Azad Jammu and Kashmir, officially the State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and colloquially referred to as simply Azad Kashmir, is a region administered by Pakistan as a nominally self-governing entity and constituting the western portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947. 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 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 per the 2017 national census.
Kathua is a city and municipal council of the Jammu division of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. The city is the headquarters of Kathua district and is divided into 27 wards which constitute the Kathua Municipal Council. It is situated along NH-44 The city has a bustling industrial area and an army cantonment adjoining it. Being a transit hub for industrial activity in the state, the city has a large industrial base with textile park, Biotechnology and Pharma industrial and research park, Cement industry and many medium scale MSMEs.
Rawalakot is the capital of Poonch district in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It is located in the Pir Panjal Range.
Bagh City is the chief town and district headquarters of Bagh District, in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. The town is situated on the confluence of two nullahs (streams), Malwani and Mahl at a distance of 93 km from Muzaffarabad.
Poonch or Punch is a district of the Jammu division of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. With headquarters in the town of Poonch, it is bounded by the Line of Control on three sides. The 1947–48 war between India and Pakistan divided the earlier district into two parts. One went to Pakistan and the other became part of the then-Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Pallandri, also spelled Palandri, originally Pulandari, is a Tehsil which serves as the administrative capital of Sudhanoti district of Azad Kashmir. It is located at latitude 33° 42′ 54″ N, longitude 73° 41′ 9″ E, 90 km (56 mi) from Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. It is connected with Rawalpindi and Islamabad through Azad Pattan road. The main tribe of Pallandri is the Sudhan tribe. Here in Palindri the first Government of Sidhnuti Azad Kashmir on October 4,1947 was established
Kupwara district is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is one of the 10 districts located in the Kashmir Valley Division of Indian administered Kashmir. The Pohru River and Mawar river are two main rivers in the district. Both of them meet Jhelum river in Baramulla district.
Thorar is a town in Poonch District in Azad Kashmir. There are some villages around it like Bhalgran. It is located about 20 miles from Rawalakot city, the capital of Poonch district.
Poonch, is a town and the administrative headquarters of the Poonch district, of the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which is part of the larger disputed territory of Kashmir. It is located near the Line of Control – the de facto border in the disputed region. Poonch shares a de facto border with the Poonch district of the Pakistan-administered, self-governing territory of Azad Kashmir.
The Sudhanoti District, meaning the "heartland of Sudhans" or "Sudhan heartland"), is one of the 10 districts of Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. The Sudhanoti District is bounded on the north and east by the Poonch District, on the south by the Kotli District, and on the west by the Rawalpindi District of Pakistan's Punjab Province. It is located 90 kilometres (56 mi) from Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. It is connected with Rawalpindi and Islamabad via the Azad Pattan Road.
Hajira is a small town in Poonch District of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It is the headquarters of Tehsil Hajira also known as 'Cheara' in local accents. Hajira is a transport hub, being the center point of different districts. Hajira Ponch is correctly interpreted as ‘Hajira Reach’. In front (South) of Hajira there is district Sudhnoti. On the left side of Hajira there is district Kotli. On the back side (North) of Hajira there is district 'Haveli. District Bagh is in the right side (West) of Hajira. Khai Gala and Rawalakot are the other nearest cities of Hajira and located in the right side (West) of Hajira. While summers can be very hot the winters are mild in Hajira, with snowfall very rare due to the low altitude. The language spoken in Hajira is Urdu similar to the right west side of Hajira as Rawlakot, as you go north to Tata pani towards Kotli and Mirpur the language emerges in to “Pahari” and “Potwari”. Hajira is close to Indian borders hence the main language becoming Urdu. The Indian borders and line of control LOC is near Hajira.
Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan is an Azad Kashmiri businessman and politician. He served as the President of Azad Kashmir from 25 August 2011 to 25 August 2016. He also served as the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir from 7 January 2009 to 22 October 2009. Beside politics, Khan is also serving as the Chairman of YK Group of Companies.
University of Poonch is a public university located in Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. The university has 3 different campuses: The Main campus in Rawalakot, the Kahuta campus, and the Mong campus. As of 2017, the university has 7 faculties consisting of 26 departments.
Khan Muhammad Khan commonly known as Khan of Mong, was a Captain in the British Indian Army during the World War II. After demobilisation, he served as a rebel leader during the First Kashmir War. He is credited with the capture of Mirpur, He was also allegedly involved with the Rawalpindi Conspiracy and the Poonch Uprising.
The 1955 Poonch revolt, also known as the 1955 Sudhan uprising was a Civil revolt in Azad Jammu and Kashmir against the State of Pakistan. The uprising broke out in February 1955 and was provoked largely by the dismissal of Sardar Ibrahim Khan. It took a year until the uprising was suppressed in October 1956.
In spring 1947, an uprising against the Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir broke out in the Poonch jagir, an area bordering the Rawalpindi district of West Punjab and the Hazara district of the North-West Frontier Province in the future Pakistan. It was driven by grievances such as high taxes, the Maharaja's neglect of World War veterans, and above all, Muslim nationalism with a desire to join Pakistan. The leader of the rebellion, Sardar Ibrahim Khan, escaped to Lahore by the end of August 1947 and persuaded the Pakistani authorities to back the rebellion. In addition to the backing, Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan authorised an invasion of the state, by the ex-Indian National Army personnel in the south and a force led by Major Khurshid Anwar in the north. These invasions eventually led to the First Kashmir War fought between India and Pakistan, and the formation of Azad Kashmir provisional government. The Poonch jagir has since been divided across Azad Kashmir, administered by Pakistan and the state of Jammu and Kashmir, administered by India.
Major General Muhammad Hayat Khan was a Kashmiri politician who served as the 15th President of Azad Kashmir from 1 November 1978 to 31 January 1983.
LA-21 Poonch & Sudhnoti-IV is a constituency of the Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly which is currently represented by Hassan Ibrahim Khan of the Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party (JKPP). It covers half of the area of Rawalakot Tehsil in Poonch District.
LA-20 Poonch & Sudhnoti-III is a constituency of the Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly which is currently represented by Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). It covers half of the area of Rawalakot Tehsil in Poonch District.
The Battle of Rawalakot, was a battle fought by the Azad Kashmir Regular Force against the State of Jammu and Kashmir which took place in the city of Rawalakot and surrounding areas between November 4–14, 1947 during the First Kashmir War, which was initiated by Muslim Sudhan ex-servicemen to fight for the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to the Dominion of Pakistan. On 15 June, Sardar Ibrahim Khan addressed a meeting in Rawalakot attended by 20,000 people, and gave a speech in "most 'seditious' terms". He told his audience that Pakistan, a Muslim state, was coming into being and the people of Jammu and Kashmir could not remain unaffected. After that day, he says, "a strange atmosphere took the place of the usually peaceful life in these parts". On 22 June, Chaudhary Hamidullah, the acting president of the Muslim Conference, visited Rawalakot and initiated secret plans to organize the ex-servicemen of the district for an eventual confrontation with the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces.
