pakistan-occupied-kashmir-map

Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) which is called Azad Kashmir in Pakistan has always been a heated topic of discussion between India and Pakistan since 1947. For most people like us, Pok has always been a mystery as very less is written or revealed about the place.

Let us know some lesser-known facts about Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) which India is struggling to get back from Pakistan:

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1. United Nations and other international organizations refer to PoK as “Pakistan-administered Kashmir”

The Azad Kashmir territory shares a border to the north with Gilgit-Baltistan. PoK also shares its border with China and Afghanistan. Here we have the PoK Kashmir map.

pakistan-administered-kashmir-pok2
businessinsider

2. Pok was never directly ruled by the British

During the British rule, Jammu and Kashmir was under the rule of Maharaj Hari Singh. So technically PoK was never under the direct rule of the British.

the-last-maharaja-of-kashmir-hari-singh
wikimedia

3. Maharaj Hari Singh wanted Jammu and Kashmir to remain independent

During partition, Jammu and Kashmir was given the option to join either India or Pakistan but Maharaja Hari Singh decided to keep it as an independent state.

we-want-independent-kashmir
blogspot

4. Pathan Tribesmen invaded Jammu and Kashmir

The invasion of the independent Jammu and Kashmir came from Pathan Tribesmen. Pakistan denied its role in the invasion but the evidence shows a different story.

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armed-pathan-tribesmen
military-history-pictures

5. PoK area coverage

PoK covers an area of 13,297 square kilometers (5,134 sq mi), having an approximate population of 2,580,000 and the population of Gilgit-Baltistan is 870,347.

map-of-azad-kashmir
wikimedia

6. The capital of Azad Kashmir

The capital of PoK is Muzaffarabad, which is also the largest city in Azad Kashmir.

Muzaffarabad
pngitem

7. Instrument of Accession to India

Maharaja Hari Singh wrote a letter to Lord Mountbatten, the then Governor-General of India, asking for help from the Pathan tribesmen invasion. In the reply, Lord Mountbatten accepted the accession with a remark

It is my Government’s wish that as soon as law and order have been restored in Jammu and Kashmir and her soil cleared of the invader the question of the State’s accession should be settled by a reference to the people.

Finally, on 26th October 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh, the ruler of Jammu and Kashmir signed the Instrument of Accession to India.

instrument-of-accession-jammu-and-kashmir
kashmirobserver

8. 26th October is celebrated as Accession Day

Accession Day is celebrated as a holiday in Jammu and Kashmir. On 26 October 1947 Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession to India. People celebrate this day by bursting firecrackers, singing the national anthem of India, and hoisting the Indian flag.

accession-day-celebration-in-jammu-and-kashmir
panunkashmir

9. Black Day for separatists

Kashmiri separatists observe Accession Day as Black Day.

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black-day-for-jammu-and-kashmir-separatists
jkunityfoundation

10. Sino-Pakistan Agreement

That extreme northern park of PoK, which is shown as part of China is a result of the Sino-Pakistan agreement of 1963. Technically, the Pakistanis gifted China the territory.

You can see the area is marked as “territory ceded by Pakistan to China in 1963”, on the map below.

pok-map-with-sino-pakistan-agreement
theindiandna

11. Governed by Pakistan controlled Legislative assembly

PoK claims to have its self-governing legislative assembly but the fact is not hidden that it is indirectly under the control of Pakistan.

azad-jammu-kashmir-legislative-assembly
blogspot

12. President and Prime minister

The President of PoK is the head of the state while the prime minister is the chief executive who is supported by a Council of Ministers.

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asif-zardari-received-by-azad-kashmir-president-and-prime-minister
blogspot

13. PoK has its own Supreme Court and a High Court

Supreme Court of Azad Jammu and kashmir
dawn

14. Training camps of terrorist organizations

Lashkar-e-Taiba, one of the largest terrorist organizations in South Asia has several training camps in PoK.

terrorists-training-camps
debatepost

15. Azmal Kasab underwent his training in Muzaffarabad

Reports say that one of the convicted of the 26/11 attack on India Ajmal Kasab received his marine warfare training in Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK in Pakistan.

azmal-kasab-in-mumbai-cst
intoday

16. No freedom of expression

PoK lacks independent media, everything that happens there is controlled by the Pakistan government directly.

protest-in-pakistan-occoupied-kashmir-pok
economictimes

17. Pok Radio

Only one radio station known as Azad Kashmir Radio is allowed to operate in PoK.

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economictimes

18. 87% of the households own farms in PoK

The economy of PoK largely depends on agriculture. Apart from this, tourism also helps people to earn their living. It is also said that members of the British Mirpuri community send remittances here.

farming-in-pakistan-occoupied-kashmir
blogspot

19. Reason for war

Apart from the 1971 war, all the other disputes between India and Pakistan is related to the PoK issue.

india-pakistan-war
malayalamdailynews

20. Matter of pride

The undisputed valley has no economic value to both countries. But it is a matter of pride for both India and Pakistan. Any government that dares to go soft on the matter would mean political suicide for their party.

wagha-border-retreat-ceremony-angry-soldier
journalgazette

21. Decision of Jawaharlal Nehru

The first Prime minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru’s move to approach the United Nations for settling the PoK issue is considered wrong by many. People say this is what left the dispute unresolved.

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jawaharlal-nehru-with-sir-owen-dixon-and-liaquat-ali-khan
frontline

22. Plebiscite demanded by the United Nations

During the first war of India Pakistan which started in 1947 United Nations intervened and ordered a ceasefire between the two countries. But the plebiscite demanded by the U.N. could not move forward because it left many issues unresolved. Since then the heat between India and Pakistan has only increased.

Pakistani (L) and Indian flags stand on a table during an Indian-Pakistan meeting on the Sir Creek region in New Delhi on June 18, 2012. Pakistan and India started two-day talks in New Delhi to resolve their maritime boundary dispute in the Sir Creek region. Sir Creek, which opens up into the Arabian Sea dividing the Kutch region of the Indian state of Gujarat with the Sindh province of Pakistan, is a 96-km strip of water that is disputed between India and Pakistan. AFP PHOTO / Prakash SINGH
theindiantelegram

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