Kotli

Kotli (Pahari-Pothwari / Urdu: کوٹلی; pronounced [koːʈ.liː]) is a city and headquarters of the Kotli District in Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir. The city lies along the Poonch River, which is known for its natural secenary and waterfalls. According to the 2017 Census of Pakistan, the city has a population of 46,907 people.^{[citation needed]}

For other uses, see Kotli (disambiguation).

Kotli کوٹلی
City
Administering country	Pakistan
Territory	Azad Jammu & Kashmir
Division	Mirpur
Constructed	Mid 15th Century
Union Councils	18
Government
• Type	Health Minister
• Member of Legislative Assembly	Dr Nisar Ansar Abdali (Ex, PTI Joint Government)
Population  (2017 Census)
• Total	46,907
Languages
• Official	Urdu[1]
• Spoken	Pahari-Pothwari Gojri
Time zone	UTC+5 (PST)
Postal Code	11100
Area code	0092-58264
Website	District Website

History

The city of Kotli dates back to the twelfth century, when it was settled by a branch of the Royal Mangral family of Kashmir, descendants of Raja Mangar Pal. Originally known as Kohtali, literally meaning "under mountain" due to the surrounding landscape. Kotli remained as a semi-auntonomous state until it was finally subdued by Ranjit Singh in 1819 and incorporated into the Sikh Empire.^[2]

After the independence of Pakistan and India from the British rule, "bands of deserters from the State Army, some serving soldiers of the Pakistan Army on leave, ex-servicemen, and other volunteers who had risen spontaneously"^[3] reached Kotli in November 1947. They expelled the Dogra garrison at the town. India then sent its armed forces to Kashmir where they attacked Kotli in an attempt to recapture it. The Pakistan Army counter-attacked with the aid of the native tribesmen, winning a decisive victory in the Battle of Kotli.^[4] It has been under Pakistani control ever since.

Education

Kotil is home to the University of Kotli (Urdu:کوٹلی یونیورسٹی) (UoK), formerly a constituent college of the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. It became a university as a result of Presidential Ordinance VIII passed in 2014.^[5]

Tourism

Two well-known waterfalls in the area are the Lala Waterfall, close to Kotli town and the Gulpur Waterfalls, found in the village of Gulpur to the southwest.^{[citation needed]}