Muzaffarabad

Muzaffarabad (Pahari: مُظفٌر آباد) is the capital of Azad Kashmir. It is located in Muzaffarabad District on the banks of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The district is bounded by North-West Frontier Province in the west, by the Kupwara and Baramulla districts of on the Indian side of the Line of Control in the east, and the Neelum District of Azad Kashmir in the north. The population of the district, according to the 1998 Census, was 725,000, and according to a 1999 projection, the population had risen to almost 741,000. The district comprises three tehsils, and the city of Muzaffarabad serves as the capital of Azad Kashmir.

 Muzaffarabad is situated at the confluence of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The city is 138 kilometres from Rawalpindi and Islamabad and about 76 kilometres from Abbottabad. Cradled by lofty mountains, Muzaffarabad reflects a blend of various cultures and languages. The main language is a form of Hindko. The Neelum river plays a dominant role in the microclimate of Muzaffarabad which joins Jehlum river near Domail.

 The name "Muzaffarabad" (meaning Muzaffar's Town) comes from the name of Sultan Raja Muzaffar Khan (popular muslim ruler of khandan-e-Bomba ) After the 1948-49 war, Muzaffarabad was made the capital of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir.                                                                

   On October 8, 2005, the city was struck by an earthquake measuring a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter Scale.                                                          

   Situated at the confluence of the Jhelum and the Neelum rivers Muzaffarabad the capital of the State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir is at a distance of 138 km from Rawalpindi and 79 km from Abbottabad. Surrounded by mountains, it looks like a walled town. It is the administrative capital of Azad Kashmir. Behind the Secretariat to the east is a road climbing above the town from where one can walk upto Pir Chinasi at 2,900 meters with good views of the Jhelum Valley and the higher mountains above the Neelum to the north. From the cool on the Abbottabad Road, you can walk along the ridge looking over the Jhelum and Kunhar rivers.                                                        

  The upper Jhelum valley makes another interesting scenic excursion from Muzaffarabad. Follow the Jhelum upstream, taking the road beneath the Domel bridge. This was the old route to Srinagar. The valley is broad with raised terraces above the river. Rice and maize are widely grown. Some 10 kms out of Muzaffarabad, the river widens to from a small lake. This was created by a landslide some years ago. There is a small Angler's Hut here, which makes a pleasant picnic spot. It is possible to take boats out on the river. Book through the Tourism Department in Muzaffarabad.

The city is now a combination of old 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.