Pakistani Languages (Potowari, Pothohari)

The Potwari or Sothern Pahari-Potwari Language (also known as Pothohari orPothwari; Potwari: پوتوری; Urdu: پوٹھوہاری ) is an Indo-European language spoken in the Potwar district around Rawalpindi, Pakistan to the Cease-fire Line (LoC) of Indian administered Kashmir de-facto border in the Mirpur and Kotli district of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and as well as in Sui Cheemian (Gujar Khan). It is closely related to Punjabi. Dialects include Pahari (Dhundi-Kairali), Pothwari (Potwari), Chibhali, Pindiwali, Punchhi (Poonchi), and Mirpuri. (Mirpuri can also refer to Mirpur Punjabi, a Lahnda language closely related to Western Punjabi.)

There is some dialect continuum with Hindko and the Jhelumi and Mirpuridialects of Punjabi.

Prevalence:

Potwari is the second most spoken language of Kashmir (with Kashmiri being the first). It is the most spoken language in Azad Kashmir and in the Potwar region in Pakistan Punjab.

In the United Kingdom, over 80% of British Pakistanis speak Potwari as their first language due to many people originating from the Azad Kashmir region as well as the prevalence of Potwari being the domininant language of western areas of Punjab state around Rawalpindi through to Jhelum and Gujar Khan up to Azad Kashmir.

Mirpuris (people originating from the Mirpur district in Pakistani Kashmir), form about 80% of the British Pakistani population of about 830,000. The percentage is even higher in northern cities and towns. For example, in Bradford and Birmingham, it is estimated that roughly 85 percent of the population are from Azad Kashmir.