Azad Kashmir

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Urdu: ‫آزاد ﺟﻤﻮں‬

‫و ﮐﺸﻤﯿﺮ‬, romanized: āzād jammū̃ o kaśmīr,
transl. 'Free Jammu and Kashmir'[2]),
abbreviated as AJK and commonly known
as Azad Kashmir, is a region administered
by Pakistan as a nominally self-
governing[1][2] jurisdiction, and constituting
the western portion of the larger Kashmir
region which has been the subject of a
dispute between India and Pakistan since
1947, and between India and China since
1962.[6] The territory shares a border with
Gilgit-Baltistan, together with which it is
referred to by the United Nations and other
international organisations as "Pakistan
administered Kashmir".[note 1] Azad
Kashmir is one-sixth of the size of Gilgit-
Baltistan.[11] The territory also borders
Pakistan's Punjab province to the south
and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to the
west. To the east, Azad Kashmir is
separated from the Indian administered
Kashmir by the Line of Control, the de
facto border between India and Pakistan.
Azad Kashmir has a total area of 13,297
square kilometres (5,134 sq mi), and a
total population of 4,045,366 as per the
2017 Census.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir

‫آزاد ﺟﻤﻮں و ﮐﺸﻤﯿﺮ‬

Administrative Territory
Top left to right: Sharda, Neelum Valley, Arang Kel, Banjosa
Lake and Sudhanoti District

Flag Seal

Anthem: Watan Hamara Azad Kashmir

Azad Jammu and Kashmir is shown in red, the

rest of Pakistan is shown in off-white, and the rest
of Jammu and Kashmir is hatched, showing area
with Pakistan's territorial claim
 Map of Azad Kashmir
Coordinates: with73°51′05″E
33°50′36″N 10 districts

Country Pakistan

Established October 24, 1947 (Azad

Kashmir Day)

Capital Muzaffarabad

Largest city New Mirpur City

Government

 • Type Self-governing[1][2][3]
state under Pakistani
administration[4][5]

 • Body Azad Jammu & Kashmir

Legislative Assembly

 • President Masood Khan

 • Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider

(PML-N)

Area
 • Total 13,297 km2
(5,134 sq mi)

Population (2017)

 • Total 4.045 million

Time zone UTC+5 (PKT)

ISO 3166 code PK-JK

Main languages Urdu (official)

Pahari-Pothwari
Hindko
Gojri
Kashmiri
Punjabi
Kundal Shahi
others

Ethnic groups Gujjar (largest)

Sudhan
Rajput
 Jatt
Abbasi
Mughal
Awan
Syed
Kashmiri
others
Districts 10

Towns 19

Union Councils 182

Website www.ajk.gov.pk

The territory has a parliamentary form of

government modelled after the
Westminster system, with its capital
located at Muzaffarabad. The President 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 state 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 with Azad Kashmir's government,
although Azad Kashmir is not represented
in the Parliament of Pakistan.

The 2005 earthquake killed 100,000

people and left another three million
people displaced, with widespread
devastation. Since then, with help from the
Government of Pakistan and foreign
donors, 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 the households own farms in Azad
Kashmir,[12] while the region has a literacy
rate of approximately 72% and has the
highest school enrollment in Pakistan.[13]

Geography
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, Hari
Parbat peak in Neelum Valley is the
highest peak in the state. Fertile, green,
mountainous valleys are characteristic of
Azad Kashmir's geography, making it one
of the most beautiful regions of the
subcontinent.[4]

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.

History

Map of the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir

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.[14][15] Muslims in Western
Jammu province (current day Azad
Kashmir) and the Frontier Districts
Province (current day Gilgit-Baltistan) had
wanted to join Pakistan.[16]

In Spring 1947, an uprising against the

Maharaja broke out in Poonch, an area
bordering the Rawalpindi division of West
Punjab. 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.[17][note 2]
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.[19] On October 24, a second
provisional government of Azad Kashmir
was established at Palandri under the
leadership of Sardar Ibrahim Khan.[20]

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 20 miles (32 km)
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.[21] Indian troops were immediately
airlifted into Srinagar.[22] Pakistan
intervened subsequently.[15] 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".[23]
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 which
required the withdrawal of the Pakistani
Army along with the non-state elements
and the subsequent partial withdrawal of
the Indian Army.[24] from the parts of
Kashmir under their respective control – a
withdrawal that never took place.[25] 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 occupied at the time of
cease-fire into the following two
separately-controlled political entities:

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) – the

narrow, southern part, 250 miles
(400 km) long, with a width varying from
10 to 40 miles (16 to 64 km).
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 square kilometres
(27,991 sq mi).

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[26] 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. The 1974
Interim Constitution Act was passed by
the 48-member Azad Jammu and Kashmir
unicameral assembly.[27]

Government
Districts of Azad Kashmir

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is a self-

governing state under Pakistani control,
but under Pakistan's constitution, the state
is informally part of the country. Pakistan
is administering the region as a self-
governing territory rather than
incorporating it in the federation since the
UN-mandated ceasefire.[4][28] Azad
Kashmir has its own elected President,
Prime Minister, Legislative Assembly, High
Court, with Azam Khan as its present chief
justice, and official flag.[29]

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 and individual
nominated by her/him) and 6 members of
the AJK Legislative Assembly.[29][4][28]
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.[30] That day is a national holiday
in Pakistan.[31] Kashmiris in Azad Kashmir
observe the Kashmir Black Day on October
27 of each year since 1947 as a day of
protest against military occupation in
Indian controlled Jammu and Kashmir.
Brad Adams the Asia director at the U.S.-
based NGO Human Rights Watch has said
in 2006; "Although 'azad' means 'free,' the
residents of Azad Kashmir are anything
but, the Pakistani authorities govern Azad
Kashmir government with tight controls on
basic freedoms."[32] 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 a part of
Pakistan.[33]

Consequently, having little to fear from a

pro-Pakistan population devoid of
options,[33] 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. The Interim Constitution of the
1970s only allows the political parties 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."[33] The pro-
independence Jammu and Kashmir
Liberation Front has never been allowed to
contest elections in Azad Kashmir.[34]
While the Interim Constitution does not
give them a choice, the people of Azad
Kashmir have not considered any option
other than joining Pakistan.[33] Except in
the legal sense, Azad Kashmir has been
fully integrated into Pakistan.[33]

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.[35]
Germany, between 2006 and 2014, has
also donated $38 million towards the AJK
Health Infrastructure Programme.[36]

Administrative divisions

Muzaffarabad, the capital city of Azad Kashmir

Bagh City

The state is administratively divided into

three divisions which, in turn, are divided
into ten districts.[37]

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

Kotla, Bagh District

Dhirkot Park, Bagh District

Climate
Landscape of Azad Kashmir

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.

Paddy field in Leepa valley

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 rivers are common, due to high
rainfall and melting snow.
Population
The population of Azad Kashmir,
according to the preliminary results of the
2017 Census, is 4.45 million.[38] 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.[39]

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.[40]

Religion
Azad Jammu and Kashmir has an almost
entirely Muslim population. Most residents
of the region are not ethnic Kashmiris.[41]
The majority of people in Azad Kashmir
are ethnically Punjabi.[42] According to a
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 families are known
to be living in Muzaffarabad while some of
them live in rural areas. The followers of
the Ahmadi faith is estimated to be
somewhere between 20,000 and 25,000
and most of them live in Kotli, Mirpur
Bhimber and Muzaffarabad.[43]

Ethnic groups

The main communities living in this region

are:[44]
Gujjars – They are an agricultural tribe
and are estimated to be the largest
community living in ten districts of Azad
Kashmir.[44][45][46]
Sudhans – (also known as Sadozai,
Sardar) are second largest tribe mainly
living the districts of Poonch, Sudhanoti,
Bagh and Kotli in Azad Kashmir,
allegedly originating from Pashtun
areas.[47][44][45] Most of the Azad
Kashmir's politication and leaders come
from this tribe.[48]
Jats – They are one of the larger
community of AJK and primarily inhabit
the Districts of Mirpur, Bhimber and
Kotli. A large Mirpuris population lives in
the UK and it is estimated that more
people of Mirpuri origins are now
residing in the UK than in Mirpur district.
The district Mirpur retains strong ties
with the UK.[44][49]
Rajputs – They are speard across the
territory, and they number, respecively, a
little over and a little under half a
millon.[48]
Mughals – Largely located in Bagh and
Muzaffarabad districts.[50]
Awans – A clan with significant
numbers found in Azad Jammu and
Kashmir, living mainly in the Bagh,
Poonch, Hattian Bala and Muzaffarabad.
Besides Azad Kashmir they also reside
in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in
large numbers.[44][45][46]
Abbasis – They are a large clan in Azad
Jammu and Kashmir and mostly live in
Bagh, Hattian Bala and Muzaffarabad
districts. Besides Azad Kashmir, they
also inhabit, Abbottabad and upper
Potohar Punjab in large
numbers.[44][45][46]
Kashmiris – Ethnic Kashmiri
populations are found in Neelam Valley
and Leepa Valley.[51]
The culture of Azad Kashmir has many
similarities to that of northern Punjabi
(Potohar) culture in Punjab province, while
the Sudhans have oral tradition of
Pashtuns, Peshawari turban is one of
famous element wore by Sudhans.

The traditional dress of the women is the

shalwar kameez in Pahari style. The
shalwar kameez is commonly worn by
both men and women. Women use shawl
to cover their head and upper body.

Languages
The official language of Azad Kashmir is
Urdu,[52][note 3] 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 Gujari and
Kashmiri, as well as pockets of speakers
of Shina, Pashto and Kundal Shahi. With
the exception of Pashto and English, these
languages belong to the Indo-Aryan
language family.

The dialects of the Pahari-Pothwari

language complex cover most of the
territory of Azad Kashmir. These are also
spoken across the Line of Control in
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 are occasionally referred to in the
literature as Chibhali or Punchi, but the
speakers themselves usually call them
Pahari, an unfortunately ambiguous name
that is also used for several unrelated
languages of the Lower Himalayas. Going
north, the speech forms gradually change
into Hindko. Already in 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.[53] Further north in the
Neelam Valley, the dialect, locally known
as Parmi, can more unambiguously be
subsumed under Hindko.[54]

Another major language of Azad Kashmir

is Gujari. It is spoken by several hundred
thousand[note 4] 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.[55] Gujari is most closely related
to the Rajasthani languages (particularly
Mewati), although it also shares features
with Punjabi.[56] 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.[57]
There are scattered communities of
Kashmiri speakers,[58] notably in the
Neelam Valley, where they form the
second-largest language group after
speakers of Hindko.[59] 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.[60] There is an ongoing
process of gradual shift to larger local
languages,[52] but at least in the Neelam
Valley there still exist communities for
whom Kashmiri is the sole mother
tongue.[61]

In the northernmost district of Neelam

there are pockets of other languages.
Shina, which like Kashmiri belongs to the
Dardic group, is present in two distinct
varieties spoken altogether in three
villages. The Iranian language Pashto, the
major language of the neighbouring
province of Khuber Pakhtunkhwa, is
spoken in two villages in Azad Kashmir,
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.[62]

Economy

Neelum valley is a popular tourist destination in Azad

Kashmir.

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 land. The produce
included various crops, fruits, vegetables
etc. 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.[63]

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.[4] 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.[4][28][64]

Munda Gali, Leepa Valley

The migration to 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.[65]

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.[66] 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 most needy. Hundreds
of people continued to live in tents long
after the earthquake.[65] A land-use plan
for the city of Muzaffarabad was prepared
by the Japan International Cooperation
Agency.

Some well-known and popular tourist

destinations are the following:

Muzaffarabad, the capital city of Azad

Kashmir, is located on the banks of the
Jhelum and Neelum rivers. It is 138
kilometres (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
kilometres (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 kilometres (127 mi) from
Islamabad and 100 kilometres (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
kilometres (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
The literacy rate in Azad Kashmir was 62%
in 2004, higher than in any other region of
Pakistan.[67] However, only 2.2% were
graduates, compared to the average of
2.9% for Pakistan.[68]
Universities

The following is a list of universities

recognised by Higher Education
Commission of Pakistan (HEC):[69]

Mirpur University of Science and Technology

University Location(s) Established Type Specialization Website

Mirpur University of Science and 1980 Engineering &

Mirpur Public [1]
Technology, Mirpur (2008)* Technology

University of Azad Jammu and

Muzaffarabad 1980 Public General [2]
Kashmir

University of Azad Jammu and

Neelum 2013 Public General [3]
Kashmir (Neelam Campus)

University of Azad Jammu and Jhelum Valley

2013 Public General [4]
Kashmir (Jhelum Valley Campus) District

1994
Al-Khair University Mirpur Private General [5]
(2011*)

Mohi-ud-Din Islamic University Nerian Sharif 2000 Private General [6]

University of Poonch (Rawlakot 1980

Rawalakot Public General [7]
Campus) (2012)*

University of Poonch ( SM Sudhnoti

2014 Public General [8]
Campus, Mong, Sudhnoti District) District

University of Poonch ( Kahuta

Haveli District 2015 Public General [9]
Campus, Haveli District)

Women University of Azad

Bagh 2013 Public General [10]
Jammu and Kashmir Bagh

University of Management
Sciences and Information Kotli 2014 Public General [11]
Technology

Mirpur University of Science and Science &

Bhimber 2013 Public [12]
Technology ( Bhimber Campus) Humanities

* 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.[70]

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed

Medical College in Mirpur
Azad Jammu Kashmir Medical College
in Muzafarabad
Poonch Medical College in Rawalakot
Private medical colleges
 Mohi-ud-Din Islamic Medical College in
Mirpur

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 a T20 cricket team in

Pakistan's T20 domestic tournament

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 International
standards. There is also a cricket stadium
in Muzaffarabad with the capacity of 8,000
people. This stadium has hosted 8
matches of Inter-District Under 19
Tournament 2013.

There are also registered football clubs:

Pilot Football Club

Youth Football Club
Kashmir National FC
Azad Super FC

See also
Kashmir
 1941 Census of Jammu and Kashmir
Kashmir conflict
Human rights abuses in Azad Kashmir
Separatist movements of Pakistan

Notes
1. The Indian government and Indian
sources refer to Azad Kashmir and
Gilgit-Baltistan as "Pakistan-occupied
Kashmir" ("PoK")[7] or "Pakistan-held
Kashmir" (PHK).[8] Sometimes Azad
Kashmir alone is meant by these
terms.[7] "Pakistan-administered
Kashmir" and "Pakistan-controlled
Kashmir"[9][10] are used by neutral
 sources. Conversely, Pakistani sources
call the territory under Indian control
"Indian-Occupied Kashmir" ("IOK") or
"Indian-Held Kashmir" ("IHK").[7]
2. Officially, 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.[18]
3. 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'.
4. Hallberg & O'Leary (1992, p. 96) report
two rough estimates for the total
population of Gujari speakes in Azad
Kashmir: 200,000 and 700,000, both
from the 1980s.
References
1. Richard M. Bird; François Vaillancourt
(December 4, 2008). Fiscal
Decentralization in Developing
Countries . Cambridge University
Press. pp. 127–. ISBN 978-0-521-
10158-5.
2. Bose, Sumantra (2009). Contested
Lands . Harvard University Press.
p. 193. ISBN 978-0-674-02856-2. "Azad
Kashmir – 'Free Kashmir,' the more
populated and nominally self-
governing part of Pakistani-controlled
Kashmir"
3. "Territorial limits" . 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."
4. "Azad Kashmir " at britannica.com
5. "Kashmir profile" . BBC News.
November 26, 2014. Archived from
the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved
July 24, 2015.
6. 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) Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannia,
Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent ,
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 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 three areas: Azad
Kashmir, Gilgit, and Baltistan, the last
two being part of a territory called the
Northern Areas. Administered by India
are the southern and southeastern
portions, which constitute the state 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 C. E Bosworth, University
of Manchester Quote: "KASHMIR,
kash'mer, the northernmost region of
the Indian subcontinent, administered
partlv 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";
7. Snedden 2013, pp. 2–3.
8. Chandra, Bipan; Mukherjee, Aditya;
Mukherje, Mridula (2008). India since
Independence. Penguin Books India.
p. 416. ISBN 0143104098.
 9. Bose, Sumantra (2009). Contested
lands: Israel-Palestine, Kashmir,
Bosnia, Cyprus and Sri Lanka. Harvard
University Press. p. 193.
ISBN 0674028562.
10. Behera, Navnita Chadha (2007).
Demystifying Kashmir. Pearson
Education India. p. 66.
ISBN 8131708462.
11. "Gilgit-Baltistan: Story of how region 6
times the size of PoK passed on to
Pakistan" .
12. "Underdevelopment in AJK" .
www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved
June 18, 2016.
13. "Education emergency: AJK leading in
enrolment, lagging in quality – The
Express Tribune" . The Express
Tribune. March 26, 2013. Retrieved
June 18, 2016.
14. "The J&K conflict: A Chronological
Introduction" . India Together.
Retrieved June 5, 2010.
15. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.
"Kashmir (region, Indian
subcontinent) – Britannica Online
Encyclopedia" . Encyclopædia
Britannica. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
16. Snedden, Christopher (2013). Kashmir-
The Untold Story . HarperCollins
Publishers India. p. 14. ISBN 978-93-
5029-898-5. "Similarly, Muslims in
Western Jammu Province, particularly
in Poonch, many of whom had martial
capabilities, and Muslims in the
Frontier Districts Province strongly
wanted J&K to join Pakistan."
17. Bose 2003, pp. 32–33.
18. Behera, Navnita Chadha (2007),
Demystifying Kashmir , Pearson
Education India, p. 29,
ISBN 8131708462
19. Snedden 2013, p. 59.
20. Snedden 2013, p. 61.
21. "Kashmir: Why India and Pakistan fight
over it" . November 23, 2016 – via
www.bbc.com.
22. Bose 2003, pp. 35–36.
23. Prem Shankar Jha. "Grasping the
Nettle" . South Asian Journal. Archived
from the original on May 16, 2010.
24. "UN resolution 47" . Retrieved
September 11, 2012.
25. "UNCIP Resolution of August 13, 1948
(S/1100) – Embassy of India,
Washington, D.C." Archived from the
original on October 13, 2007.
26. "UNMOGIP: United Nations Military
Observer Group in India and
Pakistan" . Archived from the original
on May 14, 2008.
27. "How free is Azad Kashsmir" .
28. "Azad Jammu and Kashmir –
Introduction" . Archived from the
original on September 27, 2007.
Retrieved June 22, 2010.
29. "AJ&K Portal" . ajk.gov.pk.
30. "Pakistan to observe Kashmir
Solidarity Day today" . The Hindu.
February 5, 2007. Retrieved February 5,
2008.
31. "Kashmir Day being observed today" .
The News International. February 5,
2008. Retrieved February 5, 2008.
32. Adams, Brad. "Pakistan: 'Free Kashmir'
Far From Free" . Human Rights Watch.
33. Snedden, Christopher (2013). Kashmir-
The Untold Story . Harper Collins
Publishers India. p. 93. ISBN 978-93-
5029-898-5. "Second, Azad Kashmiris
had always wanted to be part of this
nation."
34. Bose, Sumantra (2003), Kashmir:
Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace ,
Harvard University Press, p. 100,
ISBN 0-674-01173-2
35. https://www.adb.org/sites/default/file
s/project-document/69690/rrp-pak-
38135.pdf
36. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from
the original (PDF) on December 15,
2017. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
37. "Administrative Setup" . ajk.gov.pk.
Archived from the original on April 9,
2010. Retrieved May 17, 2010.
38. "Census 2017: AJK population rises to
over 4m" . The Nation. August 26,
2017. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
39. "AJ&K at a Glance" . Retrieved
June 10, 2018.
40. Human Rights Watch (September
2006). "With Friends Like These..."
(Report). 18. Human Rights Watch.
Retrieved November 24, 2013.
41. Snedden, Christopher (2015).
Understanding Kashmir and
Kashmiris . Oxford University Press.
p. 23. ISBN 978-1-84904-622-0.
"Confusingly, the term 'Kashmiri' also
has wider connotations and uses.
Some people in Azad Kashmir call
themselves 'Kashmiris'. This is despite
most Azad Kashmiris not being of
Kashmiri ethnicity."
42. Coakley, John (August 2, 2004). The
Territorial Management of Ethnic
Conflict . Routledge. p. 153.
ISBN 9781135764425.
43. https://asianlite.com/news/asia-
diaspora-news/the-plight-of-minorities-
in-azad-kashmir/
44. Snedden 2013, Role of Biradaries
(pp. 128–133)
45. http://www.erra.pk/Reports/KMC/Raw
lakotProfile200907.pdf
46. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from
the original (PDF) on September 24,
2015. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
47. Snedden, Christopher. The Untold
Story of the People of Azad Kashmir .
Columbia University Press. p. xix.
"Sudhan/Sudhozai – one of the main
tribes of (southern) Poonch, allegedly
originating from Pashtun areas."
48. " "With Friends Like These...": Human
Rights Violations in Azad Kashmir: II.
Background" . www.hrw.org. Retrieved
June 14, 2019.
49. Moss, Paul (November 30, 2006).
"South Asia | The limits to
integration" . BBC News. Retrieved
June 5, 2010.
50. "Bagh Profile" (PDF). Archived from
the original (PDF) on September 24,
2015. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
51. Snedden, Christopher (2015).
Understanding Kashmir and
Kashmiris . Oxford University Press.
p. 23. ISBN 978-1-84904-622-0.
52. Rahman 1996, p. 226.
53. The preceding paragraph is mostly
based on Lothers & Lothers (2010).
For further references, see the
bibliography in Pahari-Pothwari.
54. Akhtar & 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 Murre Hills.
55. Hallberg & O'Leary 1992, pp. 96, 98,
100.
56. Hallberg & O'Leary 1992, pp. 93–94.
57. Hallberg & O'Leary 1992, pp. 111–12,
126.
58. Rahman 2002, p. 449; Rahman 1996,
p. 226
59. Akhtar & Rehman 2007, p. 70.
60. Rahman 1996, p. 226; Rahman 2002,
pp. 449–50. The discussion in both
cases is in the broader context of
Pakistan.
61. Akhtar & Rehman 2007, pp. 70, 75.
62. Akhtar & Rehman 2007.
63. "History of Planning & Development
Department in AJK" . Archived from
the original on April 11, 2010.
64. "Azad Jammu & Kashmir – Tourism" .
Archived from the original on May 29,
2008. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
65. Naqash, Tariq (October 1, 2006).
" 'Rs1.25 trillion to be spent in Azad
Kashmir': Reconstruction in quake-hit
zone" . Dawn. Muzaffarabad.
66. Abid Qaiyum Suleri; Kevin Savage.
"Remittances in crises: a case study
from Pakistan" (PDF). Archived from
the original (PDF) on August 22, 2007.
Retrieved June 5, 2010.
67. " 'Literacy Rate in Azad Kashmir nearly
62 pc' " . Pakistan Times.
MUZAFFARABAD (Azad Kashmir).
September 27, 2004. Archived from
the original on February 27, 2005.
68. 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."
69. "Our Institutions" . Higher Education
Commission of Pakistan. Archived
from the original on October 29, 2013.
Retrieved November 19, 2013.
70. "Recognized medical colleges in
Pakistan" . Pakistan Medical and
Dental Council. Archived from the
original on August 19, 2010. Retrieved
November 19, 2013.
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 .
Bose, Sumantra (2003). Kashmir: Roots
of Conflict, Paths to Peace . Harvard
University Press. ISBN 0-674-01173-2.
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.
Lothers, Michael; Lothers, Laura (2010).
Pahari and Pothwari: a sociolinguistic
survey (Report). SIL Electronic Survey
Reports. 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.
Snedden, Christopher (2013) [first
published as The Untold Story of the
People of Azad Kashmir, 2012]. Kashmir:
The Unwritten History . HarperCollins
India. ISBN 9350298988.

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 9332506205.
Schoefield, Victoria (2003) [First
published in 2000]. Kashmir in Conflict .
London and New York: I. B. Taurus & Co.
ISBN 1860648983.

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