Green & Peace, Kashmir, Pakistan

Green & Peace, Kashmir, Pakistan, originally uploaded by Amir Mukhtar Mughal.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Urdu: آزاد جموں و کشمیر; AJK) or Azad Kashmir for short (literally, "Free Kashmir"), is the southernmost political entity within the Pakistani-controlled part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. It borders the present-day Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir to the east (separated from it by the Line of Control), the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan to the west, the Federally Administered Northern Areas (FANA) to the north, and the Punjab Province of Pakistan to the south. With its capital at Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir covers an area of 13,297 square kilometres (5,134 sq mi) and has an estimated population of about four million.
In 1972, the then-current border between Pakistani and Indian, which held areas of Kashmir, was designated as the "Line of Control". The Line of Control has remained unchanged since the 1972 Simla Agreement, which bound the two countries "to settle their differences by peaceful means through bilateral negotiations." Some political experts claim that, in view of that pact, the only solution to the issue is mutual negotiation between the two countries without involving a third party, such as the United Nations.
A devastating earthquake hit Azad Kashmir called the Kashmir earthquake in 2005.

Uploaded by Amir Mukhtar Mughal on 26 Mar 10, 2.16AM PKT.