The Leepa Valley () is an
arable valley situated in the
Hattian Bala District of
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# ...
.
It is located approximately from the capital city of
Muzaffarabad. The valley features small hamlets and is divided into five sectors;
Nowkot, Kasirkot,
Dao Khan,
Leepa, and
Chananian.
History
Leepa Valley was formerly part of
Karnah
Karnah is an administrative tehsil in the Kupwara district of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir. It is from the town of Kupwara, the district headquarter, and is the largest tehsil of the distri ...
tehsil
A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a Zila (country subdivision), district including the designated populated place that ser ...
of
Kupwara district
Kupwara district is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mentio ...
in
Jammu and Kashmir. The valley is now part of
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 ...
in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It has been an area of strife among the two neighboring countries.
Geography
Leepa Valley is situated above sea level. Snowfall occurs regularly throughout the year.
Rice and apple fields can be found frequently in the whole valley.
The
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 ...
, which separates it from
Jammu and Kashmir, can be seen from anywhere while standing in the valley from east to west.
Demographics
The population of Leepa Valley is about 50,000. The main language which is spoken in the valley is
Kashmiri, followed by
Pahari-Pothwari
Pahari Pothwari is an Indo-Aryan language variety of the Lahnda group, spoken in the northern half of Pothohar Plateau, in Punjab, Pakistan, as well as in the most of Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir and in the western areas of Indian-admini ...
and
Gojari.
There is Dargah of Peer Sakhi Shahin Tootmar Khan Gali. It is near Treda Sharif in Moji hamlet near Leepa Valley.
See also
*
Bhimber Gali
*
Haji Pir Pass
*
Tourism in Azad Kashmir
References
External links
Leepa Valley– Azad Jammu & Kashmir Council
Leepa Valley - Emerging Pakistan
*{{Wikivoyage inline, Azad Kashmir
Hattian Bala District
Valleys of Azad Kashmir