Mirpur (Potwari: مرپر; Urdu: ميرپور), officially known as New Mirpur City (Urdu: نیا میرپر شہر, romanized: nayā mīrpur shèhar), is the capital of Mirpur district located in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan which has been subject of the larger Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India since 1947. It is the second largest city of Azad Kashmir and the 74th largest city in Pakistan.A significant portion of the population from the district, the Mirpuri diaspora, migrated to the United Kingdom in the mid-to-late 1950s and in the early 1960s, mostly to West Yorkshire, East and West Midlands, Birmingham, Luton, Peterborough, Derby and East London.
Mirpur is thus sometimes known as "Little England".
Many British products are found, and many shops in the city accept the pound sterling.The city itself has gone through a process of modernization, but most of the surrounding area relies on agriculture.
| address= | lat=33.16726 | l73.64554 | directi | ph+923346381999 | tollfree= | hours= | price= | wikidata= | lastedit=2020-08-05 | cA lakeside resort offering parasailing and jet skiing and other water sports on Mangla Dam Lake. It is designed for both Pakistani military personnel and civilian use. }}
Mirpur is also known as the shopping capital of Azad Kashmir, Mirpur has a large and diverse shopping area, centred around Chowk Shaheeda & Mian Mohammed Road. There are many stores, plazas, shopping malls & markets in these thoroughfares, selling everything from hand made pottery to international brands.
There are various guest houses, rest houses, motels and hotels at most of the tourist spots which can be booked in advance from their offices in Muzaffarabad. (Tel: 058810-32625).
Also known as New Mirpur City, Mirpur has gone through military and hydrologic transitions over the years.
Prior to the Kashmir War of 1947, many Hindu refugees had settled in and around Mirpur, but then on November 25th of that year, the Pakistani Army arrived and killed or drove them out, ultimately to be resettled in Jammu or parts of India.
In 1960, the Mangla Dam project came, and old Mirpur city was submerged in the resulting reservoir while nearby Mangla was razed for construction of dam structures. During March and April, when the lake level subsides a little, portions of the old city, including a Hindu mandir from the pre-Independence time when ethnic groups coexisted peacefully, come into view.
A large percentage of Pakistanis who emigrated to the UK originated from Mirpur, the city is often referred to as ‘Little England’ and many British products are available in the city.
New Mirpur was well planned, and modern buildings and ample roads serve each part of city. The affluence from emigration is reflected by the structure and grandiose of the residential houses. There are telltale signs of inward investment by the expatriate community living in the United Kingdom, Europe, North America and the Middle East. There are good hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and other urban facilities.
