Azad Jammu and Kashmir abbreviated as AJK 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 as per the 2017 national census.
Kashmir is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompasses a larger area that includes the India-administered territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the Pakistan-administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Chinese-administered territories of Aksai Chin and the Trans-Karakoram Tract.
Khalid Hasan was a Pakistani journalist and writer. Author and editor of several books, in addition to being a regular columnist for a number of English-language Pakistani newspapers, he is best known for his translations of the short stories of Saadat Hasan Manto and the poems of Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
Mirpur, officially known as New Mirpur City, is the capital of Mirpur district located in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan which has been subject of the larger Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India since 1947. It is the second largest city of Azad Kashmir and the 74th largest city in Pakistan.
Northern Pakistan is a tourism region in northern and north-western parts of Pakistan, comprising the administrative units of Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad Capital Territory and the Rawalpindi Division in Punjab. The first two territories are a part of the wider Kashmir region. It is a mountainous region straddling the Himalayas, Karakoram and the Hindu Kush mountain ranges, containing many of the highest peaks in the world and some of the longest glaciers outside polar regions. Northern Pakistan accounts for a high level of Pakistan's tourism industry.
The Kashmir Valley, also known as the Vale of Kashmir, is an intermontane valley in northern Jammu and Kashmir, a region in Indian-administered Kashmir. The valley is surrounded by ranges of the Himalayas, bounded on the southwest by the Pir Panjal Range and on the northeast by the Greater Himalayan range. It is approximately 135 km (84 mi) long and 32 km (20 mi) wide, and drained by the Jhelum River. It forms the bulk of the Kashmir Division of Jammu and Kashmir.
Rawalakot is the capital of Poonch district in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It is located in the Pir Panjal Range.
Margalla Hills National Park is a national park in Pakistan located in Islamabad Capital Territory, near its northern boundary with Haripur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The park includes the Margalla Hills, which form the foothills of the Himalayas, along with Shakarparian Park and Rawal Lake.
The Azad Kashmir Regiment is one of six infantry regiments in the Pakistan Army named after Azad Kashmir. It holds the distinction of being the only Battle Born Regiment in South Asia, formed by locals of Azad Kashmir to fight against Dogra Raj and it is the first regiment raised after Pakistan's independence. With the Regimental Centre at Mansar Mansar Camp in Attock District, the Regiment has gallantly participated in all Operations and Wars fought by the Pakistan Army
The wildlife of Pakistan comprises a diverse flora and fauna in a wide range of habitats from sea level to high elevation areas in the mountains, including 195 mammal, 668 bird species and more than 5000 species of Invertebrates. This diverse composition of the country's fauna is associated with its location in the transitional zone between two major zoogeographical regions, the Palearctic, and the Oriental. The northern regions of Pakistan, which include Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan include portions of two biodiversity hotspot, Mountains of Central Asia and Himalayas.
Raja Muhammad Zulqarnain Khan is an Azad Kashmiri politician who served as the President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir from 25 August 2006 to 25 August 2011. He was replaced by Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan. Prior to this he served as Member of the Legislative Assembly of Azad Kashmir.
Lulusar-Dodipat National Park is located in the Kaghan Valley in Mansehra District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The park was created in 2003. The scenic Dudipatsar Lake and Lulusar Lake and peaks are in the park.
The Lidder Valley or Liddar Valley is a Himalayan sub-valley that forms the southeastern corner of Anantnag district in Indian-administered Kashmir. The Lidder River flows down the valley. The entrance to the valley lies 7 km northeast from Anantnag town and 62 km southeast from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a 40-km-long gorge valley with an average width of 3 km.
Panjal Mastan is a scenic place in Bagh Valley of Azad-Kashmir.
Kotla is the name of a valley in Northern Bagh the name of the main village of this valley is Kotla,on the basis of which the entire valley was named Kotla Valley. Kotla is a Village and tourist resort in Bagh District, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. Kotla is 6,560 feet (2,000 m) above sea level. Kotla contains pine trees that are hundreds of years old. It takes approximately 1 hour to drive from Bagh to Kotla.
The Warwan Valley is a Himalayan sub-valley and a tehsil in Kishtwar District in the Jammu division in union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in India. The Valley lies 68 kilometres (42 mi) northeast of Kishtwar and 150 kilometres (93 mi) from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Ghamot National Park Ghamot National Park is a national park in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It is located in Neelam District of AJK and it was established in 2004. Conservation efforts in the Gumot National Park are funded by the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme and implemented by the Himalayan Wildlife Foundation. The national park is significant as it hosts a connected population of the threatened Himalayan Brown Bear of Pakistan, connected through a network of national parks in northern Pakistan including the Deosai National Park and Musk Deer National Park. The park also hosts a population of the threatened musk deer.
Deva-Vatala National Park is a protected area in Bhimber District, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It is located close to the Indian border and aligns with the district of Gujrat. The park is one of the few protected areas in Azad Kashmir to be located in a thorn forest. It is home to some of the most diverse wildlife, including the only population of Red Junglefowl, in Pakistan.
The Gurez National Park, also known as Musk Deer National Park, is one of the protected areas of Pakistan. It is located in Neelum District in Azad kashmir, Pakistan, besides the Neelum River in the Gurez valley. It is located in the high Himalayas and Pir Panjal Range. It is a thirty-five minute drive from Gurez tehsil. It is also known as Gurez valley national park.
