# Muzaffarabad

Muzaffarabad (/ˌmʊzəˌfærəˈbæd/; Urdu: مُظَفَّر آباد, IPA:) is a city in Pakistani-administered Azad Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is the largest city and the capital of Azad Kashmir, which is a Pakistani-administered administrative territory.
The city is located in Muzaffarabad District, near the confluence of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The district is bounded by the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the west, the Kupwara and Baramulla districts of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the east, and the Neelum District in the north.

## History

Muzaffarabad was founded in 1646 by Sultan Muzaffar Khan, chief of the Bomba tribe who ruled Kashmir. Khan also constructed the Red Fort that same year for the purpose of warding off incursions from the Mughal Empire.

### Indo-Pakistani war of 1947

The Battle of Muzaffarabad occurred on 22 October 1947 between Pakistani-backed Pashtun tribesmen, pro-Pakistani Kashmiri rebels, and the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces in the town of Muzaffarabad. The battle resulted in a rapid defeat of the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces, leading to the capture of Muzaffarabad by the tribesmen.

### 2005 earthquake

The city was near the epicenter of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.6 M$_w$. The earthquake destroyed about 50 percent of the buildings in the city (including most government buildings) and is estimated to have killed up to 80,000 people in the Pakistani-controlled areas. As of 8 October 2005, the Pakistani government's official death toll was 87,350, while other estimates have put the death toll at over 100,000.

## Administrative subdivisions

The district of Muzaffarabad is administratively divided into 2 tehsils, which are subdivided into 25 union councils.
* Muzaffarabad
* Pattika (Naseerabad)

## Climate

Climate data for Muzaffarabad (1961–2009) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 27.0 (80.6) | 29.4 (84.9) | 37.0 (98.6) | 40.5 (104.9) | 46.5 (115.7) | 46.2 (115.2) | 45.0 (113.0) | 40.2 (104.4) | 39.0 (102.2) | 38.3 (100.9) | 33.0 (91.4) | 27.0 (80.6) | 46.5 (115.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 16.0 (60.8) | 18.0 (64.4) | 22.6 (72.7) | 28.3 (82.9) | 33.5 (92.3) | 37.4 (99.3) | 34.9 (94.8) | 34.0 (93.2) | 33.4 (92.1) | 30.1 (86.2) | 24.2 (75.6) | 18.1 (64.6) | 22.3 (72.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3.1 (37.6) | 5.4 (41.7) | 9.7 (49.5) | 14.2 (57.6) | 18.4 (65.1) | 21.9 (71.4) | 22.8 (73.0) | 22.6 (72.7) | 19.4 (66.9) | 13.7 (56.7) | 7.8 (46.0) | 4.1 (39.4) | 11.1 (52.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −3.0 (26.6) | −1.1 (30.0) | 1.0 (33.8) | 6.5 (43.7) | 7.0 (44.6) | 12.0 (53.6) | 15.5 (59.9) | 16.0 (60.8) | 12.4 (54.3) | 6.5 (43.7) | 1.0 (33.8) | −1.4 (29.5) | −3 (27) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 101.3 (3.99) | 137.4 (5.41) | 157.3 (6.19) | 109.0 (4.29) | 78.5 (3.09) | 113.6 (4.47) | 328.7 (12.94) | 229.9 (9.05) | 112.6 (4.43) | 45.9 (1.81) | 37.2 (1.46) | 69.0 (2.72) | 1,242.8 (48.93) |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 12:00 PST) | 50.3 | 46.3 | 40.9 | 38.0 | 33.2 | 34.0 | 52.2 | 57.6 | 48.1 | 42.4 | 48.4 | 54.0 | 37.2 |
| Source: Pakistan Meteorological Department ||||||||||||||

## Transport

Muzaffarabad's public transportation system primarily relies on buses, rickshaws, and small pickup trucks for intracity travel. Following the devastating 2005 earthquake that severely damaged infrastructure, including roads, the city government, with international aid, rebuilt roads, bridges, and other essential infrastructure. However, public transportation remains underdeveloped. Notably, Muzaffarabad lacks a railway system and a functional airport. The nearest railway station is located in the Rawalpindi District of Pakistani Punjab.

## Notable people

* Anam Najam, medical doctor and psychiatrist
* Rashid Naseer, Pakistani cricketer
* Farooq Haider Khan, Politician

## Gallery

* Heightened view of the city on both riverbanks after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, c. 2014
* Photo of Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium
* Photo of the city's skyline, c. 2017
* Azad Jammu Kashmir Medical College
* Muzaffarabad City, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan