Azad Kashmir

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Urdu: آزاد جموں و کشمیر, Azaad Jammu o- Kashmir, literallyFree Jammu and Kashmir ; AJK) or Azad Kashmir (literally Free Kashmir) for short, is the southernmost political entity within the Pakistani-administered part of the formerprincely state of Kashmir and Jammu. It borders the present-day Indian-controlled state of Jammu and Kashmir to the east (separated from it by the Line of Control),Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to the west, Gilgit–Baltistan to the north, and the Punjabprovince to the south. With its capital at Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir covers an area of 13,297 square kilometres (5,134 sq mi) and has an estimated population of about four million.

Azad Kashmir and Gilgit–Baltistan together constitute the region referred to as Pakistan-administered Kashmir by the United Nations^[2]^[3] and other international organisations, and as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in India^[4] in contrast to the nameIndian-occupied Kashmir which is given to the Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan. The territories have been under control of the two countries since the first Kashmir war after which Azad Kashmir was successfully captured from the princely state by the rebelling militias with the help of Pakistan army.

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History

Main article: History of Azad Kashmir

Further information: History of Kashmir

Map of the entire Kashmir region

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, themaharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, wanted his state to remain independent. In order to buy some time, he signed a stand-still agreement, which sidestepped the encouragement of the princely states to join either India or Pakistan.^[5] Later there was a revolution by Muslims in the western part of the kingdom,^[6] as raiders from the North-West Frontier Province and the Tribal Areas feared that Hari Singh might accede to the Union of India. In October 1947 they attacked Kashmir, in an attempt to take control of the princely state. Initially Hari Singh tried to resist their progress but failed. He then requested the military help of India, which responded that it would not help him unless he acceded to India. On October 26, 1947, Hari Singh signed an Instrument of Accession,^[7] and Indian troops were immediately airlifted into Srinagar. Pakistan intervened subsequently.^[6] Fighting ensued between the Indian and Pakistani Armies, with two areas of control stabilizing more or less around what is now the "Line of Control".^[8]

Later, India approached the United Nations, asking it to solve 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 Indian and Pakistani armies from the parts of Kashmir under their respective control – a withdrawal that never took place.^[9] In 1949, a cease-fire line separating the Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of Kashmir was formally put into effect.

Following the 1949 cease-fire agreement, the government of Pakistan divided the northern and western parts of Kashmir which it held 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 Federally Administered Northern Areas (FANA) – is the much larger area to the north of AJK, 72,496 square kilometres (27,991 sq mi); it was directly administered by Pakistan as a de facto dependent territory, i.e. a non-self-governing territory. However it was officially granted full autonomy on August 29, 2009.^[10]

An area of Kashmir that was once under Pakistani control is the Shaksgam tract—a small region along the northeastern border of the Northern Areas that was provisionally ceded by Pakistan to the People's Republic of China in 1963 and which now forms part of China's Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang.

In 1972, the then-current border between Pakistan and India, which contained areas of Kashmir, was designated as the "Line of Control". The Line of Control has remained unchanged^[11] 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.

A devastating earthquake hit Azad Kashmir in 2005.

Kashmir related holidays

Azad Kashmir Day is celebrated by Azad Jammu & Kashmir government on the day of its creation on October 24, 1947. Pakistan celebrates Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5, each year since 1990 as a day of protest against Indian control of Jammu and Kashmir.^[12] It is a national holiday in Pakistan.^[13]

Government

Districts of Azad Kashmir

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is a self-governing state under Pakistani control but is not constitutionally part of Pakistan.^[1]^[14] It has its own elected president, prime minister, legislature, high court, and official flag. The government of Pakistan has not yet allowed the state to issue its own postage stamps, however, and Pakistani stamps are used in the state instead. Azad Kashmir has it own Judiciary as well with Khawaja Shahad Ahmad as its present Chief Justice.

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 11 members, six from the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and five from the government of Pakistan. Its chairman/chief executive is the president of Pakistan. Other members of the council are the president and the prime minister of Azad Kashmir and a few other AJK ministers.^[1]^[14]

The human rights of the inhabitants of Azad Kashmir has been the subject of controversy. Brad Adams, the Asia director at Human Rights Watch said in 2006, "Although ‘azad’ means ‘free,’ the residents of Azad Kashmir are anything but, The Pakistani authorities govern Azad Kashmir with strict controls on basic freedoms."^[15]

The state is administratively divided into three divisions which, in turn, are divided into ten districts.^[16]

Division	District	Area (km²)	Population (1998)	Headquarters
Mirpur	Bhimber	1,516	301,633	Bhimber
	Kotli	1,862	563,094	Kotli
	Mirpur	1,010	333,482	Mirpur
Muzaffarabad	Muzaffarabad^[17]	2,496	638,973	Muzaffarabad
	Hattian	?	?	Hattian Bala
	Neelum^[18]	3,621	106,778	Athmuqam
Poonch	Poonch	855	411,035	Rawalakot^[17]
	Haveli	600 (est.)	150,000 (est.)	Forward Kahuta^[17]
	Bagh	768	243,415	Bagh
	Sudhnati	569	334,091	Pallandari

AJK Total	10 districts	13,297	2,972,501	Muzaffarabad

There are roughly 1.5 million refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan.^{[citation needed]}

Geography and climate

This section requires expansion.(January 2010)

The northern part of Azad Jammu and Kashmir encompasses the lower area of the Himalayas, including Jamgarh Peak (15,531 feet [4,734 meters]). 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.^[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.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Kashmir

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Ethnic groups

Main article: Ethnic groups of Azad Kashmir

Azad Jammu and Kashmir is predominantly Muslim. The majority of the population is culturally, linguistically, and ethnically related to the people of northern Punjab. The article, Ethnic groups of Azad Kashmir gives a breakdown of all the major tribes in the state. The principal languages spoken are Pahari, Gojri, Dogri, Potohari, Urdu, Kashmiri, Pashto and Punjabi.

A large number of residents of this area have relatives who live in England. Mirpur in particular retains strong links with the UK.^[19]

Languages

Urdu is the official language of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.^[20] However, due to the area's diverse cultural blend, many languages are spoken by different populations, including Pahari-Potwari, Hindko, Gojri, Punjabi and Pashto.^[21]^[22]

Toli pir Rawalakot

Economy and resources

This section requires expansion. (June 2008)

In the mid-1950s various economic and social development processes were launched in Azad Kashmir.^[23] 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 electricity the dam provided to the nation. During the mid-2000s a multi-billion dollar reconstruction began in the aftermath of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake.^[24]

Agriculture is a 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 more elevated areas that are less populated and are spread out, forestry, corn and livestock are the source of living.

There are some mineral and marble resources in Azad Kashmir close to Mirpur and Muzaffarabad; there are also some graphite deposits at Mohriwali. There are some 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 art and craft industry that produces such cultural goods as: namdas, shawls, pashmina, pherans, Papier-mâché, basketry copper, rugs, wood carving, silk and woolen clothing, patto, carpet, 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]^[14]^[25]

In addition to agriculture, textiles, 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; for household annual income, those people living in higher areas are more dependent on remittance than lower areas.^[26]

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 delay in help reaching the most needy, and hundreds of people continued to live in tents long after the earthquake.^[24] A land-use plan for the city of Muzaffarabad was prepared by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Remittance by British Pakistanis forms an important part of the Kashmiri economy.

Education

The literacy rate in Azad Kashmir was 62% in 2004, higher than in any other region in Pakistan.^[27] However, only 2.2% were graduates, compared to the average of 2.9% for the whole of Pakistan.^[28]