Jhelum Valley () is located along the course of the

Jhelum River The Jhelum River is a major river in South Asia, flowing through India and Pakistan, and is the westernmost of the five major rivers of the Punjab region. It originates at Verinag and flows through the Indian-administered territory of Jammu ...

, in the

Jhelum Valley District Hattian Bala District () is a district of Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir in the Kashmir#Dispute, disputed Kashmir region. The town of Hattian Bala is where the district headquarters are located. The Hattian Bala District was a part of the Mu ...

Azad Kashmir Azad Jammu and Kashmir (), abbreviated as AJK and colloquially referred to as simply Azad Kashmir ( ), is a region administered by Pakistan as a nominally self-governing entitySee: * * * and constituting the western portion of the larger ...

administered by

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. Spanning approximately , the valley is known for its proximity to the disputed

Line of Control The Line of Control (LoC) is a military control line between the Indian and Pakistanicontrolled parts of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir—a line which does not constitute a legally recognized international boundary, but ser ...

(LoC) between

and

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Hattian Bala Hattian Bala () is a town in Hattian Bala District of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. The town serves as the headquarters of district and tehsil Hattian Bala. Hattian Bala is located from Muzaffarabad city on the bank of Jhelum River The Jhelum ...

serves as both the administrative center of the valley and the district headquarters.

Tourist attractions

* Chinari and Garhi Dupatta: Famous for their panoramic views along the Jhelum River. * Chikar: A hill station which provides access to ZalZall Lake, which was formed after the 2005

earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...

due to landslides obstructing a river's path. * Loon Bagla: A dense forest area located 10 km from Chikar. * Awan Patti, Chakothi and Kotla: Tourist-friendly attractions close to the LoC. Chakothi Sector - Pakistan and Indian Boarder

Chakothi Sector - Pakistan and Indian Boarder

Infrastructure and facilities

The valley is connected to

Muzaffarabad Muzaffarabad (; , IPA: ʊzəfːərɑːbɑːd is a city in Pakistani-administered Azad Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...

by a road, providing access to its many towns and tourist sites. Basic amenities such as

hotels A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a refr ...

, rest houses, health facilities, and educational institutes are available in most of the valley's populated areas. Tourists in the

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...

can also access local

post offices Post, POST, or posting may refer to: Postal services * Mail, the postal system, especially in Commonwealth of Nations countries ** An Post, the Irish national postal service ** Canada Post, Canadian postal service ** Deutsche Post, German posta ...

and

landline telephone A landline is a physical telephone connection that uses Metal wire, metal wires or optical fiber from the subscriber's premises to the network, allowing multiple phones to operate simultaneously on the same phone number. It is also referred to a ...

services. Due to the ongoing

territorial dispute A territorial dispute or boundary dispute is a disagreement over the possession (law), possession or control of territories (land, maritime territory, water or airspace) between two or more political entities. Context and definitions Territorial ...

between Pakistan and India, some parts of the valley, especially those near the LoC, have restricted access. However, the primary tourist areas remain accessible throughout the year.

References

{{reflist Populated places in Hattian Bala District Tourist attractions in Azad Kashmir Valleys of Azad Kashmir

Tourist attractions

Infrastructure and facilities

See also

References