Bafliaz

Bafliaz is a small mountain town in Surankote Tehsil of Poonch District, Jammu and Kashmir, situated on the historic Mughal Road at the southern foothills of the Pir Panjal Range. It serves as the gateway to the Pir Ki Gali pass connecting Poonch and Rajouri with Shopian and the Kashmir Valley. Noted for its scenic valley, meadows, streams and roadside halt significance, it is a common stopover for travellers on the Mughal Road.

Visitors can expect a small hillside market town set in a forested valley along the Mughal Road, with roadside shops, dhabas and tea stalls, surrounded by pine-covered slopes, meadows and mountain streams. The area offers views of the Pir Panjal mountains, a transit point towards Pir Ki Gali pass, and a quiet rural atmosphere with Gujjar and Pahari settlements. It is primarily experienced as a scenic drive stopover and viewpoint rather than a developed tourist complex.

Bafliaz lies on the historic Mughal Road, the medieval route used by Mughal emperors to travel between Lahore and Srinagar via Rajouri, Poonch and the Pir Panjal pass. The town developed as a halt and market settlement along this route. The modern Mughal Road was later reconstructed along the same alignment, restoring Bafliaz's role as the southern gateway to the Pir Ki Gali pass.

The area reflects the culture of the Poonch region, predominantly inhabited by Gujjar, Bakerwal and Pahari communities. The town serves as a local market and gathering centre for surrounding villages, with traditional pastoral and agrarian lifestyles visible in the surrounding meadows and seasonal migrations.