Chakswari

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Chakswari
چکسواری
Tehsil
Chakswari is located in Azad Kashmir
Chakswari
Chakswari
Location in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan
Coordinates: 33°15′50″N 73°46′59″E / 33.264°N 73.783°E / 33.264; 73.783Coordinates: 33°15′50″N 73°46′59″E / 33.264°N 73.783°E / 33.264; 73.783
Country Pakistan
ProvinceAzad Kashmir
Population
 (2017)[1]
 • Total21,123
 • Estimate 
(2018)
21,475
Time zoneUTC+5 (PST)
Number of Union councils15

Chakswari (Chaksawari) (چکسواری) is a Tehsil in the Mirpur District of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It comprises 15 Union councils including the Islamgarh Municipal Committee. Amongst the primary affectees of the Mangla Dam upraising project were Chakswari and Islamgarh. Chakswari is 26 miles or 41.84km from Mirpur. The political constituency code for Chakswari and Islamgarh is LA02.

Chakswari is rapidly becoming an economic hub and commercial area of the district.

During the 1947 Poonch rebellion which subsequently led to the First Kashmir War, the town was a strategic location for the Muslim rebels fighting against the Dogra Army of Hari Singh and it was abandoned by the Dogra garrison army who fled to India and the area was swiftly captured by the advancing Pakistani soldiers, rebels and tribesmen. Majority of the districts in this area were captured by the rebel force known as the Azad Army. After the war ended, many soldiers from the Azad Army decided to settle in the highly arable area and their families are still present in Chakswari today.

Within Chakswari the most prominent village Nagyal remains Kalyal and Kalyal is an important village of Chakswari due to proximity to old Mirpur which would have been a stone throw apart.


Kalyal is the home of a number of various prominent Kashmiri personalities, namely; Mian Hussain Ali, Ch. Abdul Karim, PAF Squadron Leader Ch. Muhammad Azam, Ch. Anwar Ali, Ch. Mushtaq Ahmed, Ch. Maqsood (Stoke-on-Trent, UK) and in recent times famous politicians like Ch. M Saeed (PMLN) and Ch. Zafar Anwar (PTI).[2] [3]

With the advent of the Mangla Dam project, like most villages of Mirpur district; people of Kalyal migrated to the UK and other countries in the 1960s onwards. The Nagyals belong to the Jamwal family of Jammu. He is related in the fourteenth century to Raja Maldev Jamwal of Jammu, whose reign lasted from 5 to 6 AD, and according to some traditions, up to 5 AD. The lineage of the Nagyals is traced back to Raja Nagy Khan, the youngest son of Raja Maldivia Jamwal, and for this reason they are called Nagyals. During the reign of Raja Maldivia Jamwal, Timur Ling invaded India in the 5th century, and after conquering India, he returned to Central Asia. So it turned out that this area is ruled by a Hindu king. Timur ordered his army to encamp at Bela in Jammu. When the news reached Raja Maldivian, he sent his family to the mountains and started preparing for war. One night the Muslim army was suddenly bloodied and a stampede broke out in the army and the masses were severely damaged. The next morning Timur ordered a regular attack.

Geography[]

Chakswari comprises partly plain and partly hilly areas. Chakswari has pleasant scenery and the climate is generally arid with little rainfall and is characterised by hot summers and cool winters. Its history reaches beyond the partition period of India and Pakistan. The old part of the town is divided up into a number of sub areas in which reside local and British Pakistani's with rural homes and family history tied in kinship to the creation of Chakswari. Its old bazaar is fast becoming a commercial startup hub for people who have crossed into Azad Kashmir from other parts of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan and Afghanistan who have set up shop units opposite the old bazaar.

Chakswari is divided into two parts: the historic old town where the majority of the wholesale shops, for which the town is known, are located; and the newer part, Chakswari Colony, which was built for the families who lost their homes following the construction of Mangla Dam.

Chakswari Bazaar is the local shopping centre which has brands such as the Nafees Bakery, Chicken Cottage and the synonymous Roopyal Hotel in the main bazaar whose owner suffered a tragic and grievous loss when his son and grandson accidentally died when the hotel collapsed whilst undergoing remedial works.

The Raja Plaza in the main bazaar contains many small shop units and one can find many oddities being sold including CD's from the Bhangra Niche underground music scene that originated from the Niche Club in Sheffield, UK and is attributed to DJ Mani who has links to the area.

Chakswari is also well known for the holy site, Noshahi Darbar located outside of the old bazaar. It links to the heritage of Noshahi Darbar in Ralmal Sharif, Pahlia, Gujrat; as well as Doga Sharif in rural Gujrat. As well as Noshahi Family in Saher Mandi in AJK. There is history of Noshahi Darbar Pir coming to Chakswari to Susral Village and spreading awareness of Islam and teachings of Muhammad. There is also a Chowk named after Noshahi Darbar just outside the bazaar.

The ancient history of Chakswari can be traced back to the Old Grave Yard located in old Chakswari, leading to the land all around the old town of Chakswari. The Old Ancestral Graveyard is located near Gazal Shaav (Holy Site).

Notable parts of Chakswari include Kalyal, Susral, Panyam, Rachyal, Roopyal, Tagdew and Buna Mora.

The main Patwar areas of LA2 Tehsil are the following:[4]

1. Chakswari 2. Islamgarh 3. Palak 4. Pind Khurd 5. Dheri Phali 6. Dheri Barwan 7. Panyam 8. Boa 9. Tang Dew 10. Kaneli 11. Mawah 12. Bajjar 13. Herdochi 14. Kalyal 15. Potha Bainsi

Notable Places & People[]

  • Kalyal Mosque, Chakswari

  • Chakswari Grand Central Jamia Mosque

  • Houses of Kalyal

• Mian Hussain Ali - AJK State Council Member, Politician and Patriarch of the Ali Family[5]

• Ch. Abdul Majeed - ex AJK PM and President of PPP AJK[6]

• Ch. Muhammad Anwar (d.2020) - Politician & Former Chairman District Council Mirpur, AJK[7]

• Ch. Mushtaq Ahmed (d. 2016) - Managing Director of Hussain Ali Construction Company (HACC)[8]

• Ch. Raza Ali - Managing Director of Raza Group of Companies[9]

• Ch. M Saeed - President Pakistan Chamber of Commerce,[10] Azad Group Managing Director,[11] Honorary British Consul for AJK,[12] MLA Mirpur (PMLN)[13]

• Ch. Zafar Anwar - Businessman[14] and Senior Vice President (PTI)[15]

• Ch. Maqsood - UK Businessman residing in Stoke-on-Trent with various business interests in AJK notably the Honda Empire car showroom in Mirpur[16]

• Ch. Muhammad Azam (b.1929 - d.2007) - Pakistan Air Force Squadron Leader with 36 Years Service and was stationed in Quetta, Karachi and Saudi Arabia.[17]

• Ch. Abdul Karim - an MLA in the early years parliament of AJK [18]

• Ch. Qasim Majeed - MLA PPP[19]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Statistical Year Book 2019" (PDF). Statistics Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  2. ^ "Ruling PTI announces new body for AJK chapter". 21 July 2019.
  3. ^ "PM approves PML-N candidates for AJK polls". 15 June 2016.
  4. ^ "2021: LA-2 Chakswari Mirpur-II Azad Kashmir Election Result 2016".
  5. ^ "Inn0visi0n | 0312 9453777 | Azad Kashmir".
  6. ^ "Chaudhry Abdul Majid".
  7. ^ "Chakswari, AJK; Condolences on the death of Chaudhry Muhammad Anwar, former Chairman District Council, Mirpur".
  8. ^ "LA 1 Mirpur Dadyal AJK Election Result 2021 Azad Kashmir Candidate Votes".
  9. ^ "Log into Facebook". Facebook. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  10. ^ "Saeed new FPCCI President". February 2005.
  11. ^ https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ch_muhammad_Saeed_-former_president_(chamber_of_commerce_%26_industry)-C-E-O_Azad_group_of_companies-_2013-07-16_09-53.jpg
  12. ^ "Britain formally announces opening of its honorary consul office in Mirpur".
  13. ^ "PML-N grabs 31 seats in AJK elections". 23 July 2016.
  14. ^ Gadher, Dipesh. "Warsi promoted holiday flats during official trip".
  15. ^ "Tanveer Ilyas new president of PTI AJK". 11 September 2021.
  16. ^ https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tanzeel-maqsood-94524976?challengeId=AQH1UQCqFxI4KQAAAXwrSKRkO-qxUz69m5zXQW3sCDwJXOWD6d9xMnVIORvKKP2WVA-88A3dUu-DzQ1LXSeJ0zqcuxkPmHZqWA&submissionId=3ce35420-75eb-a816-5827-c5e0ca0f5118
  17. ^ "Log into Facebook". Facebook. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  18. ^ "Choudhary Abdul Kareem died at age of 102".
  19. ^ "AJK elections 2021: PTI bags 25 seats to form next govt". 25 July 2021.
  • [1][www.chakswari.com]
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