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{{Английская Википедия/Панель перехода}}
{{Short description|Region administered by Pakistan}}
{{About|the Pakistani administrative territory||Kashmir (disambiguation)}}
{{pp-semi-protected|small=yes}}
{{EngvarB|date = August 2021}}<!---Please do not add Indian or Pakistani English here-->
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Azad Jammu and Kashmir
| settlement_type    = Administered by [[Pakistan]] as a [[Administrative units of Pakistan|self-administrative territory]]
| image_map          = File:Kashmir region. LOC 2003626427 - showing sub-regions administered by different countries.jpg
| map_alt            = Map of the disputed Kashmir region showing areas of control by India, Pakistan, and China
| map_caption        = A map of the disputed [[Kashmir]] region with the two Pakistan-administered areas shaded in [[sage (color)|sage]]-green.<ref name=tertiary-kashmir/>
| image_map1         = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-width=300|frame-height=170|frame-align=center|zoom=4|type=point|title=Azad Kashmir|marker=city|type2=shape|stroke-width2=2|stroke-color2=#808080}}
| map_caption1       = Interactive map of Azad Kashmir
| coordinates        = {{Coord|33|50|36|N|73|51|05|E|type:adm1st_region:PK_dim:1000000|display=inline,title}}
| image_skyline      = {{Photomontage
| photo1a = Neeulm Valley AJK (Arang Kel).jpg
| photo2a = Mangala Dam from Ramkot.jpg
| photo2b =
| photo3a = 
| photo3b = 
| photo4a = 
| size = 250
| position = center
| spacing = Number indicating width of spacing between the images (default: 1)
| color = Color of spacing between the images (default: black)
| border = Number indicating width of border surrounding the montage (default: 1)
| color_border = Color of border surrounding the montage (default: black)
| text =
| text_background = Color of background behind text (default: #F8F8FF)
| foot_montage = top: [[Arang Kel]]<br/> bottom: [[Mangla Dam|Mangla reservoir]]
}}
| nickname           = 
| coor_pinpoint      = 
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| subdivision_type   = Administered by
| subdivision_name   = [[Pakistan]]
| subdivision_type2  = 
| subdivision_name2  = 
| established_title  = Established
| established_date   = October 24, 1947 ([[Azad Kashmir Day]])
| seat_type          = Capital
| seat               = [[Muzaffarabad]]
| seat1_type         = Largest city
| seat1              = Muzaffarabad
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = Self-governing state under Pakistani administration<ref name=brit/><ref name="BBC">{{cite news |title=Kashmir profile |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-11693674 |date=November 26, 2014 |work=BBC News |access-date=July 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716152335/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-11693674 |archive-date=July 16, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| governing_body     = [[Government of Azad Kashmir]]
| leader_party       = 
| leader_title       = [[List of Governors of Pakistan|President]]
| leader_name        = [[Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry]]
| leader_title1      = [[List of Chief Ministers in Pakistan|Prime&nbsp;Minister]]
| leader_name1       = [[Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq]]
| leader_title2      = [[Chief Secretary (Pakistan)|Chief Secretary]]
| leader_name2       = Muhammad Usman Chachar<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nation.com.pk/2022/05/11/usman-chachar-named-new-ajk-chief-secretary/|title=Usman Chachar Named New AJK Chief Secretary|access-date=May 12, 2022|archive-date=May 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220511154801/https://nation.com.pk/2022/05/11/usman-chachar-named-new-ajk-chief-secretary/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| leader_title3      = [[List of legislatures in South Asia#Pakistan|Legislature]]
| leader_name3       = [[Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly]]
| leader_title4      = [[High courts of Pakistan|High Court]]
| leader_name4       = [[Supreme Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir]]
| unit_pref          = Metric<!-- or US or UK -->
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_total_km2     = 13,297
| area_note          = 
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 
| population_total   = 4,045,366
| population_as_of   = 2017
| population_footnotes = 
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym = 
| population_note    = 
| timezone1          = [[Pakistan Standard Time|PKT]]
| utc_offset1        = +05:00
| postal_code_type   = 
| postal_code        = 
| area_code          = 
| area_code_type     = 
| iso_code           = [[ISO 3166-2:PK|PK-AJK]]
| blank_name_sec1    = [[Languages of Pakistan|Main language(s)]]
| blank_info_sec1    = {{bulleted list|[[Urdu]] (official)|[[Pahari-Pothwari]] (majority spoken)|
{{unbulleted list|'' Other [[Punjabic]] Dialects'': <br> [[Hindko]], [[Punjabi language|Standard Punjabi]]
{{unbulleted list|''Other Languages'': [[Gojri]], [[Pashto]]
}}}}}}
| blank1_name_sec2   = [[Divisions of Pakistan|Divisions]]
| blank1_info_sec2   = 3
| blank2_name_sec2   = [[Districts of Azad Kashmir|Districts]]
| blank2_info_sec2   = 10
| blank3_name_sec1   = [[Education in Pakistan|Literacy rate]] (2017)
| blank3_info_sec1   = 74%<ref name="tribune.com.pk">{{cite news |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1468026/education-spending-ajk/ |title=Education spending in AJK |author=Dr Pervez Tahir |newspaper=The Express Tribune |access-date=December 8, 2022 |archive-date=March 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320050911/https://tribune.com.pk/story/1468026/education-spending-ajk |url-status=live }}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|http://www.ajk.gov.pk/}}
| footnotes          = 
| blank3_name_sec2   = [[List of tehsils of Azad Kashmir|Tehsils]]
| blank3_info_sec2   = 33
| blank4_name_sec2   = [[Union Councils of Pakistan|Union Councils]]
| blank4_info_sec2   = 182
| blank5_name_sec1   = [[List of administrative units of Pakistan by Human Development Index|HDI]] (2019)
| blank5_info_sec1   = 0.612 {{increase}}<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{cite web|url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|title=Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|access-date=March 15, 2020|archive-date=September 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923120638/https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|url-status=live}}</ref><br/>{{color|#fc0|Medium}}
| official_name      = 
| anthem             = 
| leader_title5      = [[Inspector General of Police]]
| leader_name5       = Amir Ahmed Sheikh
}}

'''Azad Jammu and Kashmir''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|ɑː|z|æ|d|_|k|æ|ʃ|ˈ|m|ɪər}};<ref>{{Cite dictionary |title=Azad Kashmir |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Azad_Kashmir |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023091736/https://www.lexico.com/definition/azad_kashmir |archive-date=October 23, 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref> {{lang-ur|{{nq|آزاد جموں و کشمیر}}}}, {{translation|'Free Jammu and Kashmir'}} {{Audio|LL-Q1617 (urd)-نعم البدل-آزاد جموں و کشمیر.wav|listen}}),<ref name=Bose>{{cite book |last=Bose |first=Sumantra |author-link=Sumantra Bose |title=Contested Lands |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KKZcgOJPjVkC&pg=PA193 |date=2009 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-02856-2 |page=193 |quote=Azad Kashmir – 'Free Kashmir,' the more populated and nominally self-governing part of Pakistani-controlled Kashmir |access-date=December 21, 2016 |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117135716/https://books.google.com/books?id=KKZcgOJPjVkC&pg=PA193 |url-status=live }}</ref> abbreviated as '''AJK''' and colloquially referred to as simply '''Azad Kashmir''', is a region administered by [[Pakistan]] as a nominally self-governing entity<ref name="self-governing">See:

* {{cite book |first1=Richard M. |last1=Bird |first2=François |last2=Vaillancourt |title=Fiscal Decentralization in Developing Countries |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_wraZ5HEMasC&pg=PA127 |date=2008 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-10158-5 |pages=127– |access-date=November 15, 2015 |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117135716/https://books.google.com/books?id=_wraZ5HEMasC&pg=PA127 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last=Bose |first=Sumantra |author-link=Sumantra Bose |title=Contested Lands |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KKZcgOJPjVkC&pg=PA193 |date=2009 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-02856-2 |page=193 |quote=Azad Kashmir – 'Free Kashmir,' the more populated and nominally self-governing part of Pakistani-controlled Kashmir |access-date=December 21, 2016 |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117135716/https://books.google.com/books?id=KKZcgOJPjVkC&pg=PA193 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news |title=Territorial limits |url=http://herald.dawn.com/news/1153046 |date=May 7, 2015 |work=Herald |access-date=July 24, 2015 |quote=These are self-ruled autonomous regions. But restrictions apply. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725012628/http://herald.dawn.com/news/1153046 |archive-date=July 25, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and constituting the western portion of the larger [[Kashmir]] region, which has been the subject of a [[Kashmir#Kashmir_dispute|dispute]] between [[India]] and Pakistan [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948|since 1947]].<ref name=tertiary-kashmir>The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of [[Kashmir]] and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the [[WP:TERTIARY|tertiary sources]] (a) through (e), reflecting [[WP:DUE|due weight]] in the coverage. Although "controlled" and "held" are also applied neutrally to the names of the disputants or to the regions administered by them, as evidenced in sources (h) through (i) below, "held" is also considered politicized usage, as is the term "occupied," (see (j) below). 
(a) {{citation|title=Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent|publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Kashmir-region-Indian-subcontinent|accessdate=15 August 2019|archive-date=August 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190813203817/https://www.britannica.com/place/Kashmir-region-Indian-subcontinent|url-status=live}} (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.";<br/> (b) {{citation|last1=Pletcher|first1=Kenneth|title=Aksai Chin, Plateau Region, Asia|publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Aksai-Chin|accessdate=16 August 2019|archive-date=April 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402090308/https://www.britannica.com/place/Aksai-Chin|url-status=live}} (subscription required) Quote: "Aksai Chin, Chinese (Pinyin) Aksayqin, portion of the Kashmir region, at the northernmost extent of the Indian subcontinent in south-central Asia. It constitutes nearly all the territory of the Chinese-administered sector of Kashmir that is claimed by India to be part of the Ladakh area of Jammu and Kashmir state."; <br/> (c) {{citation|chapter=Kashmir|title=Encyclopedia Americana|publisher=Scholastic Library Publishing|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l_cWAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA328|year=2006|isbn=978-0-7172-0139-6|page=328|access-date=September 20, 2019|archive-date=January 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117135716/https://books.google.com/books?id=l_cWAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA328|url-status=live}} 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"; <br/> (d) {{citation|last1=Osmańczyk|first1=Edmund Jan|title=Encyclopedia of the United Nations and International Agreements: G to M|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fSIMXHMdfkkC&pg=PA1191|year=2003|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-93922-5|pages=1191–|access-date=June 12, 2023|archive-date=January 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117140437/https://books.google.com/books?id=fSIMXHMdfkkC&pg=PA1191|url-status=live}} Quote: "Jammu and Kashmir: Territory in northwestern India, subject to a dispute between India and Pakistan. It has borders with Pakistan and China." <br/>(e) {{citation|last=Talbot|first=Ian|title=A History of Modern South Asia: Politics, States, Diasporas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eNg_CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA28|year=2016|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-19694-8|pages=28–29}} Quote: "We move from a disputed international border to a dotted line on the map that represents a military border not recognized in international law. The line of control separates the Indian and Pakistani administered areas of the former Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir.";  <br/> (f) {{citation|last=Skutsch|first=Carl|editor-last=Ciment|editor-first=James|title=Encyclopedia of Conflicts Since World War II|edition=2nd|year=2015|orig-year=2007|isbn=978-0-7656-8005-1|chapter=China: Border War with India, 1962|location=London and New York|publisher=Routledge|page=573|quote=The situation between the two nations was complicated by the 1957–1959 uprising by Tibetans against Chinese rule.  Refugees poured across the Indian border, and the Indian public was outraged.  Any compromise with China on the border issue became impossible.  Similarly, China was offended that India had given political asylum to the Dalai Lama when he fled across the border in March 1959.  In late 1959, there were shots fired between border patrols operating along both the ill-defined McMahon Line and in the Aksai Chin.}}<br/>  (g) {{citation|last=Clary|first=Christopher|year=2022|title=The Difficult Politics of Peace: Rivalry in Modern South Asia|publisher=Oxford University Press|location = Oxford and New York|isbn=9780197638408|page=109|quote=Territorial Dispute: The situation along the Sino-Indian frontier continued to worsen.  In late July (1959), an Indian reconnaissance patrol was blocked, "apprehended," and eventually expelled after three weeks in custody at the hands of a larger Chinese force near Khurnak Fort in Aksai Chin.  ... Circumstances worsened further in October 1959, when a major class at Kongka Pass in eastern Ladakh led to nine dead and ten captured Indian border personnel, making it by far the most serious Sino-Indian class since India's independence.}} <br/> (h) {{citation|last=Bose|first=Sumantra|title=Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ACMe9WBdNAC&pg=PA294|year=2009|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-02855-5|pages=294, 291, 293}} Quote: "J&K: Jammu and Kashmir. The former princely state that is the subject of the Kashmir dispute. Besides IJK (Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir. The larger and more populous part of the former princely state. It has a population of slightly over 10 million, and comprises three regions: Kashmir Valley, Jammu, and Ladakh.) and AJK ('Azad" (Free) Jammu and Kashmir. The more populous part of Pakistani-controlled J&K, with a population of approximately 2.5 million.), it includes the sparsely populated "Northern Areas" of Gilgit and Baltistan, remote mountainous regions which are directly administered, unlike AJK, by the Pakistani central authorities, and some high-altitude uninhabitable tracts under Chinese control." <br/> (i) {{citation|last=Fisher|first=Michael H.|title=An Environmental History of India: From Earliest Times to the Twenty-First Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kZVuDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA166|year=2018|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-11162-2|page=166}} Quote: "Kashmir’s identity remains hotly disputed with a UN-supervised “Line of Control” still separating Pakistani-held Azad (“Free”) Kashmir from Indian-held Kashmir."; <br/> (j) {{citation|last=Snedden|first=Christopher|title=Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5amKCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA10|year=2015|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-1-84904-621-3|page=10}} Quote:"Some politicised terms also are used to describe parts of J&K. These terms include the words 'occupied' and 'held'."</ref> Azad Kashmir also shares borders with the Pakistani provinces of [[Punjab, Pakistan|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 (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]] (part of [[Indian-administered Kashmir]]) by the [[Line of Control|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 {{convert|13297|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} and has a total population of 4,045,366 as per the [[2017 Census of Pakistan|2017 national census]].

The territory has a parliamentary form of government modelled after the [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Westminster system]], with the city of [[Muzaffarabad]] serving as its [[Capital city|capital]]. The [[President of Azad Kashmir|President of AJK]] is the constitutional [[head of state]], while the [[Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir|Prime Minister]], supported by a [[Council of Ministers]], is the chief executive. The unicameral [[Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly|Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly]] elects both the Prime Minister and President. The territory has its own [[Supreme Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir|Supreme Court]] and a [[High Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir|High Court]], while the [[Government of Pakistan]]'s [[Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan]] serves as a link between itself and Azad Jammu and Kashmir's government, although the autonomous territory is not represented in the [[Parliament of Pakistan]].

Northern Azad Kashmir lies in a region that experiences strong vibrations of the earth as a result of the [[Indo-Australian Plate|Indian plate]] underthrusting the [[Eurasian plate]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Azad Kashmir |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Azad-Kashmir |website=www.britannica.com |language=en |access-date=April 17, 2021 |archive-date=October 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012065802/https://www.britannica.com/place/Azad-Kashmir |url-status=live }}</ref> A major [[2005 Kashmir earthquake|earthquake in 2005]] killed at least 100,000 people and left another three million people displaced, causing widespread devastation to the region's infrastructure and economy. Since then, with help from the Government of Pakistan and [[International response to the 2005 Kashmir earthquake|foreign aid]], reconstruction of infrastructure is underway. Azad Kashmir's economy largely depends on agriculture, services, tourism, and remittances sent by members of the [[British Mirpuris|British Mirpuri]] community. Nearly 87% of Azad Kashmiri households own farm property,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenews.com.pk/print/48195-underdevelopment-in-ajk|title=Underdevelopment in AJK|website=The News International|access-date=June 18, 2016|archive-date=September 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916232003/https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/48195-underdevelopment-in-ajk|url-status=live}}</ref> and the region has the highest rate of school enrollment in Pakistan and a literacy rate of approximately 74%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/526323/education-emergency-ajk-leading-in-enrolment-lagging-in-quality/|title=Education emergency: AJK leading in enrolment, lagging in quality – The Express Tribune|date=March 26, 2013|website=The Express Tribune|access-date=June 18, 2016|archive-date=August 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807030512/http://tribune.com.pk/story/526323/education-emergency-ajk-leading-in-enrolment-lagging-in-quality/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="tribune.com.pk"/>

== Name ==
''Azad Kashmir'' (Free Kashmir) was the title of a pamphlet issued by the [[All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference|Muslim Conference]] party at its 13th general session held in 1945 at [[Poonch (town)|Poonch]].{{sfnp|Behera, Demystifying Kashmir|2007|p=20}} It is believed to have been a response to the [[Jammu & Kashmir National Conference|National Conference]]'s ''Naya Kashmir'' (New Kashmir) programme.{{sfnp|Kapoor, Politics of Protests in Jammu and Kashmir|2014|loc=Chapter 6, p.&nbsp;273}} Sources state that it was no more than a compilation of various resolutions passed by the party.{{sfnp|Ganai, Dogra Raj and the Struggle for Freedom in Kashmir|1999|loc=Chapter 6, p.&nbsp;341}} But its intent seems to have been to declare that the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir were committed to the [[All-India Muslim League|Muslim League]]'s struggle for a separate homeland (Pakistan),{{sfnp|Behera, Demystifying Kashmir|2007|p=20}} and that the Muslim Conference was the sole representative organisation of the Muslims of Kashmir.{{sfnp|Kapoor, Politics of Protests in Jammu and Kashmir|2014|loc=Chapter 6, p.&nbsp;273}} However, the following year, the party passed an "Azad Kashmir resolution" demanding that the maharaja institute a constituent assembly elected on an extended franchise.{{sfnp|Saraf, Kashmiris Fight for Freedom, Volume 1|2015|p=663}} According to scholar [[Chitralekha Zutshi]], the organisation's declared goal was to achieve responsible government under the aegis of the maharaja without association with either India or Pakistan.<ref>{{citation |last=Zutshi |first=Chitralekha |title=Languages of Belonging: Islam, Regional Identity, and the Making of Kashmir |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H7Ptp4Iod8EC&pg=PA292 |year=2004 |publisher=C. Hurst & Co. Publishers |isbn=978-1-85065-700-2 |page=302}}</ref> The following year, the party workers assembled at the house of [[Sardar Ibrahim]] on 19 July 1947 reversed the decision, demanding that the maharaja accede to Pakistan.{{sfnp|Saraf, Kashmiris Fight for Freedom, Volume 2|2015|p=9}}<ref>{{citation |first=Balraj |last=Puri |author-link=Balraj Puri |title=The Question of Accession |journal=Epilogue |volume=4 |number=11 |date=November 2010 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TMxJzb7N_8wC&pg=PA4 |page=5 |access-date=May 8, 2020 |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117135717/https://books.google.com/books?id=TMxJzb7N_8wC&pg=PA4 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Soon afterward, Sardar Ibrahim escaped to Pakistan and led the [[1947 Poonch rebellion|Poonch rebellion]] from there, with the assistance of Pakistan's prime minister [[Liaquat Ali Khan]] and other officials. Liaquat Ali Khan appointed a committee headed by [[Mian Iftikharuddin]] to draft a "declaration of freedom".{{sfn|Saraf, Kashmiris Fight for Freedom, Volume 2|2015|pp=148–149}} On 4 October an Azad Kashmir provisional government was declared in Lahore with Ghulam Nabi Gilkar as president under the assumed name "Mr. Anwar" and Sardar Ibrahim as the prime minister. Gilkar travelled to Srinagar and was arrested by the maharaja's government. Pakistani officials subsequently appointed Sardar Ibrahim as the president of the provisional government.{{sfnp|Saraf, Kashmiris Fight for Freedom, Volume 2|2015|p=547|pp=544–545}}{{refn|group=note|The official with direct involvement in the affair was the Commissioner of [[Rawalpindi Division]], Khawaja Abdul Rahim. He was assisted by [[Nasim Jahan]], the wife of Colonel [[Akbar Khan (Pakistani general)|Akbar Khan]].{{sfnp|Saraf, Kashmiris Fight for Freedom, Volume 2|2015|p=547}}}}

==Geography==
[[File:Azad Kashmir Landscape.JPG|thumbnail|Landscape of Azad Kashmir]]
The northern part of Azad Jammu and Kashmir encompasses the lower area of the [[Himalayas]], including Jamgarh Peak ({{convert|4734|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=or}}). However, [[Sarwali Peak]] (6326 m) in [[Neelum Valley]] is the highest peak in the state.<ref name=brit/>

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&nbsp;mm, with the highest average rainfall occurring near Muzaffarabad (around 1800&nbsp;mm). During the summer season, monsoon floods of the rivers [[Jhelum River|Jhelum]] and Leepa are common due to extreme rains and snow melting.

===Climate===
[[File:World Köppen Classification Kashmir.png|thumb|Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification]]
The southern parts of Azad Kashmir, including the Bhimber, Mirpur, and Kotli districts, have extremely hot weather in the summer and moderate cold weather in the winter. They receive rain mostly in [[monsoon]] weather.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}
[[File:Rice Cultivaiton in Leepa AJK.jpg|thumbnail|Paddy field in [[Leepa Valley|Leepa valley]]]]
In the central and northern parts of the state, the weather remains moderately hot in the summer and cold and chilly in the winter. Snowfall also occurs there in December and January.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}

The region receives rainfall in both the winter and the summer. [[Muzaffarabad]] and Pattan are among the wettest areas of the state, but they don't receive snow. Throughout most of the region, the average rainfall exceeds 1400&nbsp;mm, with the highest average rainfall occurring near Muzaffarabad (around 1800&nbsp;mm). During summer, monsoon floods of the [[Jhelum River|Jhelum]] and Leepa rivers are common, due to high rainfall and melting snow.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}

==History==
{{Main|History of Azad Kashmir|1947 Poonch rebellion}}
[[File:Jammu and Kashmir in 1946 map of India by National Geographic.jpg|thumb|left|A 1946 map of the [[princely state]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]]; present-day Azad Kashmir constitutes areas of the three western-most districts]]
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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indiatogether.org/peace/kashmir/intro.htm |title=The J&K conflict: A Chronological Introduction |publisher=India Together |access-date=June 5, 2010 |archive-date=April 4, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140404153406/http://indiatogether.org/peace/kashmir/intro.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name = britannica>{{cite encyclopedia |author=Britannica Concise Encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/312908/Kashmir |title=Kashmir (region, Indian subcontinent)&nbsp;– Britannica Online Encyclopedia |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=June 5, 2010 |archive-date=March 1, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100301205100/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/312908/Kashmir |url-status=live }}</ref> Muslims in the western districts of the Jammu province (current day Azad Kashmir) and in the Frontier Districts province (current day [[Gilgit-Baltistan]]) had wanted to join [[Pakistan]].{{sfn|Snedden|2013|loc =p. 14: "Similarly, Muslims in Western Jammu Province, particularly in Poonch, many of whom had martial capabilities, and Muslims in the Frontier Districts Province strongly wanted J&K to join Pakistan."}}

In Spring 1947, an uprising against the maharaja broke out in [[Poonch district, Pakistan|Poonch]], an area bordering the [[Rawalpindi division]] of [[West Punjab]]. The 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 district|Muzaffarabad]], [[History of Poonch District|Poonch]] and [[Mirpur district|Mirpur]] proclaimed a provisional Azad Jammu and Kashmir government in Rawalpindi on October 3, 1947.{{sfn|Bose|2003|pp=32–33}}{{refn|group=note|Officially, the Mirpur and Poonch districts were in the Jammu province of the state and Muzaffarabad was in the Kashmir province.  All three provinces spoke languages related to [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], not the [[Kashmiri language]] spoken in the [[Kashmir Valley]].<ref>{{citation |first=Navnita Chadha |last=Behera |title=Demystifying Kashmir |publisher=Pearson Education India |year=2007 |isbn=978-8131708460 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qM6kW9ZRMRkC |page=29 |access-date=September 27, 2016 |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117135717/https://books.google.com/books?id=qM6kW9ZRMRkC |url-status=live }}</ref>}} 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.{{sfn|Snedden|2013|loc=p. 59}} On October 24, a second provisional government of Azad Kashmir was established at [[Palandri]] under the leadership of [[Sardar Ibrahim Khan]].{{sfn|Snedden|2013|loc=p. 61}}

On October 21, several thousand [[Pashtuns|Pashtun]] tribesmen from [[North-West Frontier Province (1901–1955)|North-West Frontier Province]] poured into Jammu and Kashmir to help with the rebellion against 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 tribesmen captured the towns of Muzaffarabad and [[Baramulla]], the latter of which is {{convert|20|mi|km|order=flip}} 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 (Jammu and Kashmir)|Instrument of Accession]], handing over control of defence, external affairs, and communications to the Government of India in return for military aid.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/10537286|title=Kashmir: Why India and Pakistan fight over it|date=November 23, 2016|work=BBC News|access-date=June 21, 2018|archive-date=December 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224045738/https://www.bbc.com/news/10537286|url-status=live}}</ref> Indian troops were immediately airlifted into Srinagar.{{sfn|Bose|2003|pp=35–36}} Pakistan intervened subsequently.<ref name = britannica /> 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]]".<ref>
{{cite news
 |url=http://www.southasianmedia.net/magazine/journal/grasping_nettle.htm
 |title=Grasping the Nettle
 |author=Prem Shankar Jha
 |work=South Asian Journal
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516074510/http://www.southasianmedia.net/magazine/journal/grasping_nettle.htm
 |archive-date=May 16, 2010
}}{{unreliable source?|date=May 2015}}
</ref>

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 that required the withdrawal of the Pakistani army along with the non-state elements and the subsequent partial withdrawal of the Indian army.<ref name="UN Resolution 47">{{cite web|title=UN resolution 47|url=http://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=S%2FRES%2F47%20%281948%29&Lang=E&Area=RESOLUTION|access-date=September 11, 2012|archive-date=September 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903183750/http://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=S%2FRES%2F47%20%281948%29&Lang=E&Area=RESOLUTION|url-status=live}}</ref>  from the parts of Kashmir under their respective control&nbsp;– a withdrawal that never took place.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianembassy.org/policy/Kashmir/uncip(s1100).htm |title=UNCIP Resolution of August 13, 1948 (S/1100)&nbsp;– Embassy of India, Washington, D.C. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013165623/http://www.indianembassy.org/policy/Kashmir/uncip%28s1100%29.htm |archive-date=October 13, 2007 }}
</ref> In 1949, a formal cease-fire line separating the Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of Kashmir came into effect.

Following the [[Karachi Agreement|1949 cease-fire agreement]] with India, the government of Pakistan divided the northern and western parts of Kashmir that it controlled at the time of the cease-fire into the following two separately controlled political entities:
* Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK)&nbsp;– the narrow, southern part, {{convert|250|mi|km|order=flip|abbr=on}} long, with a width varying from {{convert|10|to|40|mi|km|round=5|order=flip|abbr=on}}.
* [[Gilgit–Baltistan]] formerly called the [[Federally Administered Northern Areas]] (FANA)&nbsp;– the much larger political entity to the north of AJK with an area of {{convert|72496|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.

In 1955, the [[1955 Poonch uprising|Poonch uprising]] broke out. It was largely concentrated in areas of [[Rawalakot]] as well as the rest of [[Poonch Division]]. It ended in 1956.{{sfn|Snedden|2013|loc=pp. 120, 121, 122}}

At one time under Pakistani control, Kashmir's [[Trans-Karakoram Tract|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<ref>
{{cite web
 |url=https://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmogip/
 |title=UNMOGIP: United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514065929/http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmogip/
 |archive-date=May 14, 2008
}}
</ref> 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 Nation.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kapur |first=Saloni |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DHMjEAAAQBAJ&dq=Bilateral+issue+of+Simla+Agreement+rules+out+UN&pg=PA132 |title=Pakistan after Trump: Great Power Responsibility in a Multi-Polar World |date=2021-03-08 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn=978-1-5275-6727-6 |language=en}}</ref> The 1974 Interim Constitution Act was passed by the 48-member Azad Jammu and Kashmir unicameral assembly.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/azad-kashmir-india-pakistan-pakistan-peoples-party-ppp-nawaz-sharif/|title=How free is Azad Kashsmir|work=The Indian Express|date=March 26, 2016|access-date=March 26, 2016|archive-date=March 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327084943/http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/azad-kashmir-india-pakistan-pakistan-peoples-party-ppp-nawaz-sharif/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In April 1997, the [[Nawaz Sharif]] government refused to grant constitutional status to Azad Jammu and Kashmir stating that "'The grant of constitutional rights to these people will amount to unilateral annexation of these areas."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rediff on the NeT: PoK not part of its territory: Pakistan |url=http://www.rediff.com/news/apr/18pak.htm |access-date=2022-05-03 |website=www.rediff.com |archive-date=July 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190719113350/http://www.rediff.com/news/apr/18pak.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Government==
{{See also|Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly|Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir|Interim Constitution of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (1974)}}
[[File:Pakistan is full of breathtaking views - Muzafarabad.JPG|thumb|[[Muzaffarabad]], the capital city of Azad Kashmir]]
[[File:UPDATED BAGH AJK, PAKISTAN ASIA.jpg|thumb|[[Bagh, Azad Kashmir|Bagh City]]]]

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is nominally a self-governing state,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ershad |first=Mahmud |date=2006-09-01 |title=Status of AJK in Political Milieu |url=https://www.ips.org.pk/status-of-ajk-in-political-milieu/ |access-date=2023-05-17 |website=Institute of Policy Studies |language=en-US |quote=There is a consensus that AJK does not belong to Pakistan geographically yet it is not an independent state either. |archive-date=May 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230517074017/https://www.ips.org.pk/status-of-ajk-in-political-milieu/ |url-status=live }}</ref> but ever since the 1949 ceasefire between Indian and Pakistani forces, Pakistan has exercised control over the state without incorporating it into Pakistan.<ref name="brit">{{cite web | url = https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/46696/Azad-Kashmir | title = Azad Kashmir | website = Encyclopædia Britannica | access-date = November 14, 2019 | archive-date = May 18, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150518091415/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/46696/Azad-Kashmir | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="ajk144">{{cite web|url=http://www.ajk.gov.pk/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2257&Itemid=144|title=Azad Jammu and Kashmir&nbsp;– Introduction|access-date=June 22, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927000235/http://www.ajk.gov.pk/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2257&Itemid=144|archive-date=September 27, 2007}}
</ref> Azad Kashmir has its own elected [[President (government title)|president]], [[prime minister]], [[legislative assembly]], [[high court]] (with Azam Khan as its present chief justice), and [[Flag of Azad Kashmir|official flag]].<ref name="ajk.gov.pk">{{cite web|url=http://ajk.gov.pk/history.php|title=AJ&K Portal|website=ajk.gov.pk|access-date=November 16, 2016|archive-date=November 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116103557/http://ajk.gov.pk/history.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Azad Kashmir's 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 an individual nominated by her/him) and 6 members of the AJK Legislative Assembly.<ref name="ajk.gov.pk"/><ref name="ajk144" /> 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 (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/05/stories/2007020503731300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070207021404/http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/05/stories/2007020503731300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 7, 2007|title=Pakistan to observe Kashmir Solidarity Day today|date=February 5, 2007|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=February 5, 2008}}
</ref> That day is a [[Public holidays in Pakistan|national holiday]] in Pakistan.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=36715 |title=Kashmir Day being observed today |date=February 5, 2008 |work=[[The News International]] |access-date=February 5, 2008 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
</ref> Pakistan observes the Kashmir [[Accession Day (Jammu and Kashmir)|Accession Day]] as Black Day on October 27 of each year since 1947 as a day of protest against the accession of [[Jammu and Kashmir State]] to India and its military presence in the Indian-controlled parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

[[Brad Adams]], the Asia director at the U.S.-based [[NGO]] [[Human Rights Watch]] said in 2006: "Although 'azad' means 'free,' the residents of Azad Kashmir are anything but; the Pakistani authorities govern the Azad Kashmir government with tight controls on basic freedoms."<ref name="Adams">{{cite web|last=Adams|first=Brad|title=Pakistan: 'Free Kashmir' Far From Free|date=September 22, 2006|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2006/09/20/pakistan-free-kashmir-far-free|publisher=Human Rights Watch|access-date=February 5, 2017|archive-date=March 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130314000110/http://www.hrw.org/news/2006/09/20/pakistan-free-kashmir-far-free|url-status=live}}</ref> 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 part of Pakistan.<ref name="Snedden 2013">{{harvnb|Snedden|2013|loc=p. 93: "Second, Azad Kashmiris had always wanted to be part of this nation."}}</ref>

Consequently, having little to fear from a pro-Pakistan population devoid of options,<ref name="Snedden 2013"/> Pakistan imposed its will through the Federal [[Ministry of Kashmir Affairs (Pakistan)|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. According to the interim constitution that was drawn up in the 1970s, the only political parties that are allowed to exist are those 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."<ref name="Snedden 2013"/> The pro-independence [[Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front]] has never been allowed to contest elections in Azad Kashmir.{{sfn|Bose|2003|p=100}} While the interim constitution does not give them a choice, the people of Azad Kashmir have not considered any option other than joining Pakistan.<ref name="Snedden 2013"/> Except in a legal sense, Azad Kashmir has been fully integrated into Pakistan.<ref name="Snedden 2013"/>

Azad Kashmir is home to a vibrant civil society. One of the organizations active in the territory and inside Pakistan is [[YFK-International Kashmir Lobby Group]], an NGO that seeks better India-Pakistan relations through conflict resolution in Kashmir.

==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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/project-document/69690/rrp-pak-38135.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/project-document/69690/rrp-pak-38135.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title=Report and Recommendation of the President to the Board of Directors on a Proposed Loan to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for the Multisector Rehabilitation and Improvement Project for Azad Jammu and Kashmir |publisher=Asian Development Bank |date=November 2004 |access-date=April 6, 2020}}</ref> [[Germany]], between 2006 and 2014, has also donated $38 million towards the AJK Health Infrastructure Programme.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.un.org.pk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Pakistan-Donor-Profile-and-Mapping-by-UN.pdf |title=Pakistan Donor Profile and Mapping |publisher=United Nations in Pakistan |date=August 2014 |access-date=February 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215181230/http://www.un.org.pk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Pakistan-Donor-Profile-and-Mapping-by-UN.pdf |archive-date=December 15, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Administrative divisions==
{{See also|List of tehsils of Azad Kashmir}}
[[File:Azad Kashmir Map.svg|thumb|150px|Districts of Azad Kashmir]]
The state is administratively divided into three [[Division (Pakistan)|divisions]] which, in turn, are divided into ten [[District (Pakistan)|districts]].<ref>
{{cite web|url=http://www.ajk.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24&Itemid=8|title= Administrative Setup.|publisher= ajk.gov.pk|access-date= May 17, 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100409161504/http://www.ajk.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24&Itemid=8| archive-date= April 9, 2010 | url-status=live}}
</ref>
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
!Division
!District
!Area (km<sup>2</sup>)
!Population (2017 Census)
!Headquarters
|-
| rowspan="3" |'''Mirpur'''||[[Mirpur District|Mirpur]]||1,010
|456,200
|[[New Mirpur City]]
|-
|[[Kotli District|Kotli]]||1,862
|774,194
|[[Kotli]]
|-
|[[Bhimber District|Bhimber]]||1,516||420,624
|[[Bhimber]]
|-
| rowspan="3" |'''Muzaffarabad'''||[[Muzaffarabad District|Muzaffarabad]] ||1,642
|650,370||[[Muzaffarabad]]
|-
|[[Hattian District|Hattian]]||854
|230,529
|[[Hattian Bala]]
|-
|[[Neelam District|Neelam Valley]]||3,621||191,251
|[[Athmuqam]]
|-
| rowspan="4" |'''Poonch'''||[[Poonch District (AJK)|Poonch]]||855||500,571
|[[Rawalakot]]
|-
|[[Haveli District|Haveli]]||600||152,124
|[[Forward Kahuta]]
|-
|[[Bagh District|Bagh]]||768||371,919
|[[Bagh, Kashmir|Bagh]]
|-
|[[Sudhanoti District|Sudhanoti]]||569||297,584
|[[Palandri]]
|- style="background:#e6e6e6"
<!--
| colspan=5 style="background: black" |
|- style="border: 3px solid darkgray;"-->
|'''Total'''
|10 districts
|13,297
|4,045,366
|[[Muzaffarabad]]
|}
[[File:Kotla bagh Azad Kashmir.jpg|thumbnail|[[Kotla, Bagh|Kotla]], [[Bagh District]]]]

==Demographics==
===Population===
The population of Azad Kashmir, according to the preliminary results of [[2017 Census of Pakistan|the 2017 Census]], is 4.045 million.<ref>{{cite web| date = August 26, 2017| title = Census 2017: AJK population rises to over 4m| work = The Nation| url = https://nation.com.pk/27-Aug-2017/census-2017-ajk-population-rises-to-over-4m| access-date = June 10, 2018| archive-date = June 12, 2018| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140054/https://nation.com.pk/27-Aug-2017/census-2017-ajk-population-rises-to-over-4m| url-status = live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.ajk.gov.pk/qStatus.php |title= AJ&K at a Glance |access-date= June 10, 2018 |archive-date= June 12, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180612162046/http://www.ajk.gov.pk/qStatus.php |url-status= live }}</ref>

The population of Azad Kashmir is almost entirely Muslim. The people of this region culturally differ from the [[Kashmiri people|Kashmiris]] living in the [[Kashmir Valley]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]] and are closer to the culture of [[Jammu Division|Jammu]]. [[Mirpur, Azad Kashmir|Mirpur]], [[Kotli]], and [[Bhimber]] are all old towns of the Jammu region.<ref name="HRW report">{{Cite report|publisher=Human Rights Watch|date=September 2006|title=With Friends Like These...|url=https://www.hrw.org/reports/2006/pakistan0906/3.htm|access-date=November 24, 2013|volume=18|issue=2|archive-date=December 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202221515/http://www.hrw.org/reports/2006/pakistan0906/3.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Religion===
Azad Jammu and Kashmir has an almost entirely [[Muslim]] population. According to 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 [[Bahai]]s in AJK. Only six Bahai families are known to be living in Muzaffarabad with others living in rural areas.

The followers of the [[Ahmadi]] faith are estimated to be somewhere between 20,000 and 25,000, and most of them live in Kotli, Mirpur, Bhimber, and Muzaffarabad.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://asianlite.com/news/asia-diaspora-news/the-plight-of-minorities-in-azad-kashmir/ |title=The Plight of Minorities in 'Azad Kashmir' |publisher=Asianlite.com |date=January 14, 2019 |access-date=April 6, 2020 |archive-date=April 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200415171357/https://asianlite.com/news/asia-diaspora-news/the-plight-of-minorities-in-azad-kashmir/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Ethnic groups===
{{See also|Azad Kashmiri diaspora}}

[[Christopher Snedden]] writes that most of the native residents of Azad Kashmir are not of [[Kashmiris|Kashmiri]] ethnicity; rather, they could be called "[[Jammu region|Jammuites]]" due to their historical and cultural links with that region, which is coterminous with neighbouring [[Punjab region|Punjab]] and [[Hazara, Pakistan|Hazara]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Snedden |first=Christopher |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a19eCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT23 |title=Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris |date=2015-09-15 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-1-84904-622-0 |pages=21–24 |language=en |quote=Confusingly, the term 'Kashmiri' also has wider connotations and uses. Some people in Azad Kashmir call themselves 'Kashmiris' This is despite most Azad Kashmiris not being of Kashmiri ethnicity. Indeed, most of their ethnic, cultural and historical links have been, and remain, with areas to the south and west of Azad Kashmir, chiefly Punjab and the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), now called Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. Nevertheless, Azad Kashmiris call themselves Kashmiris because of their region's historical connections with the former princely state of J&K that popularly was called Kashmir. Some Azad Kashmiris also call themselves Kashmiris simply because their region's official name, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, has the word Kashmir in it. (Using the same logic, Azad Kashmiris could call themselves "'Jammuites', which historically and culturally would be more accurate, or even 'Azadi- ites'.) |access-date=March 20, 2018 |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117135720/https://books.google.com/books?id=a19eCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT23 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Kennedy |first=Charles H. |title=The Territorial Management of Ethnic Conflict |date=August 2, 2004 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781135764425 |editor=John Coakley |page=153 |chapter=Pakistan: Ethnic Diversity and Colonial Legacy |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nEqRAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA153 |access-date=March 20, 2018 |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117135718/https://books.google.com/books?id=nEqRAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA153 |url-status=live }}</ref> Because their region was formerly a part of the [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|princely state]] of Jammu and Kashmir and is named after it, many Azad Kashmiris have adopted the "Kashmiri" identity, whereas in an ethnolinguistic context, the term "Kashmiri" would ordinarily refer to natives of the Kashmir Valley region.<ref name="Snedden2015">{{cite book |author=Christopher Snedden |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a19eCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT23 |title=Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris |date=15 September 2015 |publisher=Hurst |isbn=978-1-84904-622-0 |pages=21–24 |access-date=March 20, 2018 |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117135720/https://books.google.com/books?id=a19eCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT23 |url-status=live }}</ref> The population of Azad Kashmir has strong historical, cultural and linguistic affinities with the neighbouring populations of upper [[Punjab]] and [[Pothohar Plateau|Potohar]] region of Pakistan,<ref>{{Citation |last1=Jabeen |first1=Nazish |title=Consanguinity and Its Sociodemographic Differentials in Bhimber District, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan |date=June 2014 |journal=Journal of Health, Population, and Nutrition |volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=301–313 |pmc=4216966 |pmid=25076667 |quote=Kashmiri population in the northeast of Pakistan has strong historical, cultural and linguistic affinities with the neighbouring populations of upper Punjab and Potohar region of Pakistan. |last2=Malik |first2=Sajid}}</ref><ref>{{citation |last=Ballard |first=Roger |title=Kashmir Crisis: View from Mirpur |date=2 March 1991 |url=https://casas.org.uk/papers/pdfpapers/kashmir.pdf |journal=[[Economic and Political Weekly]] |volume=26 |number=9/10 |pages=513–517 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304034904/http://casas.org.uk/papers/pdfpapers/kashmir.pdf |jstor=4397403 |quote="... they are best seen as forming the eastern and northern limits of the Potohari Punjabi culture which is otherwise characteristic of the upland parts of Rawalpindi and Jhelum Districts" |access-date=July 19, 2020 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> whereas the [[Sudhans]] have the oral tradition of the [[Pashtuns]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Syed Ali |title=Strategic Coercion: Concepts and Cases |date=1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-829349-6 |editor=Lawrence Freedman |page=253 |chapter=South Asia: The Perils of Covert Coercion |quote=Poonch at the time of partition was predominantly Muslim and the overwhelming majority of them were Sudhans, who were descendants of Pashtuns of Afghanistan, settled in the region some centuries ago.}}</ref>{{sfn|Snedden|2013|loc=p. 43: "Sudhans from Poonch considered themselves to be ''Sudho Zai'' Pathans (Pukhtoons), which explained why the [[Pashtuns|Pashtun]] tribesmen from NWFP province lost no time coming to help Jammu and Kashmir's Muslims in 1947.."}}

The main communities living in this region are:<ref name="The Role of Biradaris">
{{harvnb|Snedden|2013|loc=Role of Biradaries (pp.&nbsp;128–133)}}
</ref>
*[[Gujjars]] – They are an agricultural tribe and are estimated to be the largest community living in the ten districts of Azad Kashmir.<ref name="The Role of Biradaris" /><ref name="Poonch Profile">{{cite web |url=http://www.erra.pk/Reports/KMC/RawlakotProfile200907.pdf |title=District Profile - Rawalakot/Poonch |publisher=Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority |date=July 2007 |access-date=August 31, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924001855/http://www.erra.pk/Reports/KMC/RawlakotProfile200907.pdf |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Bagh Profile">{{cite web |url=http://www.erra.pk/Reports/KMC/BaghProfile200907.pdf |title=District Profile - Bagh |publisher=Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority |date=June 2007 |access-date=August 31, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924001853/http://www.erra.pk/Reports/KMC/BaghProfile200907.pdf |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> They are estimated to number around 800 000.<ref name="hrw.org" />
*[[Sudhans]] – (also known as Sadozai, Sardar) are the second largest tribe, living mainly in the districts of [[Poonch district, Pakistan|Poonch]], [[Sudhanoti District|Sudhanoti]], [[Bagh District|Bagh]], and [[Kotli District|Kotli]] in Azad Kashmir, and allegedly originating from the [[Pashtuns|Pashtun]] areas.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Untold Story of the People of Azad Kashmir|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=autVo01f2AsC|publisher=Columbia University Press|page=xix|first=Christopher|last=Snedden|year=2012|isbn=9780231800204|quote=Sudhan/Sudhozai – one of the main tribes of (southern) Poonch, allegedly originating from Pashtun areas.|access-date=June 12, 2019|archive-date=January 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117135718/https://books.google.com/books?id=autVo01f2AsC|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="The Role of Biradaris" /><ref name="Poonch Profile" /> With a population of more than 500 000, together with the Rajputs, they are the source of most of Azad Kashmir's political leaders.<ref name="hrw.org">{{cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/reports/2006/pakistan0906/3.htm|title="With Friends Like These...": Human Rights Violations in Azad Kashmir: II. Background|publisher=Human Rights Watch|access-date=June 14, 2019|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308175448/https://www.hrw.org/reports/2006/pakistan0906/3.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[Jats of Azad Kashmir|Jats]] – They are one of the larger communities of AJK and primarily inhabit the districts of Mirpur, Bhimber, and Kotli. A large [[British Mirpuris|Mirpuri]] population lives in the U.K. and it is estimated that more people of Mirpuri origins are now residing in the U.K. than in the Mirpur district, which retains strong ties with the U.K.<ref name="The Role of Biradaris" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Moss |first=Paul |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6178092.stm |title=South Asia &#124; The limits to integration |work=BBC News |date=November 30, 2006 |access-date=June 5, 2010 |archive-date=August 30, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070830120420/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6178092.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Mirpuri Jats number approximately 300 000.<ref name="hrw.org" />
*[[Rajput]]s – They are spread across the territory, and they number a little under 500 000. Together with the Sundhans, they are the source of most of Azad Kashmir's political class.<ref name="hrw.org"/>
*[[Mughal tribe|Mughals]] – Largely located in the [[Bagh, Azad Kashmir|Bagh]] and [[Muzaffarabad]] districts.<ref name="Bagh Profile" />
*[[Awan (tribe)|Awans]] – A clan with significant numbers in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, living mainly in the [[Bagh District|Bagh]], [[Poonch District, Pakistan|Poonch]], Hattian Bala, and [[Muzaffarabad District|Muzaffarabad]]. Awans also reside in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in large numbers.<ref name="The Role of Biradaris" /><ref name="Poonch Profile" /><ref name="Bagh Profile" />
*[[Dhund (tribe)|Dhund]] – They are a large clan in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and live mostly in the [[Bagh District|Bagh]], [[Hattian Bala District|Hattian Bala]], and Muzaffarabad districts. They also inhabit Abbottabad and upper Potohar Punjab in large numbers.<ref name="The Role of Biradaris" /><ref name="Poonch Profile" /><ref name="Bagh Profile" />
*[[Kashmiris]] – Ethnic Kashmiri populations are found in the [[Neelam Valley]] and the [[Leepa Valley]] (see [[Kashmiris in Azad Kashmir]]).<ref name="Snedden 20152">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a19eCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT23|title=Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris|last=Snedden|first=Christopher|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2015|isbn=978-1-84904-622-0|page=23|access-date=March 20, 2018|archive-date=January 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117135720/https://books.google.com/books?id=a19eCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT23|url-status=live}}</ref>
===Languages===
{{Pie chart
|thumb=right
|caption=Languages by approximate number of speakers<ref name="SYB 2020">{{Cite book|url=https://www.pndajk.gov.pk/uploadfiles/downloads/Statistical%20Year%20Book%202020.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.pndajk.gov.pk/uploadfiles/downloads/Statistical%20Year%20Book%202020.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|access-date=3 March 2022|title=Statistical Year Book 2020| place = Muzaffarabad| publisher = AJ&K Bureau Of Statistics| pages = 131, 140}}</ref>
|label1=[[Pahari-Pothwari]]
|value1=68
|color1=Green
|label2=[[Gujari language|Gojri]]
|value2=19
|color2=blue
|label3=[[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]]
|value3=5
|color3=yellow
|label4=Others
|color4=Grey
|value4=8
}}
The official language of Azad Kashmir is [[Urdu]],{{sfn|Rahman|1996|p=226}}<ref group="note">{{harvnb|Snedden|2013|loc=p. 176}}: On p.&nbsp;29, the census report states that Urdu is the official language of the government of Azad Kashmir, with Kashmiri, Pahari, Gojri, Punjabi, Kohistani, Pushto, and Sheena 'frequently spoken in Azad Kashmir'. Yet, when surveyed about their 'mother tongue', Azad Kashmiris' choices were limited to selecting from Pakistan's major languages: Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pushto, Balochi, Saraiki, and 'others'; not surprisingly, 2.18 million of Azad Kashmir's 2.97 million people chose 'others'.</ref> while [[English in Pakistan|English]] is used in higher [[Domain of language use|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 [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]] (mostly in the north), [[Gujari language|Gujari]] (throughout the territory), and [[Dogri]] (in the south), as well as pockets of speakers of [[Kundal Shahi language|Kundal Shahi]], [[Shina language|Shina]] and [[Pashto]]. With the exception of Pashto and English, those languages belong to the [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]] language family.

The dialects of the [[Pahari-Pothwari]] language complex cover most of the territory of Azad Kashmir. Those are also spoken across the Line of Control in the neighbouring areas of Indian Jammu and Kashmir and are closely related both to [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] to the south and [[Northern Hindko|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 of Azad Kashmir are occasionally referred to in the literature as ''Chibhali'' or ''Punchi'', but the speakers themselves usually call them ''Pahari'', an ambiguous name that is also used for [[Pahari language (name)|several unrelated languages]] of the lower Himalayas. Going north, the speech forms gradually change into Hindko. Today, in the [[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.<ref>The preceding paragraph is mostly based on {{harvtxt|Lothers|Lothers|2010}}. For further references, see the bibliography in [[Pahari-Pothwari]].</ref> Further north in the [[Neelam Valley]] the dialect, locally also known as ''Parmi'', can more unambiguously be subsumed under Hindko.{{sfn|Akhtar|Rehman|2007|p=68|ps = . The conclusion is based on lexical similarity and the comparison is with the Hindko of the [[Kaghan Valley]] and with the Pahari of the Murree Hills.}}

Another major language of Azad Kashmir is [[Gujari language|Gujari]]. It is spoken by several hundred thousand<ref group="note">{{harvtxt|Hallberg|O'Leary|1992|p=96}} report two rough estimates for the total population of Gujari speakers in Azad Kashmir: 200,000 and 700,000, both from the 1980s.</ref> 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.{{sfn|Hallberg|O'Leary|1992|pp=96, 98, 100}} Gujari is most closely related to the [[Rajasthani languages]] (particularly [[Mewati language|Mewati]]), although it also shares features with Punjabi.{{sfn|Hallberg|O'Leary|1992|pp=93–94}} 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 (Pakistan)|Hazara region]] than to the dialects spoken further to the northwest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and north in [[Gilgit District|Gilgit]].{{sfn|Hallberg|O'Leary|1992|pp=111–12, 126}}

There are scattered communities of [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]] speakers,<ref>{{harvnb|Rahman|2002|p=449}}; {{harvnb|Rahman|1996|p=226}}</ref> notably in the [[Neelam Valley]], where they form the second-largest language group after speakers of Hindko.{{sfn|Akhtar|Rehman|2007|p=70}} 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.<ref>{{harvnb|Rahman|1996|p=226}}; {{harvnb|Rahman|2002|pp=449–50}}. The discussion in both cases is in the broader context of Pakistan.</ref> There is an ongoing process of gradual [[language shift|shift]] to larger local languages,{{sfn|Rahman|1996|p=226}} but at least in the Neelam Valley there still exist communities for whom Kashmiri is the sole mother tongue.{{sfn|Akhtar|Rehman|2007|pp=70, 75}}

There are speakers of [[Dogri language|Dogri]] in the southernmost [[Bhimber District|district of Bhimber]], where they are estimated to represent almost a third of the district's population.<ref name="SYB 2020"/> In the northernmost [[Neelum District#Languages|district of Neelam]], there are small communities of speakers of several other languages. [[Shina language|Shina]], which like Kashmiri belongs to the broad [[Dardic languages|Dardic]] group, is present in two distinct varieties spoken altogether in three villages. [[Pashto]], of the [[Iranian languages|Iranian subgroup]] and the majority language in the neighbouring province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is spoken in two villages, both situated on the Line of Control. The endangered [[Kundal Shahi language|Kundal Shahi]] is native to the eponymous village and it is the only language not found outside Azad Kashmir.{{sfn|Akhtar|Rehman|2007}}

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Azad Kashmir}}
[[File:Sharda Kashmir.jpg|thumb|[[Neelum District|Neelum Valley]] is a tourist destination in Azad Kashmir.]]
As of 2021, GDP of Azad Jammu and Kashmir was estimated to be 10 billion pounds, giving per capita an income of £5604.<ref>http://www.ajk.gov.pk {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150510132029/http://ajk.gov.pk/ |date=May 10, 2015 }} › ajk-at-a-glance|Ajk At A Glance-AJ&K Official Portal - Ajk Gov</ref> 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 the land. The produce included various crops, fruits, vegetables, etc. The 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.<ref>
{{cite web|url=http://www.pndajk.gov.pk/history.asp|title=History of Planning & Development Department in AJK|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100411051833/http://www.pndajk.gov.pk/history.asp|archive-date=April 11, 2010}}
</ref>

Agriculture is a major part of Azad Kashmir's economy. Low-lying areas that have high populations grow crops like [[barley]], [[mango]]es, [[millet]], [[maize|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, Azad Kashmir|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.<ref name=brit/> 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.<ref name=brit/><ref name=ajk144/><ref>
{{cite web|url=http://www.ajk.gov.pk/tourism/administrative.html|title=Azad Jammu & Kashmir&nbsp;– Tourism|access-date=June 22, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529093455/http://www.ajk.gov.pk/tourism/administrative.html|archive-date=May 29, 2008}}
</ref>
[[File:People having Fun at Munda Gali Leepa AJK.jpg|thumbnail|Munda Gali, [[Leepa Valley]]]]
The migration to the 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]].<ref name="dawn.com">{{cite news|url=http://www.dawn.com/2006/10/01/nat9.htm|title='Rs1.25 trillion to be spent in Azad Kashmir': Reconstruction in quake-hit zone|last=Naqash|first=Tariq|date=October 1, 2006|work=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]|location=Muzaffarabad|access-date=October 1, 2006|archive-date=March 12, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312050641/http://www.dawn.com/2006/10/01/nat9.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

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.<ref>
{{cite web
 |url=http://www.sdpi.org/whats_new/recent_publications/BGPaper_Remittances_Pakistan.pdf
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070822170408/http://www.sdpi.org/whats_new/recent_publications/BGPaper_Remittances_Pakistan.pdf
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-date=August 22, 2007
 |title=Remittances in crises: a case study from Pakistan
 |first1=Abid Qaiyum
 |last1=Suleri
 |first2=Kevin
 |last2=Savage
 |access-date=June 5, 2010
}}
</ref> 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 neediest. Hundreds of people continued to live in tents long after the earthquake.<ref name="dawn.com"/> A land-use plan for the city of [[Muzaffarabad]] was prepared by the [[Japan International Cooperation Agency]].

Tourist destinations in the area include the following:

*'''[[Muzaffarabad]]''', the capital city of Azad Kashmir, is located on the banks of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. It is {{convert|138|km|abbr=on}} from [[Rawalpindi]] and [[Islamabad]]. Well-known tourist spots near Muzaffarabad are the [[Muzaffarabad Fort|Red Fort]], [[Pirchinassi|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, Azad Kashmir|Keran]], [[Changan, Azad Kashmir|Changan]], [[Sharda, Azad Kashmir|Sharda]], [[Kel, Kashmir|Kel]], [[Arang Kel]] and [[Taobat]].
*'''[[Sudhanoti]]''' is one of the eight districts of Azad Kashmir in Pakistan. Sudhanoti is located {{convert|90|km|abbr=on}} 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 {{convert|122|km|abbr=on}} from Islamabad. Tourist attractions in Poonch District are [[Banjosa Lake]], [[Devi Gali]], [[Tatta Pani, Azad Kashmir|Tatta Pani]], and [[Toli Pir]].
*'''[[Bagh, Azad Kashmir|Bagh]]''' city, the headquarters of Bagh District, is {{convert|205|km|abbr=on}} from Islamabad and {{convert|100|km|abbr=on}} from Muzaffarabad. The principal tourist attractions in Bagh District are Bagh Fort, [[Dhirkot]], [[Sudhan Gali]], [[Ganga Lake (Pakistan)|Ganga Lake]], [[Ganga Choti]], [[Kotla Waterfall, Bagh|Kotla Waterfall]], [[Neela Butt]], [[Danna, Bagh|Danna]], [[Panjal Mastan]] National Park, and [[Las Danna]].
*The '''[[Leepa Valley]]''' is located {{convert|105|km|abbr=on}} 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 Dam|Mangla Lake]] and [[Ramkot Fort]].

==Education==
[[Image:Mirpur University of Science and Technology (mechanical department).jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|[[Mirpur University of Science & Technology|Mirpur University of Science and Technology]]]]

The literacy rate in Azad Kashmir was 62% in 2004, higher than in any other region of Pakistan.<ref>
{{cite news
 |url=http://pakistantimes.net/2004/09/27/kashmir5.htm
 |title=Literacy Rate in Azad Kashmir nearly 62 pc
 |date=September 27, 2004
 |work=[[Pakistan Times]]
 |location=MUZAFFARABAD (Azad Kashmir)
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050227011515/http://pakistantimes.net/2004/09/27/kashmir5.htm
 |archive-date=February 27, 2005
}}
</ref> The current literacy rate of Azad Kashmir is 76.60% in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AJK at a Glance 2018 pndajk.gov.pk|url=https://www.pndajk.gov.pk/uploadfiles/downloads/Final%20AJK%20at%20a%20Glance.pdf|url-status=live|website=Planning & Development Department AJK|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506185136/https://www.pndajk.gov.pk/uploadfiles/downloads/Final%20AJK%20at%20a%20Glance.pdf |archive-date=May 6, 2021 }}</ref> And it remained at 79.80% in 2019. According to the 2020–2021 census, the literacy rate in Azad Kashmir was 91.34%.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ajk at a Glance 2019|url=https://pndajk.gov.pk/uploadfiles/downloads/AJK%20at%20a%20Glance%202019.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506185136/https://pndajk.gov.pk/uploadfiles/downloads/AJK%20at%20a%20Glance%202019.pdf |archive-date=May 6, 2021 }}</ref> However, only 2.2% were graduates, compared to the average of 2.9% for Pakistan.<ref>
{{cite news
 |url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_17-4-2005_pg7_37
 |title=Washington conference studies educational crisis in Pakistan
 |last=Hasan
 |first=Khalid
 |date=April 17, 2005
 |work=[[Daily Times (Pakistan)|Daily Times]]
 |location=Washington
 |quote=Grace Clark told the conference that only 2.9% of Pakistanis had access to higher education.
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607034448/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_17-4-2005_pg7_37
 |archive-date=June 7, 2011
}}
</ref>

===Universities===

The following is a list of universities recognised by [[Higher Education Commission of Pakistan]] (HEC):<ref>
{{cite web|url=http://www.hec.gov.pk/OurInstitutes/Pages/Default.aspx |title=Our Institutions |publisher=[[Higher Education Commission of Pakistan]] |access-date=November 19, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029200812/http://www.hec.gov.pk/ourinstitutes/pages/default.aspx |archive-date=October 29, 2013 }}
</ref>
{{clear}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;"
|-
! University
! Location(s)
! Established
! Type
! Specialization
! Website
|-
|[[Mirpur University of Science and Technology|Mirpur University of Science and Technology, Mirpur]]
|[[Mirpur, Azad Kashmir|Mirpur]]
|1980 <small>(2008)*</small>
|Public
|Engineering & Technology
|[http://www.must.edu.pk/]
|-
|[[University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir]]
|[[Muzaffarabad]]
|1980
|Public
|General
|[http://www.ajku.edu.pk/]
|-
|[[University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir]] (Neelam Campus)
|[[Neelam District|Neelum]]
|2013
|Public
|General
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20131213133609/http://ajku.edu.pk/campus.php?CampusID=2]
|-
|[[University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir]] (Jhelum Valley Campus)
|[[Jhelum Valley District]]
|2013
|Public
|General
|[http://jvc.ajku.edu.pk/]
|-
|[[Al-Khair University]]
|[[Bhimber]]
|1994 <small>(2011*)</small>
|Private
|General
|[http://www.alkhair.edu.pk/]
|-
|[[Mohi-ud-Din Islamic University]]
|[[Nerian Sharif]]
|2000
|Private
|General
|[http://www.miu.edu.pk/]
|-
|[[University of Poonch]] (Rawlakot Campus)
|[[Rawalakot]]
|1980 <small>(2012)*</small>
|Public
|General
|[http://www.upr.edu.pk/index.php] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805052923/https://www.upr.edu.pk/index.php |date=August 5, 2021 }}
|-
|[[University of Poonch]] (SM Campus, Mong, Sudhnoti District)
|[[Sudhnoti District]]
|2014
|Public
|General
|[http://www.upr.edu.pk/?option=articles&id=192] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805052925/https://www.upr.edu.pk/?option=articles&id=192 |date=August 5, 2021 }}
|-
|[[University of Poonch]] (Kahuta Campus, Haveli District)
|[[Haveli District]]
|2015
|Public
|General
|[http://www.upr.edu.pk/?option=articles&id=192] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805052925/https://www.upr.edu.pk/?option=articles&id=192 |date=August 5, 2021 }}
|-
|[[Women University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Bagh]]
|[[Bagh, Azad Kashmir|Bagh]]
|2013
|Public
|General
|[http://www.wuajk.edu.pk/]
|-
|[[University of Management Sciences and Information Technology]]
|[[Kotli, Azad Kashmir|Kotli]]
|2014
|Public
|General
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20141108144942/http://www.umsit.edu.pk/]
|-
|[[Mirpur University of Science and Technology]] (Bhimber Campus)
|[[Bhimber, Azad Kashmir|Bhimber]]
|2013
|Public
|Science & Humanities
|[http://www.must.edu.pk/]
|}

<small>* Granted university status.</small>

====Cadet College Pallandri====
* [[Cadet College Palandri]] is situated about {{convert|100|km|abbr=on}} from Islamabad

===Medical colleges===
The following is a list of undergraduate medical institutions recognised by [[Pakistan Medical and Dental Council]] (PMDC) {{as of|2013|lc=y}}.<ref>
{{cite web|url=http://www.pmdc.org.pk/AboutUs/RecognizedMedicalDentalColleges/tabid/109/Default.aspx |title=Recognized medical colleges in Pakistan |publisher=[[Pakistan Medical and Dental Council]] |access-date=November 19, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100819060118/http://www.pmdc.org.pk/AboutUs/RecognizedMedicalDentalColleges/tabid/109/Default.aspx |archive-date=August 19, 2010 }}
</ref>
*[[Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Medical College]] in [[Mirpur, Azad Kashmir|Mirpur]]
*[[Azad Jammu Kashmir Medical College]] in [[Muzafarabad]]
*[[Poonch Medical College]] in [[Rawalakot]]

====Private medical colleges====
*[[Mohi-ud-Din Islamic Medical College]] in [[Mirpur, Azad Kashmir|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 [[Ramadan (calendar month)|Ramazan]], night-time flood-lit tournaments are also organised.

Azad Kashmir has its own [[Twenty20|T20]] tournament called the [[Kashmir Premier League (Pakistan)|Kashmir Premier League]], which started in 2021.

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 the international standards. There is also a cricket stadium in [[Muzaffarabad]] with a capacity of 8,000 people. This stadium has hosted 8 matches of the Inter-District Under 19 Tournament 2013.

There are also registered football clubs:
* Pilot Football Club
* Youth Football Club
* Kashmir National FC
* Azad Super FC

==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of Kashmir}}

== Tourism ==
{{excerpt|Tourism in Azad Kashmir|only=paragraphs}}

==Notable people==
<!---♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their own article on the English Wikipedia ♦♦♦---> 
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--->
*[[Mujahida Hussain Bibi]], recipient of [[Sitara-e-Jurat]].
*[[Maqbool Hussain]], recipient of [[Sitara-e-Jurat]].
*[[Saif Ali Janjua]], recipient of [[Nishan-e-Haider]].
*[[Aziz Khan (general)|Aziz Khan]], 11th [[Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee|Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee]] (CJCSC) of [[Pakistan Armed Forces]].
*[[Khan Muhammad Khan]], politician from [[Poonch District, Pakistan|Poonch]] who served as the Chairman of the War Council during the [[1947 Poonch Rebellion]].
*[[Muhammad Hayyat Khan]], former President of Azad Kashmir.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pakistantimes.net/2004/08/24/kashmir5.htm|title=Pakistani Times|publisher=Pakistantimes.net|date=|accessdate=2010-01-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614060542/http://pakistantimes.net/2004/08/24/kashmir5.htm|archive-date=2011-06-14|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Sardar Ibrahim Khan]], first and longest-serving President of Azad Kashmir.
*[[Masood Khan]], former President of Azad Kashmir and current [[List of ambassadors of Pakistan to the United States|Pakistani ambassador to the United States]].
*[[Zaman Khan]], cricketer currently playing for the [[Pakistani national cricket team]].
*[[Khalid Mahmood (British politician)|Khalid Mahmood]], British politician and Labour MP for [[Birmingham Perry Barr]].
*[[Irfan Sabir]], Canadian politician and NDP MLA for [[Calgary-Bhullar-McCall]].
*[[Mohammad Yasin (politician)|Mohammad Yasin]], British politician and Labour MP for [[Bedford (UK Parliament constituency)|Bedford]].

==See also==
{{Portal|Geography|Asia|Pakistan}}
* [[Northern Pakistan]]
* [[1941 Census of Jammu and Kashmir]]
* [[Kashmir conflict]]
* [[Tourism in Azad Kashmir]]
* [[List of cultural heritage sites in Azad Kashmir]]
* [[Trans-Karakoram Tract]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
; Sources
* {{cite journal| last1 = Akhtar| first1 = Raja Nasim| last2 = Rehman| first2 = Khawaja A.|year = 2007| title = The Languages of the Neelam Valley| journal = Kashmir Journal of Language Research| volume = 10| issue = 1| issn = 1028-6640| pages = 65–84}}
* {{citation |first=Navnita Chadha |last=Behera |title=Demystifying Kashmir |publisher=Pearson Education India |year=2007 |isbn=978-8131708460 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qM6kW9ZRMRkC |ref={{sfnref|Behera, Demystifying Kashmir|2007}}}}
* {{cite book |first=Sumantra |last=Bose |author-link=Sumantra Bose |title=Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=2003 |isbn=0-674-01173-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/00book939526581 }}
* {{citation |last=Ganai |first=Muhammad Yousuf |title=Dogra Raj and the Struggle for Freedom in Kashmir (1932–1947) |journal=University |type=PhD thesis |publisher=University of Kashmir |date=1999 |url=http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/handle/10603/33268 |hdl=10603/33268 |via=Shodhganga |ref={{sfnref|Ganai, Dogra Raj and the Struggle for Freedom in Kashmir|1999}}}}
* {{cite book| last1 = Hallberg| first1 = Calinda E.| last2 = O'Leary| first2 = Clare F.| editor-last1 = O'Leary| editor-first1 = Clare F.| editor-last2 = Rensch| editor-first2 = Calvin R.| editor-last3 = Hallberg| editor-first3 = Calinda E.| date = 1992| title = Hindko and Gujari| chapter = Dialect Variation and Multilingualism among Gujars of Pakistan| isbn = 969-8023-13-5| publisher = National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University and Summer Institute of Linguistics| location = Islamabad| series = Sociolinguistic Survey of Northern Pakistan| url = http://www.sil.org/resources/archives/38573| pages = 91–196}}
* {{citation |last=Kapoor |first=Sindhu |title=Politics of Protests in Jammu and Kashmir from 1925 to 1951 |journal=University |type=PhD thesis |publisher=University of Jammu |year=2014 |url=http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/handle/10603/78307  |hdl=10603/78307 |via=Shodhganga |ref={{sfnref|Kapoor, Politics of Protests in Jammu and Kashmir|2014}}}}
* {{cite report| last1 = Lothers| first1 = Michael| last2 = Lothers| first2 = Laura|year = 2010| title = Pahari and Pothwari: a sociolinguistic survey| series = SIL Electronic Survey Reports| volume = 2010-012| url = https://www.sil.org/resources/publications/entry/9130}}
* {{cite book| last = Rahman| first = Tariq| author-link = Tariq Rahman| title = Language and politics in Pakistan| date = 1996| publisher = Oxford University Press| isbn = 978-0-19-577692-8}}
* {{cite book| last = Rahman| first = Tariq| author-link = Tariq Rahman| date = 2002| title = Language, ideology and power : language learning among the Muslims of Pakistan and North India| publisher = Oxford University Press| location = Karachi| isbn = 978-0-19-579644-5}}
* {{citation |last=Saraf |first=Muhammad Yusuf |title=Kashmiris Fight for Freedom, Volume 1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_egBAAAAMAAJ |year=2015 |orig-year=first published 1977 by Ferozsons |publisher=National Institute Kashmir Studies |location=Mirpur |ref={{sfnref|Saraf, Kashmiris Fight for Freedom, Volume 1|2015}}}}
** {{citation |last=Saraf |first=Muhammad Yusuf |title=Kashmiris Fight for Freedom, Volume 1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_egBAAAAMAAJ |year=1977 |publisher=Ferozsons |ref={{sfnref|Saraf, Kashmiris Fight for Freedom, Volume 1|1977}}}}
* {{citation |last=Saraf |first=Muhammad Yusuf |title=Kashmiris Fight for Freedom, Volume 2 |year=2015 |orig-year=first published 1979 by Ferozsons |publisher=National Institute Kashmir Studies |location=Mirpur |ref={{sfnref|Saraf, Kashmiris Fight for Freedom, Volume 2|2015}}}}
* {{cite book|first=Christopher |last=Snedden |author-link=Christopher Snedden |title=Kashmir: The Unwritten History |publisher=HarperCollins India |year=2013 |isbn=978-9350298985 |orig-year=first published as ''The Untold Story of the People of Azad Kashmir'', 2012 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0cPjAAAAQBAJ}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last1=Mathur |first1=Shubh |chapter=Srinagar-Muzaffarabad-New York: A Kashmiri Family's Exile |editor-last1=Roy |editor-first1=Anjali Gera |editor-last2=Bhatia |editor-first2=Nandi |title=Partitioned Lives: Narratives of Home, Displacement and Resettlement |publisher=Pearson Education India |year=2008 |isbn=978-9332506206}}
* {{cite book |first=Victoria |last=Schoefield |title=Kashmir in Conflict |publisher=I. B. Taurus & Co |location=London and New York |year=2003 |orig-year=First published in 2000 |isbn=1860648983 |url=https://archive.org/details/00book584554548 }}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|voy=Azad Kashmir}}
* {{Official website|http://www.ajk.gov.pk/ }}
* [http://pndajk.gov.pk/ Planning & Development Department AJ&K] AJ&K Planning and Development Department
* [https://ajktourism.gov.pk/ AJ&K Tourism & Archaeology Department] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191016160356/https://ajktourism.gov.pk/ |date=October 16, 2019 }} Tourism in Azad Kashmir

{{Azad Kashmir topics}}
{{Administrative units of Pakistan}}
{{Administrative units of Azad Kashmir}}
{{Regions and administrative territories of Kashmir}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Azad Kashmir| ]]
[[Category:Disputed territories in Asia]]
[[Category:Foreign relations of Pakistan]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1947]]
[[Category:Subdivisions of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Territorial disputes of India]]
[[Category:2005 Kashmir earthquake]]
[[Category:Countries and territories where Urdu is an official language]]
[[Category:Kashmiri-speaking countries and territories]]
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