Authmuqam is at height of 1400 meters and is the divisional headquarter of Neelum Valley. A large bazaar exists where you can purchase all your necessary items; there is a post office, some local banks, hospital, and telephone service. During Pak-India conflict, Authmuqam was a constant target for Indian shells.
Keran is situated on the bank of the river Neelum 1524 meters above sea level. It has some very picturesque scenery. The main attraction for this place is that India is visible on the other side of the river. There is also a small military bridge that connects the two divides, and one can see both Pakistani and Indian soldiers patrolling. but this area is safe for tourism. AJK Tourism department has a rest house built here for tourist.
Due to the devastating earthquake of October 8th 2005, like other areas of AJK, the areas in Jhelum Valley also witnessed massive devastation. Four villages namely “Curli”, “Bhat Shair”, “Lodhiabad” and “Padder” located in between Chikkar and Bani Hafiz were reported to be completely destroyed when the mountains collided very badly and got converted into heaps of rubble burying about 711 people underneath.
The collapsed mountain peaks and the rubble of the four villages blocked the natural flow of the water which resulted in the creation of a natural lake stretched over an area of about 3 kms. This newly born lake was named as “Zilzaal Lake” and now it has gained great deal of popularity among tourists.
