Srinagar, March 1 -- Recent political remarks questioning the existence of the "Pir Panjal region" have triggered widespread reaction across Poonch, Rajouri, and parts of Reasi. For many, the statement felt less like a technical observation and more like a negation of lived history. Yet before emotion overtakes reason, it is important to examine what Pir Panjal represents-not merely as a term, but as geography, as history, and as culture.

The issue is not about administrative terminology. It is about whether a mountain system that has shaped lives for centuries can be dismissed as an abstraction.

A Mountain Range Older Than Politics

The Pir Panjal is the largest mountain range of the Lesser Himalayas. It forms the great wall that separ...