006 South Asia The limits to integration BBC News Archived from the original on August 30 2007 Retrieved June 5 2010 Snedden Christopher 2015 Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris Oxford University Press p 23 ISBN 978 1 84904 622 0 Archived from the original on January 17 2023 Retrieved March 20 2018 a b Statistical Year Book 2020 PDF Muzaffarabad AJ amp K Bureau Of Statistics pp 131 140 Archived PDF from the original on October 9 2022 Retrieved March 3 2022 a b Rahman 1996 p 226 The preceding paragraph is mostly based on Lothers amp Lothers 2010 For further references see the bibliography in Pahari Pothwari Akhtar amp Rehman 2007 p 68 The conclusion is based on lexical similarity and the comparison is with the Hindko of the Kaghan Valley and with the Pahari of the Murree Hills Hallberg amp O Leary 1992 pp 96 98 100 Hallberg amp O Leary 1992 pp 93 94 Hallberg amp O Leary 1992 pp 111 12 126 Rahman 2002 p 449 Rahman 1996 p 226 Akhtar amp Rehman 2007 p 70 Rahman 1996 p 226 Rahman 2002 pp 449 50 The discussion in both cases is in the broader context of Pakistan Akhtar amp Rehman 2007 pp 70 75 Akhtar amp Rehman 2007 http www ajk gov pk Archived May 10 2015 at the Wayback Machine ajk at a glance Ajk At A Glance AJ amp K Official Portal Ajk Gov History of Planning amp Development Department in AJK Archived from the original on April 11 2010 Azad Jammu amp Kashmir Tourism Archived from the original on May 29 2008 Retrieved June 22 2010 a b Naqash Tariq October 1 2006 Rs1 25 trillion to be spent in Azad Kashmir Reconstruction in quake hit zone Dawn Muzaffarabad Archived from the original on March 12 2007 Retrieved October 1 2006 Suleri Abid Qaiyum Savage Kevin Remittances in crises a case study from Pakistan PDF Archived from the original PDF on August 22 2007 Retrieved June 5 2010 Literacy Rate in Azad Kashmir nearly 62 pc Pakistan Times MUZAFFARABAD Azad Kashmir September 27 2004 Archived from the original on February 27 2005 AJK at a Glance 2018 pndajk gov pk PDF Planning amp Development Department AJK Archived PDF from the original on May 6 2021 Ajk at a Glance 2019 PDF Archived PDF from the original on May 6 2021 Hasan Khalid April 17 2005 Washington conference studies educational crisis in Pakistan Daily Times Washington Archived from the original on June 7 2011 Grace Clark told the conference that only 2 9 of Pakistanis had access to higher education Our Institutions Higher Education Commission of Pakistan Archived from the original on October 29 2013 Retrieved November 19 2013 Recognized medical colleges in Pakistan Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Archived from the original on August 19 2010 Retrieved November 19 2013 Sarwali Peak 6326 m Highest Peak in Kashmir AJK Pakistan Alpine Institute Archived from the original on July 10 2015 Retrieved June 14 2015 Azad Kashmir at britannica com Pakistani Times Pakistantimes net Archived from the original on June 14 2011 Retrieved January 21 2010 SourcesAkhtar Raja Nasim Rehman Khawaja A 2007 The Languages of the Neelam Valley Kashmir Journal of Language Research 10 1 65 84 ISSN 1028 6640 Behera Navnita Chadha 2007 Demystifying Kashmir Pearson Education India ISBN 978 8131708460 Bose Sumantra 2003 Kashmir Roots of Conflict Paths to Peace Harvard University Press ISBN 0 674 01173 2 Ganai Muhammad Yousuf 1999 Dogra Raj and the Struggle for Freedom in Kashmir 1932 1947 PhD thesis University of Kashmir hdl 10603 33268 via Shodhganga Hallberg Calinda E O Leary Clare F 1992 Dialect Variation and Multilingualism among Gujars of Pakistan In O Leary Clare F Rensch Calvin R Hallberg Calinda E eds Hindko and Gujari Sociolinguistic Survey of Northern Pakistan Islamabad National Institute of Pakistan Studies Quaid i Azam University and Summer Institute of Linguistics pp 91 196 ISBN 969 8023 13 5 Kapoor Sindhu 2014 Politics of Protests in Jammu and Kashmir from 1925 to 1951 PhD thesis University of Jammu hdl 10603 78307 via Shodhganga Lothers Michael Lothers Laura 2010 Pahari and Pothwari a sociolinguistic survey Report SIL Electronic Survey Reports Vol 2010 012 Rahman Tariq 1996 Language and politics in Pakistan Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19 577692 8 Rahman Tariq 2002 Language ideology and power language learning among the Muslims of Pakistan and North India Karachi Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19 579644 5 Saraf Muhammad Yusuf 2015 first published 1977 by Ferozsons Kashmiris Fight for Freedom Volume 1 Mirpur National Institute Kashmir Studies Saraf Muhammad Yusuf 1977 Kashmiris Fight for Freedom Volume 1 Ferozsons Saraf Muhammad Yusuf 2015 first published 1979 by Ferozsons Kashmiris Fight for Freedom Volume 2 Mirpur National Institute Kashmir Studies Snedden Christopher 2013 first published as The Untold Story of the People of Azad Kashmir 2012 Kashmir The Unwritten History HarperCollins India ISBN 978 9350298985 Further readingMathur Shubh 2008 Srinagar Muzaffarabad New York A Kashmiri Family s Exile In Roy Anjali Gera Bhatia Nandi eds Partitioned Lives Narratives of Home Displacement and Resettlement Pearson Education India ISBN 978 9332506206 Schoefield Victoria 2003 First published in 2000 Kashmir in Conflict London and New York I B Taurus amp Co ISBN 1860648983 External linksAzad Kashmir at Wikipedia s sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Commons News from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Resources from Wikiversity Travel information from Wikivoyage Official website Planning amp Development Department AJ amp K AJ amp K Planning and Development Department AJ amp K Tourism amp Archaeology Department Tourism in Azad Kashmir Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Azad Kashmir amp oldid 1148037274, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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