Bhimber and Samahni: Free Welfare Requests from Southern Azad Kashmir

Bhimber is the southernmost district of Azad Kashmir, where the Pir Panjal foothills flatten into plains that run straight on to Gujrat in Punjab. The old Mughal road to Kashmir once passed through here, and the town still feels like a border between the hills and the Punjab. Its tehsils, Bhimber, Samahni and Barnala, include fertile farmland as well as dry, rocky ridges near the Line of Control. This page is for anyone looking for an NGO in Bhimber who wants to know how Peace and Humanity Welfare Organization (PHWO) can be approached.

Nowhere in AJK, Bhimber included, does PHWO have an office, staff or centre; its sole base is in Larkana, Sindh. People from the district apply on the website, through Message PHWO in a free PHWO account, or through a volunteer, and it costs nothing. Each request is checked; where the need is proved and can be met, help is arranged, and no result is guaranteed.

Bhimber District's population

The 2023 Census counted 438,994 people in Bhimber District: 390,858 in rural areas and 48,136 in towns, according to AJK at a Glance 2025, the latest AJK statistical handbook. Growth since 2017 was just under 1 percent a year.

Women outnumber men here, with about 94 men for every 100 women, a sign that many men work in the Gulf, Britain or down country. The same report shows about 43 percent of the urban population and 71 percent of rural people served by piped water in 2024. Pahari-Pothwari and Punjabi are both widely spoken, and Urdu is used officially.

These numbers describe a mostly rural district. Only about one person in nine lives in a town, so for most households the nearest bank, college or specialist doctor is a bus ride away. Being next to Punjab helps, because markets and jobs in Gujrat and Kharian are within reach, but it also means prices follow the plains while village incomes stay low.

What families in Bhimber are dealing with

Farming here depends on rain, and the ridges of Samahni and Barnala are dry for long stretches. Small landholders grow wheat and maize but earn little cash. Labourers often cross into Gujrat or Kharian for daily work, and a family’s budget can collapse if a worker is injured or goes unpaid.

Villages close to the Line of Control in Barnala and Samahni have seen cross-border firing at various times, leaving damaged houses and anxious families. Summer heat is severe, and monsoon rain sometimes floods nullahs and roads; national alerts come from the NDMA.

As elsewhere in Pakistan, requests to PHWO mostly concern food, debts and the tools for study or work, such as a laptop. In Bhimber, medical costs for treatment in Mirpur or Gujrat, and the debt that follows, are frequently part of the story.

Asking an NGO in Bhimber for help without leaving home

Visit Request help, or message PHWO from your free PHWO account. Share the names and ages of people in the household, who earns and how, what you receive from relatives abroad if anything, and the help you are asking for.

PHWO asks every applicant for a live photo. Useful extras include a hospital slip, fee challan, rent receipt or a list of what you owe. A volunteer may ring to confirm, so keep the number you gave switched on for the next few days. You will not be charged, and anyone who demands a fee in PHWO’s name should be refused.

Legal advice for cases in Bhimber

Bhimber’s district courts handle local civil, family and criminal cases, and appeals are heard by the High Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. By way of PHWO’s Free legal aid, volunteer advocates in Pakistan read your papers and explain your choices. Family maintenance, khula, inheritance of farmland and disputes over houses built with remittance money are common here.

An FIR is not required to ask a question. Make it clear if a hearing is days away or a child’s custody is in question, as these come first. A volunteer appearing in court depends on availability.

Public services in Bhimber

• District Headquarters Hospital Bhimber, the main government hospital; complex cases are often referred to Mirpur.
• 15 for police.
• BISP: SMS your CNIC to 8171 for Kafaalat and education stipends.
• District Zakat Committee Bhimber for state zakat.
• District Bar Association Bhimber to find an advocate locally.

Women, study and rishta

A mother running the household while her husband works abroad may apply in her own name. Students hoping to continue at college in Bhimber or Mirpur can explain fee and travel costs. PHWO’s Programmes include education, digital skills, vocational training and women empowerment.

Families searching for a match can register free with the Rishta Desk. It welcomes every faith, checks each profile with a live selfie and a PHWO staff review, and the families alone decide. There is no promise of a match.

Donating and volunteering from Bhimber

Bhimber families settled overseas or in Punjab’s cities can give through Donate. All Zakat and Sadaqah goes on to eligible people, and a quick Zakat calculator is available. Sponsor a case lets you support one verified family. Advocates with a Pakistani practice, and fundraisers wherever they live, can register at Volunteer, and receive a certificate, a letter of appreciation and an experience letter.

Public services in Bhimber you can also use

• District courts BhimberCivil, criminal and family cases
• High Court of Azad Jammu and KashmirAppeals
• District Headquarters Hospital BhimberMain government hospital
• PoliceDial 15
• BISPSMS CNIC to 8171
• District Zakat Committee BhimberGovernment zakat
• District Bar Association BhimberLocal advocates

These are public or independent services, listed to help you. They are not part of PHWO.

Frequently asked questions