Chirala, Azad Kashmir
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|
Chirala | |
|---|---|
  Chirala | |
| Coordinates: 33°58′04″N 73°34′41″E / 33.967823°N 73.578047°E | |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| State | Azad Kashmir |
| District | Bagh |
| Tehsil | Dhirkot |
| Government | |
| • Member District Council | Sardar Javed Arif Abbasi (Independent) |
| Population | |
• Total | 14,500 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Urdu, Pahari |
| Time zone | UTC+5:00 (PST) |
Chirala (چڑالہ)[ ⓘ] is a village and Union Council of Dhirkot Tehsil in the Bagh District of Azad Kashmir.[1]
Geography
[edit]Chirala is a hilltop village near the confluence of the Mahl River with the Jhelum River in the Bagh District of Azad Kashmir. Beyond the Mahl River to the south is the Poonch District of Azad Kashmir. To the west of the Jhelum River is the Punjab province of Pakistan.
Other villages around Chirala are Narakot, Makhyala and Sahlian.
History
[edit]Prior to 1947, Chirala had a military outpost of the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces. In October 1947, it was held by two Gorkha companies of the 7th Battalion of the State Forces, commanded by Captains Dalbir Singh and Lachman Dass. At the beginning of the October, the post was attacked by the Poonch rebels and subjected to "continuous mortar and medium machine-gun fire".[2]
Reinforcements were sent from Srinagar on 3 October, consisting of two companies of the 8th Battalion under Lt. Col. Maluk Singh . After passing Kohala, the force found that "every ridge, hilltop and track-bend" was held by the rebels offering stiff resistance. The reinforcements eventually reached the post on 7 October and evacuated the Gorkhas and the refugees taking shelter there. En route to Bagh, the forces again faced rebels along the way. After a stiff fight at Arja, they eventually reached Bagh on 13 October. Abdul Haq Suharwardy states that the rebel resistance was organised by Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan.[2][3]
Chirala thus came into the rebel hands and became part of Azad Kashmir.
Etymology
[edit]This town is surrounded by the trees of Pine (چیڑ), thus result into her name چیڑ والہ which means a place with trees of Pine and later it became Chirala (چیڑالہ).
Political parties
[edit]The main political parties from this area are Pakistan Tareek e Insaaf(PTI), Muslim Conference, Jamaat e Islami, Peoples Party, PML (N), JUI, JKLF, and others.
Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan is the Member of the Legislative Assembly of Azad Kashmir (MLA) representing the area in legislative assembly.[4] His opponent was Major(Retired) Sardar Latif Khalique Abbasi. Sardar Javed Arif Abbasi is the Member of the District Council of District Bagh from Chirala.[5] Sardar Abdul Qadoos Abbasi is the chairman of the local council Chirala.
Educational Institutions
[edit]- Government Boys Inter College Chirala
- Government Girls Higher Secondary School Chirala
- Iqra Public School and College
- Read Foundation School & College
- Allama Iqbal Science Degree College
Others in the town:
- Govt. Boys High School: Sohawa Sharif, Khapaddr, Doonga Khetar, Kasal Kather
- Govt. Girls High School: Sohawa Sharif, Seri Bandi.
References
[edit]- ^ "List of Union Councils of AJK" (PDF). lg.gok.pk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-12-17.
- ^ a b Singh, K. Brahma (2010) [first published Lancer International 1990], History of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, 1820-1956: The State Force Background (PDF), brahmasingh.co.nf, pp. 221–222, ISBN 978-81-7062-091-4, archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-06, retrieved 2018-05-28
- ^ Suharwardy, Abdul Haq (1983), Tragedy in Kashmir, Lahore: Wajidalis, p. 108
- ^ Members AJK Legislative Assembly 2016 to till now Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine, Legislative Assembly of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, retrieved 28 May 2018
- ^ "Local Bodies".