Chechian (Mirpur)
Chechian is a village the Mirpur Tehsil of Mirpur District of Azad Kashmir and its geographical coordinates are 33° 5' 0" North, 73° 45' 10. Demography. According to 1998 census of Pakistan, its population was 663. Name. The village gets its name from the Chechi clan of the Gujjar tribe. Chechian is one of the most famous villages in district Mirpur AJK. It was founded by Mahand Chechi (also known has Bava chechi by locals) in around 16th century. Since then the village head is always chosen from Chechi family. The tribal leaders also referred to  as "Mehr" are those who belong to the chechi dynasty as the title is passed down father to son or by anointment. [Currently "Mehr Haji Maqsood Hussain "Mehr Haji Matloob Hussain "Mehr Mehboob Hussain "Mehr Yaqoob Hussain "Mehr Maroof Hussain sons "Mehr Daniaal Hussain Shah "Mehr Tayyab Hussain (Grandsons) of (Late)"Mehr Mohammed Nazir" son of (late) original elder "Mehr Fazal Dahd"] Other anointment sons of "Mehr Fazal Dahd (late) "Mehr Alhaj Allah Ditta (Late) sons Mehr Haji Mahmood Hussain "Mehr Shahid Atique "Mehr Shahzad Atique "Mehr Haji Sheraz k Choudhary Sons of Late elder "Mehr Haji Fazal Karim sons currently  Mehr Haji Altaf Hussain Mehr Aftab Hussain Mehr Sarfraz Hussain Mehr Haji Mohammad Hyat (Late) sons Mehr Haji Mohammed Riaz , Mehr Mohammed Farook Chechi family produced very famous and proud honourable people who served the community with their justice and social reforms. Traditionally Chechi family owned the vast areas of land in Chechian and surrounding areas and their main occupation was farming but the younger generation is more diversified and established their name in highly professional occupations such as chartered accountants, doctors, lawyers and police officers. Famous people from the Chechi Gujjar tribe include: "Mehr Fazal Dahd Chechi (Late) "Mehr  Noor Dahd Chechi (Late) "Mehr Haji Mohammed Hyat (Late) "Mehr Haji Mohammed Nazir Chechi (Late), "Mehr Haji Fazal Karim (Late) "Mehr Mohammed Qurban (Late) "Mehr Mohammed Bashir (Late) Choudhary Gul-Nawaz Chechi, "Mehr Alhaj Allah Ditta Choudhary (Late), Chechi family is always been proud of its contribution toward religious and social work. Mehr Mohammed Nazir (Late) and Mehr Alhaj Allah Ditta Choudhary (late), philanthropist and social leader, carried the tradition by building new mosques in the village, religious schools and, water projects and welfare centre in Chechian where free education is provided to poor and needy children. Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry  Thathal – Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir between July 1996 – July 2001 also has an abode in the village. His family migrated to Chechian from Thathal Mirpur in early 1960s. Also in close proximity to the village is a Mosque/Shrine/Monastery of great significance as the former residence Mian Muhammad Bakhsh – Sufi saint and a Punjabi Hindko poet and most famous for writing "Saif-ul-Malūk" Local geography. Chechian is situated around 10 kilometres from the Mirpur AJK City. It is surrounded by mountains on one side and famous River Jhelum on the other side. The nearest towns include Mangla , Afzalpur and Jatlaan. The famous Pakistani city of Jhelum is also not far if you decide to cross the river by boat. The famous landmarks of the village include world famous shrine of Sufi and poet of Punjabi language Mian Muhammed Bukhash (Author of Saif-Al-Mlook), Women Degree College Chechian and Islamic University Campus for Men. Shrine or Darbaar hosts many events and religious gatherings throughout the year and also offers a free meal for all every day. The Chechian's main shopping market or bazaar is one of the biggest in the town and many shoppers come here  from neighbouring villages and towns. The main occupation of people here is farming and agriculture. Chechian is very famous for its Basmati rice. Power and water. Chechian has power from Mangla Dam a hydroelectric station providing the region with green energy! The village experiences power-cuts of a few minutes a night on a frequent basis. The nearby river Jehlum has hydroelectric turbines running throughout it. It has many bridges: (pedestrian, animal & scooter/ motorbike crossings, others big enough for vehicles) along its length connecting the two sides. Chechian still lacks basic running water pipes & a water treatment plant. Most water  drank by the people is from private wells or bottled water. The local water is safe to drink but not is recommended for non-locals. Most plastic, metal, paper, other recyclable materiel is collected by some people and sold in the city of Mirpur as a means of income. Education. There is a government degree college for women in Chechian. There are also several elementary schools for both genders. There is an Islamic university for males. The university requires no fees or money from its students/public as it is funded by the local "khari sharif peera sha gazi darbar  – which is a famous monastery and shrine. The Monastery also provides Quran classes on a daily basis and free food for all every Friday; it is considered a blessing and people from all ranks of society are encouraged to eat together and as one.