Muzaffarabad City Profile by Directory Pakistan.

Introduction:

Muzaffarabad District is one of the 10 districts of Pakistan’s dependent territory of Azad Kashmir. The district is located on the banks of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers and is very hilly. The total area of the Muzaffarabad District is 1,642 square kilometres (634 sq mi). The district is part of the Muzaffarabad Division, and the city of Muzaffarabad serves as the capital of Azad Kashmir. The district is bounded on the north-east by the Neelum District and the Kupwara.Districtof Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, on the south-east by th  Hattian Bala District, on the south by the Bagh District, and on the west by the Mansehra Districtand the Abbottabad District of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

Population:

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

Languages:

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 Distric tand 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 near by Mansehraand 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

Old Name of Muzaffarabad:

The original name of Muzaffarabad was Udabhanda. Hieun tsang, the celebrated Buddhist pilgrim who is said to have visited the valley in 631 A.D mentions Pan-nu-tso, i.e., modern day Punch, Ho-lo-she-pu-to i.e. modern day Rajauri.

Muzaffarabad is a city of Saints and legendry people. Its ancient name was Udabhanda, which was mentioned in the travelogue of Hiuen Tsang, who was a Buddhist Pilgrim and visited the valley in the year 633 A.D. Another name of Muzaffarabad was Chikrri Behk. Bomba Sultan Muzaffar Khan designated it as his capital.

Surroundings of Muzaffarabad:

The city was accessible even in the ancient times. The caravans of merchants and preachers came from all over the contiguous Empires, like the sub-continent, the Central Asia and Afghanistan, through the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Road. The road is still in excellent condition and links Azad Kashmir to the Kashmir Valley through Srinagar Muzaffarabad Bus Service.Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is in the West of Muzaffarabad, Jhelum Valley District is in the East of it, whereas Kupwara and Baramulla districts of disputed territory of Kashmir are in the East of the Jhelum Valley District, linked via Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Bus Service. Furthermore Neelum District of Azad Kashmir is in the North of Muzaffarabad. It is a beautiful city and a popular tourist resort of Azad Kashmir, its elevation is 737 meters above sea level. The confluence of the two rivers Jhelum and Neelum, give it a spectacular look. The cold bluish water of the River Neelum mixes up with noisy, rapturous, sturdy and greenish water of the River Jhelum at Domail.

Routes to Muzaffarabad:

The journey takes 3 hours from Islamabad, through Murree Expressway. Kohala is the entry point to Azad Kashmir. After Murree the road becomes thin and winding as well as very scenic. It takes 2 hours to reach at Kohala Bridge and an hour to Muzaffarabad from Kohala.

Islamabad < Murree Expressway < Kohala < Chatter Klass < Muzaffarabad < 122 Kilometres < 3 Hour, 13 Minute

The other route to reach Muzaffarabadis;

Islamabad < Abbottabad < Mansehra < Garhi Habibullah < Muzaffarabad < 76 Kilometres from Abbottabad < 4 Hour.

Administrative Divisions:

The district of Muzaffarabad is administratively subdivided into two tehsils, which are subdivided into several union councils.

• Muzaffarabad Tehsil

• Pattika Tehsil

Weather of Muzaffarabad:

The climate here is mild, and generally warm and temperate. Muzaffarabad is a city with a significant rainfall. Even in the driest month there is a lot of rain. According to Köppen and Geiger, this climate is classified as Cfb. The average annual temperature in Muzaffarabad is 12.6 °C | 54.6 °F. The annual rainfall is 1308 mm | 51.5 inch.Muzaffarabad are in the northern hemisphere. Summer begins at the end of June and ends in September. The months of summer are: June, July, August, and September. The best time to visit is May, June, July, August, September.

Specialties of Muzaffarabad:

Muzaffarabad is known for its exclusive wood carved furniture that is very popular. They have a huge variety of wood such as dayyar, akhrot etc and markets are filled with beautifully carved table, chairs, jewelry boxes and they take customized orders and the quality is top notch.The area is famous for its woodwork.

Two type of main courses of Kashmiri pulao you will find in Muzaffarabad, one is of beef and second is of Mutton or Chiken. Green leaves tea with salt, almonds and other dry fruit makes namkeen tea a special one. Kashmiri Kulcha is the bakery item and easily available in Muzaffarabad .

Muzaffarabad has many popular attractions, including Pir Chinasi, Red Fort Muzaffarabad, making it well worth a visit. Muzaffarabad is a city in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan. It has many popular attractions, including Pir Chinasi, Red Fort Muzaffarabad, making it well worth a visit.

Height of City:

The city of Muzaffarabad, located at a height of 2,250 feet above sea level is a tourist delight. It is located in a beautiful lush green valley, surrounded by forest-covered mountains, where only small airplanes can land after circling round and downwards to lose altitude. The low altitude flight from Islamabad to

Muzaffarabad is in itself a thrilling ecstasy, offering passengers a chance to enjoy some of the most wonderful mountain-top sights.

Muzaffarabad is the capital and largest city of Azad Kashmir, and the 60th largest in Pakistan. The city is located in Muzaffarabad District, near the confluence of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers.

The name “Muzaffarabad” (meaning Muzaffar’s Town) comes from the name of Sultan Raja Muzaffar Khan (a Muslim ruler of Khandan-e-Bomba). After the 1948-49 war, Muzaffarabad was made the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Muzaffarabad is a wonderful destination for trekking enthusiasts. There are a number of trekking trails that pass thorough some spectacular scenic spots in Muzaffarabad. Muzaffarabad has a number of beautiful monuments, farms and parks

The city is a combination of old monuments and new buildings and a blend of different cultures and languages. It has besides official buildings, farms, parks and the historic forts standing on the banks of the Neelum, Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Rawlakot and Kotli are connected with Pakistan by the Micro-weave system of telephone.

Education Sector in Muzaffarabad:

According to Pakistan District Education Ranking 2017, a report released by Alif Ailaan, Muzaffarabad is ranked at number 6 nationally, with an education score of 73.85.

However when it comes to infrastructure, Muzaffarabad ranks at 105, with a school infrastructure score of 34.29. There is a serious lack of electricity, drinking water, and boundary walls, with scores of 11.7, 27.93, and 40.09, respectively. Infrastructure wise, the schools are not conducive to study, as they lack some of the basic facilities which should be present in all schools. 72% of the schools are primary schools, and only 28% are above-primary schools. Therefore, students graduating from primary schools do not have sufficient post- primary schools to attend. This leads to a steady decrease in enrollment, especially for girls. The issues on the Taleem Do app for the area also relate to the complaint of unsatisfactory infrastructure and a lack of furniture in the school buildings.

Sport Sector in Muzaffarabad:

Football, Cricket and volleyball are the most popular games in Muzaffarabad. Tournaments are held throughout the year and especially in the holy month of Ramadan. The floodlit tournaments are also organized. Narul Cricket Stadium Muzaffarabad is a spectacular ground with the capacity of 8,000 people. This stadium has hosted matches of Inter-District Under-19 Tournament, Blind Cricket Tournament and First Class Cricket Match. There are also registered football clubs namely, Pilot Football Club, Youth Football Club, Kashmir National FC and Azad Super FC.

Medical Complex Muzaffarabad:

Muzaffarabad, Azaad Kashmir Facilities Available

• 24 Hours Emergency

• Free Vaccination Centre

• X-Ray & Ultrasound

• Consulting Clinics

• Physiotherapy

• Rehabilitation Centre

• Pharmacy

• Auditorium

Introduction to PCRWR:

Regional Office PCRWR, Muzaffarabad conducts site-specific research on water Quantity and Quality Challenges in AJK and efficient mitigation strategies development with Water Sector Stakeholders, Government of AJK. This Regional Office was established with specific objectives as follows;

• To provide consultancy services to public/farming communities to utilize Water Resources effiently.

• To undertake monitoring of water quality in cities, rivers, springs and aquifers in AJK.

• To maintain liaison and working relationship with various AJK Departments, Universities, NGOs etc.

in Water Sector.

• To document and disseminate research results to AJK Government and community/end users.

• To conduct Wastewater Assessment and Regional Treatment Strategies Development in AJK.

Famous Guest Houses in Muzaffarabad:

There are various guest houses, rest houses, motels and hotels at most of the tourist spots which can be booked in advance from their offices in Muzaffarabad. (Tel: 058810-32625).

• Grand Motel, Bank Rd, ☎ 058810-47383. checkout: 3 PM.

• Sangam Hotel, near quaid-e-azam bridge & Red Fort, ☎ 05822-444194-95, can haggle a room for Rs2500-5000.   

• Nafees Hotel.

• Agha Jee Hotel, Bank Rd, ☎ 058810-47383. checkout: 3 PM.

• Tayba Hotel, Tanga stand , muzaffarabad.

• Pearl Continental. checkin: noon; checkout: noon. Five star hotel. Rs 12,000.

• Orash Lodge Guest House, 61-B upper chattar, muzaffarabad, ☎ 05822-434997-8,

Culture of Muzaffarabad:

The culture of Azad Kashmir has many similarities to that of northern Punjabi (Potohar) culture in Punjab province. The natives of Azad Kashmir speak Urdu, Potwari, and the Pahari languages. The traditional dress of Kashmiri women is the shalwar kameez in Pahari style. The shalwar kameez is commonly worn by both men and women. Women use the Kashmir shawl to cover their head and upper body.

Popular Cuisine of Muzaffarabad:

The popular and traditional cuisines of Azad Kashmir are Kashmiri raan (fried leg of lamb in Kashmiri style), rogan josh, Balti gosht, Kashmiri dal chawal (a mixture of split peas, split red lentils, and boiled rice), and dam aloo.

Important Dialects at Muzaffarabad:

Pahari,Potohari, Majhi,Chhachi and Gojri dialects of Punjabi Language and Kashmiri language are the predominant languages of the city. Other languages spoken include Urdu, Shina and Balti.

Rivers in Muzaffarabad:

Muzaffarabad is home to three main rivers flowing through Kashmir, Neelum , Jehlum and Kunhar. Neelum river merge itself intothe river Jhelum at Domail. Domail, the confluence of two mighty rivers, presents highly fascinating scene of youthful embrace. This heart-warning spectacle is most soothing to the eye. Later, few miles down the road, River Kunhar joins the Jehlum river and they flow thousands. 

 Muzaffarabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry:

It is a local organization of businesses and companies in Upper Chattar with the intention to develop and further the interests of local companies and businesses in Pakistan. Many businesses are international operating companies with offices in Pakistan. Members of a Chamber of Commerce are usually international and local operating companies, such as lawyers, property developers, tourism companies, airlines, manufacturing companies, import and export businesses, banks, finance companies, legal advisors, IT and electronics manufacturers etc. Chambers of Commerce main activities are, among others, safeguarding business interests and sharing business experiences and business interests, contact with governments, civil society, local media and the press and organzing trade shows and events.

Famous Dishes:

The main staple over there is rice and tea (Kashmiri tea attributed to the cold) is very popular. Delicacies include goshtapas (a meat ball stew) and rice oriented dishes. 

Top Attraction for Tourists:

Muzaffarabad is known for its high-end, hand-carved wood piece of furniture. They need a large form of wood i.e. Akhrot, Dayyar, etc. However, markets are crammed with fantastically incised jewelry boxes, chairs, and tables, their quality is top-notch, and take customized orders.

Muzaffarabad on the opposite hand is home to three main rivers flowing through Kunhar, Kashmir, Jhelum, and Nelum..

Muzaffarabad is also a historical city that has seen an outsized variety of ancient civilizations and has seen many wars between the nations to rule this town. Not solely this, it’s been long-faced a fatal earthquake of 2005 that dismantled this town.

Best Places to Visit in Muzaffarabad:

Jalalabad garden

Ayubia national park

The beautiful Neelum river                                                                      

Kashmir / Dolai waterfall                                                                                        

Shrine of Sain Saheli Sarkar                                                                                       

Kohala bridge picnic spot                                                                                       

Red fort / Rutta Qila                                                                                        

Neelum valley

Economic Development

The state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) lacks economic development, and one of the fundamental reasons, in my view, is that it does not have a sufficiently big city that can attract people with money and ideas to come and invest. When the valley was liberated in 1948, the first capital was established at Janjal Hill near Plandri. Later, the capital was shifted to Muzaffarabad, which was mainly due to Muzaffarabad being selected as a temporary capital on the road to Srinagar.

Hospitals In Muzaffarabad

No one can deny the role of hospitals. However, hospitals in Muzaffarabad are doing a good job in maintaining a healthy society. Muzaffarabad is among the important cities of Pakistan and different hospitals are present in the city. They are providing medical attention and nursing care to people of different age groups. The majority of hospitals in Muzaffarabad have specialized staff and equipment.

Hospitals in Muzaffarabad can be categorized into different classes. There are General Hospitals that offer different types of healthcare facilities with limited capacity. They provide treatment to patients with different various disease conditions such as surgical, obstetrics, medical, pediatrics, ENT, etc. On the other side, special hospitals usually limit their service to specific medical conditions such as oncology, geriatrics, maternity, orthopedics, and others. However, the aim of teaching cum research hospital is to provide education in different domains such as pharmacy, dental, or nursing besides offering medical care.

On this page, you can view information about hospitals in Muzaffarabad including general hospitals, clinics, and eye hospitals present in the city. All key details including their address, phone number, and timings are mentioned for your convenience. However, the information about hospitals in other cities is present on their respective pages.

Water Quality in Muzaffarabad:

In Muzaffarabad ore than eighty percent of diseases are due to low quality-water supply from onground and underground water bodies (Hina et al., 2021). Previous water quality experiments have shown high concentrations of inorganic and organic contaminants in the AJK region (Ayub et al., 2020). But, it was not considered to be in that bad condition that it would hurt human health in this brutal way. The primary cause of this health stigma has been the presence of pathogenic bacteria and fungal agglomeration in drinking water of Muzaffarabad is a relative concern in many areas that have no protection from the pollutants such as; agricultural mud, animal husbandry and solid waste disposals.

Important Issues in Muzaffarabad:

The only source of water for 60 percent population of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), is being polluted by sewage lines.A survey conducted by the AJK Environmental Protection Agency (AJK-EPA) has said that more than 70 per cent spring water is being contaminated by sewage lines running closes to springs. “It is hard to avoid the contamination. The government should provide tape water to avoid the rising threat of waterborne diseases,” Aziz suggested that the government introduce rain harvesting projects in the remote areas where people have no excess to tape water and springs are impure.Besides the sewage lines, tons of liquid and solid waste being dumped in rivers and streams is also polluting the water resources in the region.More than 30 per cent villagers walk one or two kilometres a day to fetch the water for household use. The mountainous and remote Neelum valley in the extreme north of Pakistani-administered Kashmir appears to be facing a serious problem of malnutrition among women and children, reveals a United Nations survey Climate Change and its effects can be seen around the world with its influence on water industry, our biodiversity and forests. It also has impacts on our health and socioeconomic conditions. 

Glacial retreat

Himalayan glaciers that melt and feed the rivers of Asia are melting at a fast rate than before. The Kolahoi glacier are the most fastest declining glaciers due to global warming but the rates are very low. There are more than 7000 glaciers in Himalayan region in which 3000 are very catastrophic and can cause vast destructions.

Floods

The floods have also become very common in Azad Kashmir. The stream moved from Salkhala merges into Neelum valley and causes the main floods. The cloud burst in July 2021 caused about 30 deaths in the Neelum valley. The floods moved from Muzaffarabad to the Neelum valley and a couple drowned in the floods also. Floods in 2004in the Indian ocean tsunami killed hundreds of people.

Land Sliding

Ghoin valley in the Muzaffarabad region has common landslides due to the deforestation and has common snow avalanches in the region about 2000 people were affected due to the road blockage. 

Extreme weather events like heat waves

Heat waves are common in the region of the Islamabad and Muzaffarabad in which the 2015 heat wave due to the scorching temperature killed hundreds of people. There is increasing temperature in the months of the June, July and august. According to the Pakistan meteorological department the heat waves will be more common and frequent in the summers.

Soil erosion

The soil erosion in the Neelum valley has caused loss of the top fertile soil and the sediments flow directly in the Neelum valley and increases the sediment load in the valley.

Seasonal change and decreased crop yield

Due to the high temperature reaching up to 40 degree Celsius there is less crop yield of wheat, maize, corn and rice. The germination of seeds are also affected and proper reason for germination needs to be evaluated.

Conclusion:

Muzaffarabad remains a highly significant city, throughout its entire history until the current day. It is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious part of the state of Kashmir; people live in the Ethno-Religious harmony. Tourists can observe the historical background of the city through its architecture; especially the remains Hindu temples, Red Fort, Black Fort and Jalalabad Garden, which manifest the glory from the past. The influx of foreign aid from all these countries generated employment; the construction of houses, mosques, hospitals and also boosted the tourism. The Chinese or Turkish people bought the famous embroidery or woodwork and praised it. Pearl Continental hotel opened their branch in Muzaffarabad on hill. The inside of the hotel was furnished with wood and the only fancy place in the capital; it entertained the locals most of the years with their musical nights and food festivals, was very reasonably priced keeping in mind the locals and overlooked the beautiful  rivers that flow though Muzaffarabad and snow capped mountains. At night the hills sparkle with the population that resides on the hills (the light emitting from their houses) and the sky is clear. It also generated employment for the locals, as before they mostly had to go to some other town.