How the Pakistani city of Mirpur became 'Little England'

[Salma_T]

Well I agree to disagree on the stance that Kashmir is just another province of Pakistan!

 

[Geordie Ahmed]

Well I agree to disagree on the stance that Kashmir is just another province of Pakistan!

So what is it, a separate country?

 

[Salma_T]

It is a disputed territory has been since 49 and the it needs to be resolved

All of the State with India
All of the State with Pakistan
All the State independent

At the moment it is in the care of Pakistan.

 

[Eagle_Eye]

By saying you can be both you are conceding that Kashmir is part of Pakistan like you are Pakistani and punjabi/pakistani and sindi etc.

That is my take and people can agree or disagree.

Remind me who proposed the idea of separate state for muslims?

 

[TAK]

Proud to be Scottish

Yeah Durham County Crikcet team has supporters all over the region (both Newcastle and Sunderland) since they are the nearest county side

Nah, Boro is most definitely not Geordie, it sounds like a mixture of Yorkshire with a hint of North East accent to me, there is huge difference between the Boro accent and the Geordie accent

I can tell the difference with some accents as they say certain words slightly differently BUT by and large most of the people on Tyneside sound the same, it is only those up in Ashington (where Steve Harmison is from, Charlton brothers etc), Morpeth that sound a bit different. Also the Mackem accent is different to ours BUT I can understand it would be difficult for someone who isn't from the region to tell, just like how anything south of the Midlands is a cockney accent to me

bit like yorkshire and lancashire accents

we can differentiate between them almost as soon as a person speaks but to outsiders it all sounds the same

i couldn't detect any yorkshire in the accents of the boro ruffians geordie

 

[Friend786]

PM Gilani announces mega development projects for AJK

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Monday announced an international airport for Mirpur and appointed PPP nominee for the Senate seat from Punjab, Aslam Gill, as his special assistant with the status of minister of state.

Addressing a public gathering near Mirpur, he said the government would allocate funds for an international airport in Mirpur in the forthcoming budget.

About the appointment of Aslam Gill, he said Gill was a very dedicated worker of the Pakistan People's Party and had made several sacrifices for the party. "Some people ditched him in the Senate elections so I will make him my special assistant with the status of the minister of state," he added.

He said a three-kilometre long bridge, Meran Shah, across the Mangla reservoir would cost Rs4.2 billion and would have two-kilometre long approach roads on either side. "The project scheduled to be completed in May 2013 will reduce 28 kilometres distance between Mirpur and Islamgarh to seven kilometres," he added. The premier laid the foundation stone for the bridge.

The premier earlier inaugurated a number of mega development projects worth over Rs7 billion. He said the projects would usher in a new era of development and progress in the area. He said the Mirpur University of Sciences and Technology (MUST), Benazir Medical College and the bridge across the Mangla reservoir would go a long way in improving the living standards of the people of Pakistan.

PM Gilani said the Mangla Dam raising project would help the country meet its urgent energy needs while the federal government would provide the funds for the MUST campus, asking the Azad Kashmir government to provide land for it.

PM Gilani lauded the role of the media and announced Rs10 million for the Mirpur Press Club. He also directed an end to unscheduled loadshedding and announced the shifting of Radio Tarar Khal from Rawalpindi to Azad Kashmir.

The premier laid the foundation stone of MUST with the allocation of Rs2 billion and announced Rs70 million to make the Poonch Medical College operational. The college was established by the government of the UAE.

PM Gilani said he was invested in focusing on the reconstruction of educational and health facilities, which were badly damaged by earthquakes and devastating floods. "Love for the people of Azad Kashmir runs through the blood of every Pakistani. Our succeeding generations will remain steadfast to this relationship of love and brotherhood," he added.

PM Gilani recalled that after the devastating 2005 earthquake, Azad Kashmir had to suffer from floods that caused a cumulative loss of billions of dollars to the infrastructure.

http://paktribune.com/news/PM-Gilani-announces-mega-development-projects-for-AJK-248258.html

 

[Areesh]

So what is it, a separate country?

It is a part of Pakistan having some special or extra autonomy. Simple.

 

[Wasim_Waqar]

Well Kashmir is part of Pakistan, whether you like it or not

I emotionally say it is as many people are pro-Pakistani.

However (Salma- I am 'mixed' if you can call it that)- the state of Jammu and Kashmir is a DISPUTED territory until the UN resolution decides upon the outcome- to join Pakistan or India. Independence is not in the UN resolution.

I don't particularly get excited when people are pro-Kashmiri independence but they have that right to their opinion.

PS I am pro-Kashmir valley for Pakistan as 1st option with second option of an independent AJK and valley.

 

[MR__KHAN__JI]

Someone from mirpur, is from Mirpur, Kashmir, Pakistan, Asia, the world.

Someone from Lahore, is from Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, Asia, the world.

Why are people getting so hung up about it?

 

[ilhtdubai]

mirpur is nice city of pakistan

 

[qadoos]

:

I emotionally say it is as many people are pro-Pakistani.

However (Salma- I am 'mixed' if you can call it that)- the state of Jammu and Kashmir is a DISPUTED territory until the UN resolution decides upon the outcome- to join Pakistan or India. Independence is not in the UN resolution.

I don't particularly get excited when people are pro-Kashmiri independence but they have that right to their opinion.

PS I am pro-Kashmir valley for Pakistan as 1st option with second option of an independent AJK and valley.

I feel same as you

 

[Tasavur]

I'm from Faisalabad (refuse to call myself Lyallpuri and pity the fools who do) and I don't look down on Azad Kashmiris at all. I've met many from Mirpur and also from other cities in AJK including Rawalkot and Muzafarabad.

Ironically, those who insist the most on identifying their background as solely 'Kashmiris' are the ones who are most similar to Punjabis (Mirpuris, Dadyalis etc). Whereas some AJKs I've met who are ethnically Kashmiri and look like Valley Kashmiris are staunchly pro-Pakistan.

There's obviously a complex that is coming into play here, and an over-defensiveness which is due to the arrogant attitude many from the rest of Pakistan have towards Mirpuris. That is of course ridiculous and unacceptable. But in all honesty, I have experienced this solely in the UK and not in Pakistan, where people are, in my experience, very fond of Azad Kashmiris.

The difference is obvious: Mirpuris are into their third, and in some cases fourth, generation in the UK and yet very few have achieved upwards mobility. That isn't because they're not capable of doing so. It's due to a variety of reasons, already espoused in this thread. There's are also other issues as well: this population has *THE* largest number of genetic diseases amongst any ethnic group in the UK (caused by consistent and progressive marriage of close relatives) and also performs very poorly in education, health, economic and social factors.

That's reality and there's no point denying it. I'm glad to see that the trend is slowly changing and as Pakistanis in general, it is our collective responsibility to help each other achieve upward social and economic mobility. We have inherent suspicion and distrust of each other in our communities and a very unIslamic competitiveness for material goods. As soon as this changes and we start to see ourselves as capable of achieving anything we set out minds to, we can become a very powerful and politically strong minority group within GB.

 

[Wasim_Waqar]

Great post!

 

[pakistanalltheway]

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[MR__KHAN__JI]

I'm from Faisalabad (refuse to call myself Lyallpuri and pity the fools who do) and I don't look down on Azad Kashmiris at all. I've met many from Mirpur and also from other cities in AJK including Rawalkot and Muzafarabad.

Ironically, those who insist the most on identifying their background as solely 'Kashmiris' are the ones who are most similar to Punjabis (Mirpuris, Dadyalis etc). Whereas some AJKs I've met who are ethnically Kashmiri and look like Valley Kashmiris are staunchly pro-Pakistan.

There's obviously a complex that is coming into play here, and an over-defensiveness which is due to the arrogant attitude many from the rest of Pakistan have towards Mirpuris. That is of course ridiculous and unacceptable. But in all honesty, I have experienced this solely in the UK and not in Pakistan, where people are, in my experience, very fond of Azad Kashmiris.

The difference is obvious: Mirpuris are into their third, and in some cases fourth, generation in the UK and yet very few have achieved upwards mobility. That isn't because they're not capable of doing so. It's due to a variety of reasons, already espoused in this thread. There's are also other issues as well: this population has *THE* largest number of genetic diseases amongst any ethnic group in the UK (caused by consistent and progressive marriage of close relatives) and also performs very poorly in education, health, economic and social factors.

That's reality and there's no point denying it. I'm glad to see that the trend is slowly changing and as Pakistanis in general, it is our collective responsibility to help each other achieve upward social and economic mobility. We have inherent suspicion and distrust of each other in our communities and a very unIslamic competitiveness for material goods. As soon as this changes and we start to see ourselves as capable of achieving anything we set out minds to, we can become a very powerful and politically strong minority group within GB.

I agree with Most of this.

But isn't inter marriage a problem in Pakistan in general?

Why highlight one group?

 

[Minnowbasher]

Wow Mirpur looks like a really beautiful city. I wish to visit one day Insha Allah.