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Azad Kashmir

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Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Template:Lang-ur, Template:Translation), 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.[3] 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".Template:Refn Azad Kashmir is one-sixth of the size of Gilgit-Baltistan.[4] 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 Template:Convert/km2, and a total population of 4,045,366 as per the 2017 Census.

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,[5] while the region has a literacy rate of approximately 72% and has the highest school enrollment in Pakistan.[6]

Geography[]

The northern part of Azad Jammu and Kashmir encompasses the lower area of the Himalayas, including Jamgarh Peak (Template:Convert/m). 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.[7]

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[]

Template:Main

File:Kashmir region 2004.jpg

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.[8][9] Muslims in Western Jammu province (current day Azad Kashmir) and the Frontier Districts Province (current day Gilgit-Baltistan) had wanted to join Pakistan.[10]

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.Template:SfnTemplate:Refn 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.Template:Sfn On October 24, a second provisional government of Azad Kashmir was established at Palandri under the leadership of Sardar Ibrahim Khan.Template:Sfn

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 Template:Convert/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.[11] Indian troops were immediately airlifted into Srinagar.Template:Sfn Pakistan intervened subsequently.[9] 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".[12]

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.[13] from the parts of Kashmir under their respective control – a withdrawal that never took place.[14] 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, Template:Convert/mi long, with a width varying from Template:Convert/to.
  • Gilgit–Baltistan formerly called the Federally Administered Northern Areas (FANA) – the much larger political entity to the north of AJK with an area of Template:Convert/km2.

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[15] 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.Template:Citation needed The 1974 Interim Constitution Act was passed by the 48-member Azad Jammu and Kashmir unicameral assembly.[16]

Government[]

Template:See also

File:Pakistan - Azad Kashmir - Muzaffarabad.svg

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.[7][17] Azad Kashmir has its own elected President, Prime Minister, Legislative Assembly, High Court, with Azam Khan as its present chief justice, and official flag.[18]

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.[18][7][17] 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.[19] That day is a national holiday in Pakistan.[20] 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."[21] 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.[22]

Consequently, having little to fear from a pro-Pakistan population devoid of options,[22] 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."[22] The pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front has never been allowed to contest elections in Azad Kashmir.[23] While the Interim Constitution does not give them a choice, the people of Azad Kashmir have not considered any option other than joining Pakistan.[22] Except in the legal sense, Azad Kashmir has been fully integrated into Pakistan.[22]

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.[24] Germany, between 2006 and 2014, has also donated $38 million towards the AJK Health Infrastructure Programme.[25]

Administrative divisions[]

File:Pakistan is full of breathtaking views - Muzafarabad.JPG

Muzaffarabad, the capital city of Azad Kashmir

File:UPDATED BAGH AJK, PAKISTAN ASIA.jpg

Bagh City

Template:See also

The state is administratively divided into three divisions which, in turn, are divided into ten districts.[26]

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
File:Kotla bagh Azad Kashmir.jpg

Kotla, Bagh District

File:Greeny view of dirkot park from neela but road.jpg

Dhirkot Park, Bagh District

Climate[]

File:Azad Kashmir Landscape.JPG

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.Template:Citation needed

File:Rice Cultivaiton in Leepa AJK.jpg

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.Template:Citation needed

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.Template:Citation needed

Population[]

The population of Azad Kashmir, according to the preliminary results of the 2017 Census, is 4.45 million.[27] 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.[28]

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.[29]

Religion[]

Azad Jammu and Kashmir has an almost entirely Muslim population. Most residents of the region are not ethnic Kashmiris.[30] The majority of people in Azad Kashmir are ethnically Punjabi.[31] 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.[32]

Ethnic groups[]

Template:See also

The main communities living in this region are:[33]

  • Gujjars – They are an agricultural tribe and are estimated to be the largest community living in ten districts of Azad Kashmir.[33][34][35]
  • 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.[36][33][34] Most of the Azad Kashmir's politication and leaders come from this tribe.[37]
  • 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.[33][38]
  • Rajputs – They are spread across the territory, and they number, respecively, a little over and a little under half a millon.[37]
  • Mughals – Largely located in Bagh and Muzaffarabad districts.[39]
  • 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.[33][34][35]
  • 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.[33][34][35]
  • Kashmiris – Ethnic Kashmiri populations are found in Neelam Valley and Leepa Valley.[40]

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,Template:Sfn[note 1] 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.[41] Further north in the Neelam Valley, the dialect, locally known as Parmi, can more unambiguously be subsumed under Hindko.Template:Sfn

Another major language of Azad Kashmir is Gujari. It is spoken by several hundred thousand[note 2] 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.Template:Sfn Gujari is most closely related to the Rajasthani languages (particularly Mewati), although it also shares features with Punjabi.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn

There are scattered communities of Kashmiri speakers,[42] notably in the Neelam Valley, where they form the second-largest language group after speakers of Hindko.Template:Sfn 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.[43] There is an ongoing process of gradual shift to larger local languages,Template:Sfn but at least in the Neelam Valley there still exist communities for whom Kashmiri is the sole mother tongue.Template:Sfn

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.Template:Sfn

Economy[]

Template:Main

File:Sharda Kashmir.jpg

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.[44]

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.[7] 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.[7][17][45]

File:People having Fun at Munda Gali Leepa AJK.jpg

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.[46]

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.[47] 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.[46] 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 Template:Convert/km 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 Template:Convert/km 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 Template:Convert/km 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 Template:Convert/km from Islamabad and Template:Convert/km 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 Template:Convert/km 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.[48] However, only 2.2% were graduates, compared to the average of 2.9% for Pakistan.[49]

Universities[]

The following is a list of universities recognised by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC):[50]

File:Mirpur University of Science and Technology (mechanical department).jpg

Mirpur University of Science and Technology

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 [3]
University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Jhelum Valley Campus) Jhelum Valley District 2013 Public General [4]
Al-Khair University Mirpur 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 & Humanities [12]

* Granted university status.

Cadet College Pallandri[]

  • Cadet College Palandri is situated about Template:Convert/km from Islamabad

Medical colleges[]

The following is a list of undergraduate medical institutions recognised by Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) Template:As of.[51]

  • 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[]

Template:Portal

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

Notes[]

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named BirdVaillancourt2008
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Bose
  3. ↑ 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) Template:Citation (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) Template:Citation 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";
  4. ↑ Template:Cite web
  5. ↑ Template:Cite web
  6. ↑ Template:Cite web
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 "Azad Kashmir" at britannica.com
  8. ↑ Template:Cite web
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Template:Cite encyclopedia
  10. ↑ Template:Cite book
  11. ↑ Template:Cite web
  12. ↑ Template:Cite newsTemplate:Unreliable source?
  13. ↑ Template:Cite web
  14. ↑ Template:Cite web
  15. ↑ Template:Cite web
  16. ↑ Template:Cite web
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Template:Cite web
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Template:Cite web
  19. ↑ Template:Cite news
  20. ↑ Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link
  21. ↑ Template:Cite web
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 Template:Cite book
  23. ↑ Template:Citation
  24. ↑ https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/project-document/69690/rrp-pak-38135.pdf
  25. ↑ Template:Cite web
  26. ↑ Template:Cite web
  27. ↑ Template:Cite web
  28. ↑ Template:Cite web
  29. ↑ Template:Cite report
  30. ↑ Template:Cite book
  31. ↑ Template:Cite book
  32. ↑ https://asianlite.com/news/asia-diaspora-news/the-plight-of-minorities-in-azad-kashmir/
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4 33.5 Template:Harvnb
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 http://www.erra.pk/Reports/KMC/RawlakotProfile200907.pdf
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 Template:Cite web
  36. ↑ Template:Cite book
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Template:Cite web
  38. ↑ Template:Cite news
  39. ↑ Template:Cite web
  40. ↑ Template:Cite book
  41. ↑ The preceding paragraph is mostly based on Template:Harvtxt. For further references, see the bibliography in Pahari-Pothwari.
  42. ↑ Template:Harvnb; Template:Harvnb
  43. ↑ Template:Harvnb; Template:Harvnb. The discussion in both cases is in the broader context of Pakistan.
  44. ↑ Template:Cite web
  45. ↑ Template:Cite web
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 Template:Cite news
  47. ↑ Template:Cite web
  48. ↑ Template:Cite news
  49. ↑ Template:Cite news
  50. ↑ Template:Cite web
  51. ↑ Template:Cite web

References[]

Sources
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Further reading[]

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External links[]

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Template:Azad Kashmir topics Template:Administrative units of Pakistan Template:Administrative units of Azad Kashmir
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