Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir Region, Pakistan

🇵🇰 Muzaffarabad is the capital and largest city of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The city is located in Muzaffarabad District, near the confluence of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The district is bounded by the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the west, the Kupwara and Baramulla districts of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the east, and the Neelum District in the north.

History Muzaffarabad was founded in 1646 by Sultan Muzaffar Khan, chief of the Bomba tribe who ruled Kashmir. Khan also constructed the Red Fort that same year for the purpose of warding off incursions from the Mughal Empire.

Sikh Empire In 1827, Raja Zabardast Khan, who had succeeded his father Hassan Ali Khan as the Raja of Muzaffarabad, led a guerrilla campaign against the Sikh Empire, targeting their garrisons in Handwara, Baramulla, and the Hazara region. His leadership and strategic strikes disrupted Sikh control in the area.

Gathering a sizable force, Zabardast Khan declared independence and planned an invasion of the Kashmir Valley. In response, Diwan Kirpa Ram led a large Khalsa army to suppress the rebellion. Between Baramula and Muzaffarabad, spanning nearly 77 miles, Zabardast Khan's forces, alongside the local Muslim population, launched persistent attacks on the advancing Sikh army using guerrilla tactics from caves, rocks, and forests. The Sikh forces suffered heavy casualties, and Diwan Kirpa Ram's army faced serious defeats and significant losses.

Dogra era On 28 May 1849 James Abbott, at the time boundary commissioner, wrote that "intelligence received from Cashmere that a Jumboo Force of 4,000 men is about to march to Moozuffurabad, where there are already 3,000. This report may be a feint of the Maharaja to overcome the hill tribes, who, though quite peaceful at present, have been much opprest [sic] and are ready enough to rise when opportunity offers".

Abbott also wrote that it is "highly desirable therefore that this report, which has greatly alarmed them and may drive them to desperation, be contradicted; and I have accordingly addrest the Maharaja disclaiming belief in such a rumour, and assuring him that any movement of troops in this direction at this moment will not have a friendly aspect. The assembly of any force upon the frontier were an encouragement to the insurgents in Mooltan and to others who are disposed to join them".

The following day on 29th May Abbott wrote: I had not understood yesterday that another Jumboo force was said to be about to march from Cashmere upon Kurnao, a district between the Cashmere river and the Kishengunga. This Force is rated at 6,000. The mountaineers anxiously enquire of me whether they may not defend themselves from this invasion. I have declined putting any restraint upon their measures of self defence, assuring them, however, that any rising, excepting to resist invasion, would subject them to the displeasure of the British Government. If they can act in concert, they ought to be able to destroy this force, large as it is, their country being strong and the whole population bearing arms.

If these military movements are really contemplated, they are highly objectionable at this season, and of a most suspicious character. The information is the best I can command, and agrees perfectly with the manifest apprehension of the Jumboo Moonshee in my camp. The Maharaja would plead his right to move his troops wheresoever he pleases within his own kingdom, but he is perfectly well aware of the sensation they will create in the Punjaub.

Indo-Pakistani war of 1947 The Battle of Muzaffarabad occurred on 22 October 1947 between Pakistani-backed Pashtun tribesmen, pro-Pakistani Kashmiri rebels, and the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces in the town of Muzaffarabad. The battle resulted in a rapid defeat of the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces, leading to the capture of Muzaffarabad by the tribesmen.

2005 earthquake The city was near the epicenter of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.6 Mw. The earthquake destroyed about 50 percent of the buildings in the city (including most government buildings) and is estimated to have killed up to 80,000 people in the Pakistani-controlled areas. As of 8 October 2005, the Pakistani government's official death toll was 87,350, while other estimates have put the death toll at over 100,000.

Administrative subdivisions The district of Muzaffarabad is administratively divided into 2 tehsils, which are subdivided into 25 union councils. • Muzaffarabad • Pattika (Naseerabad).

Transport Muzaffarabad's public transportation system primarily relies on buses, rickshaws, and small pickup trucks for intracity travel. Following the devastating 2005 earthquake that severely damaged infrastructure, including roads, the city government, with international aid, rebuilt roads, bridges, and other essential infrastructure. However, public transportation remains underdeveloped. Notably, Muzaffarabad lacks a railway system and a functional airport. The nearest railway station is located in the Rawalpindi District of Pakistani Punjab.

Population and languages The total population of the district, according to the 2017 census, is 650,370.

The main language of the district, spoken by about half of its inhabitants, is generally considered to be a variety of Pahari. Though occasionally referred to in the literature as Chibhali or Poonchi, it is locally known as Hindko. Its speakers tend to identify more with the Hindko spoken to the west, even though perceiving their speech to be only slightly different from the Pahari varieties spoken in the Bagh District and further south in Murree. The local dialect has a higher percentage of shared basic vocabulary with the central group of Pahari dialects (83–88%) than with the Hindko of the nearby Mansehra and Abbottabad districts (73–79%).

Another language spoken in the district is Gujari, native to around a third of its population. The local dialect is closely related to the Gujari varieties spoken in Hazara (83–88% similarity in basic vocabulary) and the rest of Azad Kashmir (79–86%). Kashmiri is spoken in the city of Muzaffarabad. It is distinct from, although still intelligible with, the Kashmiri of the Neelam Valley to the north. Other languages spoken include Urdu, Shina and Balti.

Education Muzaffarabad's education system exhibits a disparity between its overall ranking and school infrastructure. While the district achieved a national ranking of 6th with a score of 73.85 in the 2017 Pakistan District Education Ranking (by Alif Ailaan), its school infrastructure score was significantly lower at 105th with a score of 34.29. This disparity highlights a lack of basic amenities in many schools, including electricity (11.7 score), drinking water (27.93 score), and boundary walls (40.09 score). These shortcomings create an environment not conducive to learning.

Furthermore, the district faces a shortage of higher-level educational institutions. With 72% of schools being primary and only 28% offering above-primary education, students graduating from primary schools have limited options for continuing their education. This limited access, particularly for girls, contributes to a decline in enrollment rates. Reports on the Taleem Do app for the area substantiate these concerns, highlighting issues with inadequate infrastructure and a lack of furniture in schools.