Azad Kashmir Culture and Traditions: A Traveller's Primer

Azad Kashmir culture is closer to the Pothohar and Hazara regions next door than to the Kashmir Valley that gives it its name. Most people speak dialects of Pahari-Pothwari at home, Gujjar families are found throughout the territory, Kashmiri survives mainly in the north, and Mirpur has such close ties to Britain that it is nicknamed "Little England". For a visitor, the day-to-day points are simple: hospitality is taken seriously, elders come first, modest dress matters outside the towns, and anything military is off limits for photographs.

This guide covers who lives where, the languages you will hear, the heritage and dates worth knowing, and the etiquette that makes a trip go smoothly.

Who lives in Azad Kashmir?

The historian Christopher Snedden points out that most people in Azad Kashmir are not Kashmiri in the ethnic sense; their roots and customs link them to the Jammu region, Punjab and Hazara. Many have adopted a Kashmiri identity because the territory was part of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The main communities, with Wikipedia's estimates, are:

• Gujjars, the largest, at around 800,000, found in all ten districts. Some still move herds between winter villages and summer pastures, as the Bakarwal herders do.
• Sudhans, over 500,000, mainly in Poonch, Sudhnoti, Bagh and Kotli, around Rawalakot and Palandri. Together with the Rajputs they supply much of AJK's political class.
• Jats, largely in Mirpur, Bhimber and Kotli.
• Rajputs, spread across the territory.

You will notice the difference as you travel: the hill villages of Poonch and Bagh, the lowland towns of Mirpur and Bhimber and the wooden houses of the upper Neelum and Leepa valleys feel like different regions.

What languages do people speak?

Urdu is the official language and understood almost everywhere, so a Pakistani visitor will have no trouble. At home, people speak other languages:

• Pahari-Pothwari covers most of the territory. In the south it is called Mirpuri, Pothwari or Pahari and is close to the Pothwari of Rawalpindi and Jhelum. In the central districts people usually just call it Pahari.
• Hindko is the preferred local name in Muzaffarabad district, though the speech there is closely related to Pahari.
• Gojri is spoken by Gujjar families throughout.
• Kashmiri is spoken mainly in the north, in parts of the Neelum valley.
• Smaller languages include Shina and Pashto pockets, and Kundal Shahi, spoken by about 700 people in one village of the Neelum valley and severely endangered.

Our languages of Azad Kashmir guide goes into where each is used.

Mirpur and Britain

From the mid-1950s into the early 1960s, a large share of Mirpur district's population moved to the United Kingdom, and the Mirpuri diaspora is now estimated to be larger than the district's own population. Mirpur has friendship links with Birmingham, Bradford and London, many shops stock British products, and some accept pounds sterling.

Mangla Dam, built between 1961 and 1965, is part of the same story. Its reservoir submerged the old towns of Mirpur and Dadyal and more than 280 villages, displacing over 110,000 people, and some of those affected were given work permits for Britain. The British Mirpuri community is now put at about 747,000, around 70 per cent of British Pakistanis. Our places to visit in Mirpur guide covers the city and Mangla lake.

Hospitality and family life

Whatever the language, mehman nawazi is treated as a duty. Expect tea, often with milk, and usually something to eat, even on a short visit. Turning food down flatly can seem rude; take a little and thank your host if you are not hungry.

Extended families often live together or close by, and elders get visible deference in seating, conversation and who is served first. Greeting older people first and letting them lead the talk earns a warm welcome.

Religious heritage and shrines

The population is almost entirely Muslim, and shrines are part of everyday life: the shrine of Shah Hussain Bukhari draws devotees to Pir Chinasi above Muzaffarabad, and our shrines of Azad Kashmir guide lists others.

The territory also holds an older layer. Sharda Peeth, in Sharda village in the Neelum valley at 1,981 metres, is the ruin of a Hindu temple and centre of learning that was among the most important in South Asia between the 6th and 12th centuries and gave its name to the Sharada script. It remains one of the holiest sites for Kashmiri Pandits. It lies about 10 km from the Line of Control; our Sharda Peeth guide covers visiting.

Dates that shape a trip

• 5 February, Kashmir Solidarity Day, is a national holiday in Pakistan, with rallies across Azad Kashmir. Offices close and some roads in Muzaffarabad can be busy with processions.
• 13 July, Kashmir Martyrs' Day, remembers the 21 people killed by Dogra forces in Srinagar in 1931, and is marked in Pakistan and AJK.
• 24 October is the anniversary of the provisional Azad Kashmir government set up at Palandri in 1947 under Sardar Ibrahim Khan.
• Ramazan changes the rhythm: food stalls open for iftar, and night-time cricket and football tournaments under floodlights are a feature of the month.
• Eid fills the roads, as families come home from cities and from abroad.

Everyday etiquette for visitors

• Greet with "Assalam-o-Alaikum" with strangers and hosts alike.
• Dress modestly, especially outside Muzaffarabad, Mirpur and the main bazaars. Covered shoulders and knees are normal for men and women in villages; our traditional dress guide shows what people wear.
• Remove your shoes before entering a home, and expect floor seating in some village houses.
• Ask before photographing people, particularly women, and never photograph soldiers, checkpoints or military posts. This is enforced strictly near the Line of Control.
• Use your right hand for eating and for giving or receiving things.
• Expect shops to close around Friday prayers in smaller towns.
• Give way to wedding processions on village roads rather than pushing past.

What this means for your trip

None of this needs special preparation. Pack clothes that cover shoulders and knees, learn a greeting, and treat elders and hosts with visible respect. Near the Line of Control, take extra care with dress, photography and where you walk. Since June 2026, protests led by the Joint Awami Action Committee have also been part of public life in AJK, with long internet and phone shutdowns at their height, so check local news before travelling. Our Kashmir destination guide has more on planning.

Frequently asked questions