Citizendia

Rawalakot
راولا کوٹ
 General Information
 CountryPakistan
 ProvinceAzad Kashmir
 Elevation5,000 m (16,404 ft) AMSL
 Area885 km² (342 sq mi)
 Calling code058710
 Time zonePST (UTC+5)
 No. In Political geography and International politics, a country is a Political division of a geographical entity Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Currently the internationally recognized territory of Pakistan is subdivided into four provinces and two territories The Azad State of Jammu and Kashmir, usually shortened to Azad Jammu and Kashmir ( AJK) or simply Azad Kashmir (literally "free The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The term above mean sea level ( AMSL) refers to the Elevation (on the ground or Altitude (in the Air) of any object relative to the Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. A telephone number or phone number is a sequence of numbers used to call from one Telephone line to another in a Telephone network. Pakistan Standard Time (PST is the time zone for Pakistan. It is usually 5 hours ahead of GMT though as of June 1 2008 it is 6 hours ahead due to the use of DST to help decrease UTC+5 is the Timezone for Pakistan Standard Time West Asia Standard Time. of Towns
 Population0. A town is a type of settlement ranging from a few to several thousand (occasionally hundreds of thousands inhabitants although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology 459 million (1998)
 Estimate0. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) 460 million (1999)
 Government
 No. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) of Union Councils
  
Rawalkot Azad Kashmir

Rawalakot (Urdu: راولا کوٹ) is a city in Azad Kashmir, and is the capital of Poonch District. A Union Council or village council in Pakistan is an elected Local government body consisting of 21 councillors and headed by a Nazim (which is equivalent Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised The Azad State of Jammu and Kashmir, usually shortened to Azad Jammu and Kashmir ( AJK) or simply Azad Kashmir (literally "free Poonch is one of the eight districts of Azad Kashmir (the area of Kashmir administered by Pakistan) It is in a saucer-shaped valley at elevation 1615 metres (5300ft). It is 76 kilometres (47 miles) from Kohala, and is also linked with Rawalpindi and Islamabad via the neighbouring districts of Azad Pattan and Tain Dhalkot,and with Muzaffarabad via Kohala and Sudhangali by asphalt roads. ( Urdu: Rāwalpindī) is a city in the Potwar Plateau near Pakistan 's capital city of Islamabad, in the province |name = Islamabad|native_name = |nickname = |settlement_type = Capital City |total_type Muzaffarabad is the capital of the Azad State of Jammu and Kashmir. Sudhan Gali (also known as Suddhen Gali is a village located in Bagh District, Azad Kashmir. The main tribe of Rawalakot are the Sudhan tribe

Contents

Location

Surrounding villages include Topa Soon aka Soon Topa or just Topa, Kaimon, Thithrot, Motialmara, Trar Dewan,Chare, Chuck, Tranni, Dahmni, Pothi Bala/Makwalan, Kharek, Dreak, Banjosa, Hussainkot, Hurnamaira, Bhalgran, Rehara, Tain, and Pachiot. Sudhan is a tribe settled in Poonch region of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and parts of Kashmir in India. Motialmara is a village in Azad Kashmir, approximately 15 miles northeast of Rawalakot. Trar Dewan ( Urdu: ترا ڑ دیوان is a Town in the Kashmir region of Pakistan. ChucK is a concurrent strongly-timed audio Programming language for real-time synthesis composition and performance which runs on Mac OS X, Linux The most celebrated village of the Sudhan Tribal belt of Azad Kashmir is the village of Hurnamaira Bhalgran is is a village in Poonch District in Azad Kashmir. Location Bhalgran is located an hours drive from the capital of Poonch district the city Rehara is a village in Poonch District of Azad Kashmir. It is located about 20 miles northeast of Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir. Tain ( Gaelic Baile Dhubhthaich, Duthac's town is a former Royal burgh in the Committee area of Ross and Cromarty, in Pachiot is in Azad Kashmir, it is a large Union council and administers the following villages Datote Jovarabad Paniola Bagiana Chiroti Barain Numbl Sumlary Bagh District lies to the north and Sudhnuti District lies to the south of Rawalakot. Bagh District is one of the eight districts of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. The road passing through (Jalooth)Paniola connects Rawalakot to Bagh And Muzaffarabad. While towards the West are Murree, Islamabad and Rawalpindi regions of Pakistan. Murree city ( Urdu: مری) is a popular Hill station and a summer resort especially for the residents of Islamabad, and for the cities |name = Islamabad|native_name = |nickname = |settlement_type = Capital City |total_type ( Urdu: Rāwalpindī) is a city in the Potwar Plateau near Pakistan 's capital city of Islamabad, in the province Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and

Rawalakot map
Rawalakot map
A political map of Kashmir showing the different districts.
A political map of Kashmir showing the different districts.

Rawalakot has an airport which has not functioned since 2000 due to lack of demand for air travel by the local population and the indifference of the Government of Pakistan. Rawalakot Airport is located at Rawalakot in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. This Airport is situated near Chuck Bazar approximatively 1 kilometre from Chare and approximately 3 KM from Rawalakot Main City

Construction of Guoien Nalla road between Rawalakot and Azad Pattan has considerably reduced the distance travel time.

The Shaeed Galla /Toli peer is very famous place in Rawalakot District, it is 20km from Rawalakot and beautiful natual scene and forest.

Communications

Rawalakot-Poonch Trade Route

Before the partition of the subcontinent, the Poonch-Rawalakot trade route was the only road link between Poonch and Sudhnati, now called Rawalakot, the Line of Control (LoC) is 15 kilometres from Hajira and 43 kilometres from Rawalakot. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Poonch (also referred to as Punch) is a town and a Municipal committee in Poonch District Sudhnoti is a district of Azad Kashmir in Pakistan. Administration The district is divided into two Tehsils * Balouch

After the Treaty of Amritsar in 1846, a part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir comprising Bagh, Sudhanoti (Rawalakot), Mendhar and Haveli were declared as the State of Poonch and transferred to Raja Moti Singh as his Jagir (landed estate). The Treaty of Amritsar was signed on March 16, 1846 to settle a dispute over territory in Kashmir after the First Sikh War with the United WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Poonch (also referred to as Punch) is a town and a Municipal committee in Poonch District In Pakistan and India, a Jagir was a small territory granted by the ruler to an army chieftain in fairly short terms usually of three years but not extending beyond The ethnic diversity of this region offers a unique blend of different tribes and clans. [3]

Tehsil Mendhar in the State of Poonch was the most fertile area in this region. Trade and agricultural links between people of Rawalakot and Poonch were common. Apart from agriculture, sheep and goat farming was the major source of income for the people of Poonch region. The Poonch-Rawalakot trade route played an important role in the economy of this area. It was one of the few trade routes in the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir which remained open throughout the year. Traders and businessmen freely traded fruits, vegetables, dry fruits, wool, tobacco, cereals, rice, spices and many other items. Barter trade system was followed by most of the traders and businessmen.

Although major chunk of the people’s income went to the State rulers through taxes, including Abiana and Maalia, duties, fines, and forced labour, there was economic activity and the region was considered rich in resources. Much has been conceived and propagated about ethnic and religious divide between the rulers and the ruled in the former state of Jammu and Kashmir. But an impartial and unbiased study of the Dogra rule would expose that socio-economic conditions of the population played an important role in the emergence of a conflict between the rulers and the masses.

It is on the record that rulers of the state imposed taxes on most of the belongings which one could own in his household e. g. cattle, utensils, hearths, windows, crops, agricultural tools and even wives. There was no other choice for the people to protect their belongings than to defy the authoritarian rule. The most crushed and trodden among the masses turned into the most violent dissidents and liberated their lands and belongings. Bagh, Rawalakot and parts of Haveli were liberated and the area liberated was named as Azad (free) Kashmir. Poonch town, the capital of this tiny state stood isolated and besieged till November, 1948 when Indian forces recaptured this town. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Poonch (also referred to as Punch) is a town and a Municipal committee in Poonch District As the region was divided, a large number of families got divided on both sides of the Cease Fire Line (later named as LoC) having no contact with each other. This is the most tragic element of the existence of Line of Control. After the emergence of LoC not only the families were divided but their businesses also ruined. Agricultural and grazing lands were bifurcated. Guns replaced the crops and cattle.

Rawalakot Bar Association

The Rawalakot Bar Association invited the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Chaudhry to address the Bar Association on June 30, 2007. Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry ( افتخار محمد چودھری) (born 12 December 1948)in a village of Faisalabad and belonging to the Ghorewaha The invitation was to show support of the local lawyers and civil society for the restoration of democracy in Pakistan and an end to the Army Dictatorship.


Rawalakot Turkiye College for Girls

The Rawalakot Turkiye College for Girls , a unique school comparable to any other educational facility in a European country -has been established in Rawalakot in place of the Post-Graduate College for Girls, Kharick, which faced severe destruction in the October 2005 earthquake. Through a joint organization of IHLAS Media Holding of Germany and DITIB (Religious Affairs of Turkish Islamic Union Germany), the Turkish people agreed on reconstruction of Rawalakot Post-Graduate Girls College with ERRA. Later on, the Turkish Islamic Union of Netherlands participated through donations of Basic Health Unit facilities to the said school. The design, construction, decoration and landscaping of the school have been carried out by Turcon Private Limited. A geological survey of the land led to the decision of constructing single or maximum two-storey buildings. In a campus-wise set-up, all the buildings have been scattered on a 240,000 square feet area. The educational facilities include 30 classrooms, five laboratories, a gymnasium hall, hostel, lodgment for teachers, principal’s house, BHU, mosque, multi-purpose hall, and an administration block, etc. A total of 14 buildings exceeding a covered area of 60,000 square feet have been built for the school. Basic amenities such as computers, television sets, music system, sofa sets, beds, mattresses and blankets for teachers and students have been arranged for with the help of donors. Thousands of trees and flowers have also been planted for landscaping. The construction has been carried out in the conventional method. Both ends of the buildings have been strengthened through shear walls, providing an earthquake-proof structure to ensure safety of the children. The materials used in construction are the same as in the developed countries. Lightweight insulated shingle roof material has been imported and used for the first time in Pakistan for added comfort. Well-insulated U-PVC type windows have also been used. The college will be inaugurated on April 7 at 12. 30 p. m. [1]

Rawalakot Air Port

Since the raid by Pakistan Army on the Red Mosque, Pakistan Army has deployed new army contingents in Rawalakot. The Pakistan Army ( Urdu:) is the largest branch of the Pakistan military, and is mainly responsible for protection of the state borders the security of administered The Lal Masjid (لال مسجد translated Red Mosque) is a Mosque located in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. The Rawalakot CMH and the telephone exchange are under extreme security to avoid the acts of terrorism by so called religious extremists.

Publications and Literary Activities

2005 Earthquake Damage Rawalakot
2005 Earthquake Damage Rawalakot

Local periodical by the name of Dharti(edited by Abid Siddique) is published monthly. Many authors as well as poets have been produced in the valley of Rawalakot. Internationally recognized magazine Mearaj International is well circulated in Rawalakot published from Kashmir, Pakistan & UK Daily news papers from Pakistan are available in English as well as Urdu. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised Most read newspaper is the Urdu daily Jang and the most listened to Radio Statio is BBC Londonand Vice of Kashmir FM 105 Rawalakot. Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.

Rawalakot Bazaar
Rawalakot Bazaar

Hotels and Rest Houses

Small hotels with living accommodations are available in and around the city. Government owned cabins are available in Rawalakot and Banjosa. Advance reservations are recommended as most of these accommodations are used by Government Officials on their tours.

Deira House
Deira House
Banjosa Rest House and Lake.
Banjosa Rest House and Lake.

Climate

Average temperature during the summer varies from 60 degrees F to 75 degrees F. During the winter snow falls start during the month of December and last through January. Rainy season starts from April through June. [4]

Culture

Rawalakot has no theatres, however the university does have some sorts of cultural events.

Shopping

Rawalakot has a down town which consists of shops selling everything from groceries to electronic goods.

Non governmental organizations(NGOs)

There are very few active non governmental organizations working in Rawalakot. Press for Peace(PFP) is a very active local NGO. Press for Peace (PFP is a Kashmir based NGO and think tank founded by Khawaja Zafar Iqbal in 1999 PFP was established by Khawaja Zafar Iqbal, a famous journalist and peace activist from Trar village of Rawalakot. Khawaja Zafar Iqbal is a journalist peace activist and researcher in Pakistan Administered Kashmir (commonly known as Azad Kashmir) However,PFP headquarters is based in Muzaffarabad, while it has extended its network across Kashmir and abroad.

Tourist at Banjosa Rest House.
Tourist at Banjosa Rest House.

Education

In addition to The Agriculture University of Azad Kashmir, Rawalakot has a Government College for men and for women, numerous high schools and a number of private schools. The Azad State of Jammu and Kashmir, usually shortened to Azad Jammu and Kashmir ( AJK) or simply Azad Kashmir (literally "free

During the earthquake of October 8,2005, many degree colleges were badly damaged, but these have not yet been rebuilt. [5]

Population

Rawalakot has an estimated population of 50,000. Over 60% of the population belongs to the Sudhan tribe. Sudhan is a tribe settled in Poonch region of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and parts of Kashmir in India. The remaining 40% is of the population includes Slahrya Rajput, Mehngral Rajput, Bhattis, Gujars, Jats, Maliks, Rathor Rajputs, Awans, Magray and Ashraf or Sayeds,Quraishi. Bhati / Bhatti (भाटी (Bhati ਭੱਟੀ (Bhatti / भटटी بھٹی is a Rajput Caste and is one of the largest tribes among Rajputs The Gujjar ( Hindi: गुज्जर Urdu: گجر or Gurjar (Hindi गुर्जर Urdu گُرجر are an ethnic group in India and Malik (ملك) as an Arabic word meaning " king " It has been adopted in various other mainly Asian languages for their ruling princes and to Awan (اعوان Punjabi Gurmukhi ਆਵਾਨ a South Asian Zamindar tribe putatively of Arab origin living predominantly in For the name see Ashraf (name. For the city see Camp Ashraf. Ashrâf ( Arabic: اشرف) is an Arabic For the Lost character please see Sayid Jarrah Sayyid ( ar سيد) (plural Saadah is an Honorific title Quraishi (also rendered as Qureshi, Qoraishi, Koraishi or Kureishi) (قریشی is an Arab family name Khawaja ([[Kashmiri Bandy]]Mir,Butt,Dar. Khawaja or Khwaja ( Arabic: خواجة khawājah, Persian: خواجه pronounced khâje) is a title used )

Famous Personalities from Rawalakot

Virtual Tour of Rawalakot

Banjosa

References

  1. ^ List Of Fm Radio Licences Issued By Pemra
  2. ^ Special Communications Organization
  3. ^ [ http://www.ajk.gov.pk/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2352&Itemid=138 Azad Jammu & Kashmir - About Poonch]
  4. ^ Pakistan Meteorological Department
  5. ^ Education Statistic

External links

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic