Azad Kashmir

Template:Pakistan infobox

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Template:Lang-ur; AJK) or, for short, Azad Kashmir (literally, "free Kashmir") is the southernmost political entity within the Pakistani-controlled part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. It borders the present-day Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir to the east (separated from it by the Line of Control), the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan to the west, the Federally Administered Northern Areas (FANA) to the north, and the Punjab Province of Pakistan 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'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.

History

File:Kashmir region-map 2004.jpg

map of the entire Kashmir region

After the Partition of India in 1947, the princely states were given the option of joining either India or Pakistan. However, Hari Singh, the maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, wanted Jammu and Kashmir to remain independent. In order to buy some time, he signed a stand-still agreement, which side-stepped the agreement that each princely state would join either India or Pakistan.^[1] The raiders from North-West Frontier Province and the Tribal Areas feared that Hari Singh may join Indian Union. In October 1947 supported by Pakistani Army they attacked Kashmir and tried to take over control of Kashmir. Initially Hari Singh tried to resist their progress but failed. Hari Singh then requested Indian Union to help. India responded that it could not help unless Kashmir joins India. So on 26 October 1947 Kashmir accession papers were signed and Indian troops were airlifted to Srinagar. Fighting ensued between Indian Army & Pakistani Army with control stabilizing more or less around what is now the "Line of Control".^[2]

File:Bkh lasdana hajipir road.jpg

Las Dana-Haji Pir Road, Bagh District

Later, India approached UN to solve the dispute and resolutions were passed to hold a plebiscite with regard to Kashmir's future. However, this plebiscite has not been held on either side since the legal requirement for the holding of a plebiscite was the withdrawal of the Indian and Pakistani armies from the parts of Kashmir that were under their respective control—a withdrawal that never did take place.^[3] 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 kilometres) long, with a width varying from 10 to 40 miles (16 to 64 kilometres).
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 29 August, 2009.^[4]

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 Pakistani and Indian held areas of Kashmir was designated as the "Line of Control". The Line of Control has remained unchanged^[5] since the 1972 Simla pact, 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.

Government

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is a self-governing state under Pakistani control but is not constitutionally part of Pakistan^{[citation needed]}. 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. The state is administratively divided into two divisions which, in turn, are divided into eight districts.


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	2,496	638,973	Muzaffarabad
	Neelum^[6]	3,621	106,778	Athmuqam
Poonch	Poonch	855	411,035	Rawalakot
	Bagh	1,368	393,415	Bagh
	Sudhnati	569	334,091	Pallandari
AJK total	8 districts	13,297	2,972,501	Muzaffarabad

A 2008 report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees determined that Pakistan administered Kashmir, was 'Not Free'. It also criticized the Pakistani Government saying 'The appropriation of land in the Northern Areas by non-Kashmiri migrants from elsewhere in Pakistan, with the tacit encouragement of the federal government and army, has led to dwindling economic opportunities for the local population and an increase in sectarian tension between the majority Shia Muslims and a growing number of Sunnis.'^[7]

Ethnic Groups

Azad 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 vast majority of the people who live in Azad Kashmir, despite that region's being referred to as part of Kashmir, do not speak Kashmiri or any of its dialects.

File:Toli pir Rawalakot Azad kashmir .jpg

Toli pir Rawalakot

Languages

Urdu is the official language of Azad Kashmir but is spoken by only a minority of people^{[citation needed]}. The dominant language spoken in the state is Pahari, which is very similar to Pothwari and Hindko^{[citation needed]}.

Economy and Resources

Azad Jammu and Kashmir Goverment get royalities from Pakistani Government for electricity it provides to the nation from Mangla Dam in Mirpur in Kashmir .

Agriculture is a part of Azad Kashmir economy with low lying areas that have high populations grow crops like Barley, Millet, Corn (maize) , Wheat and also raise cattle .In the higher elevated areas that are less populated and are spread out Foresty ,corn and livestock are the source of living .

Thier are some mineral resources in Azad Kashmir as well with marble close to Mirpur and Muzaffarabad ,also at Mohriwali there are some Graphite deposits.Their are also some reservoir of low-grade coal ,chalk, Bauxite, and zircon.Furthemore 'Household industries produce carved wooden objects, textiles, and dhurrie carpets'^[8].Their is also an Art and craft industry and other Products where; Namdas, Shawls, Pashmina, ,Pherans ,Papier Mache, Basketry Copper,Rugs,Wood carving,Woolen Shawls ,Silk Woolen Clothing,Patto ,Carpet, Namda Gubba and Silverware ,Mushroom, Honey, Walnut, Apple, Cherry, Medicinal herbs & plants, Resin, Deodar, Kail, Chir, Fir, Maple and Ash Timbers are in produced in the region . ^[9] ^[10]^[11]

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 those funds were subsequently lost in bureaucratic channels, leading to delay in help reaching the most needy, and hundreds of people are still living in tents.^[12] A land-use plan for Muzaffarabad city was prepared by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

So far there has been ' more than Rs.16400 million investments ' in different areas in Azad Jammu and kashmir ^[13]

Education

The Literacy rate for Azad Kashmir was 62% in 2004. Higher than any other region in Pakistan. Out of 62% about 55.47% are people at the age of 10 or a little above of it, 70.52% are male and 40.46% are female.^[14] However, only 2.2% were graduates compared to the average of 2.9% for the whole of Pakistan.^[15]