Neela Butt: The Historic Hill near Dhirkot

Neela Butt is a forested hilltop in Bagh district, Azad Kashmir, about 6 km from Dhirkot and roughly 2,000 metres above sea level. It is known for one thing above all: on 23 August 1947 a public meeting here turned into the first armed resistance to Dogra rule in this part of Kashmir, and the date is still marked every year as Youm-e-Neela Butt. For a traveller it is a short, quiet stop with long views, best added to a day in Dhirkot.

This guide covers the history and where accounts of it differ, the road from Islamabad, what is on the hill today, and the current security picture in Azad Kashmir.

What happened at Neela Butt in 1947?

In 1947 this hill was part of the Bagh tehsil of Poonch, inside the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir ruled by Maharaja Hari Singh. Poonch had its own grievances: heavy taxes, and tens of thousands of men who had served in the British Indian Army in the two world wars and come home to no work. In February 1947 a young landowner from Bagh, Sardar Muhammad Abdul Qayyum Khan, was already urging people not to pay what he called excessive taxes.

By the end of July the state had banned gatherings under Section 144 and ordered Muslims in Poonch to hand in their weapons. On 19 July the Muslim Conference had declared for accession to Pakistan, and when the Maharaja did not follow, public meetings went ahead despite the ban.

The meeting at Neela Butt was one of these. The account given by the Azad Kashmir government is that on 23 August 1947 the people of the area rose against Dogra rule here under Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan, who fired the first shot. Historians working from other records describe a public meeting at "Nila Bat, a village near Dhirkot" that month in support of accession to Pakistan, on which state troops opened fire, followed on 27 August by an attack led by Abdul Qayyum Khan that captured the police and military post at Dhirkot.

The two versions differ on detail, not on the outline. Within weeks the Poonch uprising had spread across the district, and it led into the first Kashmir war and the creation of the Azad Kashmir government in October 1947.

Who was Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan?

He was born on 4 April 1924 at Ghaziabad in Bagh tehsil, schooled in Jammu, and served in the Engineers Corps of the British Indian Army in Africa and the Middle East before coming home. He was 23 at the time of Neela Butt.

The title he carried for the rest of his life, Mujahid-e-Awwal, the first holy warrior, comes from this hill. He went on to be elected President of Azad Kashmir three times, in 1956, 1971 and 1985, and was Prime Minister from 1991 to 1996. He died in Rawalpindi on 10 July 2015.

What is there to see today?

Less than the history might lead you to expect. Neela Butt is a hilltop in pine forest with open views across the ridges of Bagh district and back towards the Murree hills. Official reports describe the anniversary meeting as held "at the historical site of Neela Butt", addressed in some years by the President of Azad Kashmir.

We found no reliable description of a museum, visitor centre or ticket office, and no published opening hours. Treat it as an open hilltop site, not a staffed attraction, and bring your own water and snacks. Shops, tea and food are in Dhirkot.

How to reach Neela Butt

From Islamabad the usual route is the Murree Expressway to Kohala, across the Jhelum into Azad Kashmir, then up the Kohala to Dhirkot road.

1. Islamabad to Kohala, about 90 km on the expressway past Murree. The National Highway Authority raised the car toll on this road to PKR 300 each way from 10 July 2026.
2. Kohala to Dhirkot, about 24 km of climbing hill road. See our Kohala Bridge guide for the crossing.
3. Dhirkot to Neela Butt, about 6 km further on a narrower local road.

That makes roughly 120 km from Islamabad. Allow three and a half to four hours each way: the expressway is quick, but the climb from Kohala is slow, and summer weekends add traffic around Murree. From Muzaffarabad, Dhirkot is about 62 km by way of Kohala.

Public transport runs as far as Dhirkot: services between Rawalpindi and Bagh that take the Kohala road pass through the town. From Dhirkot bazaar a local taxi covers the last stretch; agree the fare and the waiting time before you set off. Our Islamabad to Bagh guide has the bus options.

Pairing it with Dhirkot and Bagh

Neither place fills a day alone. Dhirkot is the hill town on the Kohala to Bagh road, with pine forest, orchards and the nearest places to stay, and our Dhirkot guide covers it in full. Stop there for lunch and a walk, drive up to Neela Butt for an hour, and come back the same way.

With a second day you can carry on to Bagh and the higher country beyond it: Sudhan Gali and the Ganga Choti trek are the main draws. Our places to visit in Bagh guide sets out the district.

When to go

At 2,000 metres the hill is cool when the plains are hot. May to October is the easy season. The monsoon, July and August, brings heavy rain and the odd landslide on the Kohala road; Bagh district gets about 1,500 mm of rain a year. In winter the district's higher ground sees snow and night frost, and the last 6 km can be slippery, so check locally in Dhirkot before driving up between December and February.

The week of 23 August is the one time the hill is busy. Expect official convoys, a large crowd and police checks on the anniversary itself.

Is it safe to visit?

Check before you go. Azad Kashmir saw its worst unrest in years in 2026: the Joint Awami Action Committee protests that began in June left at least 24 people dead in the first two weeks, and rights groups later counted more than 50. Mobile and internet services were cut for long periods, and the AJK government asked tourists to stay away from 5 to 20 June.

Pakistani visitors do travel to Bagh district, which is not on the Line of Control. Read local news and current police advice before setting out, carry your CNIC for the checkposts on entering Azad Kashmir, and avoid political gatherings, including the anniversary meeting if tensions are high. The UK government advises against all but essential travel to this part of Azad Kashmir, so foreign-passport holders should read their own government's advice first, because ignoring it can void travel insurance.

Is it worth the detour?

If you are already going to Dhirkot, yes: it adds half an hour of driving and gives the town's best-known piece of history a place. If you are coming only for Neela Butt, the drive is long for what is on the ground. Go for the view and for standing where the story started, not for exhibits.

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