Hattian Bala

Hattian Bala District

 

is a district of Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. The town of Hattian Bala is where the district headquarters are located. The Hattian Bala District was a part of the Muzaffarabad District until 2009 when it was made a separate district.

 

History

 

The Hattian Bala District was a part of the Uri Tehsil of the Baramulla District in Jammu and Kashmir, following the end of the first conflict between India and Pakistan. The initial clash between India and Pakistan ended with a truce, and Hattian Bala was incorporated into the Muzaffarabad District. The district of Hattian Bala was created in July 2009 under Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan’s coalition government in Azad Kashmir.

 

Geography

 

There are two districts of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir bordering it on the north and east, and Bagh District and Muzaffarabad on the south. It has a population of 230,529 people.

 

Economy

 

The rural urban ratio is 90:10. The majority of the rural population depend on agriculture, livestock, and forestry for subsistence. Many people work or are settled abroad in the Middle East, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and they support their families who they have left behind. The Hattian Bala District is primarily a hilly and mountainous region with stretches of plains along the Jehlum River, which enters the district at the LOC point at Chakothi and continues northwest through the Jehlum Valley. Due to its fast-flowing rivers, the Hattian Bala District has great hydroelectric potential. Hydroelectric power stations are located at Kathai, Leepa, and Sharian. The district’s natural environment includes the valleys of Leepa, Khalana Chham, Ghail, Saina Daman Chamm, Dhani Shahdarrah, Charoi, Chinari, Jaskool, Chonoian, Bharyan (Lower Chonoian), and Chakar Salmia.

 

Languages

 

The main languages of the district are Pahari (native to about half of the population), Gujari (spoken by about a third), and Kashmiri (native to one out of six inhabitants)