The purpose of this study was to explore and understand the leadership and management practices of in-service District Education Officers (DEOs) of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K). The study explored the roles and responsibilities of the DEOs and the factors which foster or hinder them to perform their roles and responsibilities. It also explored the adopted strategies of the DEOs which maximize their fostering factors and minimize their hindering factors to perform their roles and responsibilities effectively. The study was carried out through exploratory case study method within the qualitative research design to undertake intense, holistic and a complete picture of the DEOs leadership and management practices. In depth leadership and management practices of the DEOs were explored through understanding their challenges and their adopted techniques to overcome the challenges. It was found that initiating improvement processes, facilitating academic activities, and providing human and material resources to their jurisdiction schools are the major responsibilities of the DEOs. The DEOs are fostered by their co-workers, their learnt leadership and management skills, their peers, and some of their super ordinates in performing their roles and responsibilities. The DEOs are hindered by some politicians of the context, lack of human and material resources in their jurisdiction schools, and their administrative workload in performing their roles and responsibilities effectively. The strategies taken by the officers to overcome their hindrances are: providing moral and legal support to the field officers of their jurisdiction schools, try to satisfy the politicians of the context with reference of rules, and being patient when they face hardships while performing their roles and responsibilities. This is a pioneer study of AJ&K context. It will contribute new knowledge to the existing body of educational leadership literature. It will also help the researcher and the research participants to perform their roles and responsibilities in a better way. In addition; it will motivate the policy makers of AJ&K to facilitate the DEOs of AJ&K in performing their roles and responsibilities more effectively.