Minorities in Pakistan

The flag of Pakistan has a white strip to represent minorities.

Pakistan is a very diverse society with various ethnic and religious minorities.

Afghan

Pakistan has absorbed millions of Afghan refugees since their nation was invaded by the then Soviet Union in 1979. Even prior to that, Afghans historically travelled to the region of Pakistan for business, trade and to avail the health and educational facilities of Pakistan. At current estimates, there are between 3 to 4 million Afghan refugee currently living in the country and have lived in the country for more than half of its existence since its creation in 1947. The ethnic make-up of the Afghans mirrors the breakdown of ethnicities found in Afghanistan itself. These include Afghan Pashtun, Persian speaking Tajiks, Nuristani, Hazara, Turkmen, Uzbeks, Chahar Aimak and others. The city of Karachi itself has an estimated population of 1 million Afghans making it the largest concentration of Afghans outside of Afghanistan itself. They are actively involved in trade, business and the literacy rate amongst the Afghan refugees of Pakistan are considered some of the highest and most promising when compared to other Afghans around the world. Figures are quite difficult to ascertain as many have been born in the country, and the Afghan refugees have some of the highest birth rates than any other ethnic group in the country and many have integrated as well as settled into Pakistan's multicultural population. Also, a large number of Afghan refugees have obtained Pakistani national identification cards (legally as well as illegally) and/or have married Pakistanis, further complicating the matter of accurate population figures. With the ongoing war on terror and recent antagonism between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the bulk of this political fallout of the crisis has fallen and been directed onto the Afghan refugee population where Pakistan has begun a process of repatriation back to Afghanistan in a policy similar to what Iran has done with its estimated 2 million Afghan refugees. There are several existing refugee camps dotted throughout the country, many well established into proper villages no different in appearance to regular Pakistani villages. There is growing resentment within Pakistan to the governments improper handling of the Afghan refugee population, and many believe that they should have been better integrated into Pakistani society and be given valid identification cards particularly to those who've been born in the country.

Ahmadi

The 1973 constitution of Pakistan declares Ahmadiyya, a minor sub-sect in Islam founded in South Asia in the late 19th Century, "non-muslim". Ahmadi muslims occupy high level positions in the bureaucracy and the military since the establishment of the country. Pakistan's Nobel prize winner in Physics, Abdus Salam also belonged to the Ahmadi sect.

Various Denominations of Christians

The largest religious minority in Pakistan after Muslims, is that of the of Christians. This includes Anglicans, Protestants, Catholics, Armenian Orthodox, Assyrian/Chaldean, smaller numbers of Nestorians and more recent Evangelical sects. They are represented in many fields of Pakistani society and have to some degree, achieved higher positions in the government, bureaucracy and businesses. The Pakistani government has reserved quotas in educational institutes and reserved seats in government to ensure appropriate representation of the Christian community. Famous Pakistani Air Force pilot Cecil Chaudhry is a Pakistani Christian and was credited with numerous kills receiving the PAF awards for gallantry and bravery.

Hindus and Sikhs

Hindus and Sikhs represent between 1.5 and 2% in Pakistan. Sikhism itself was founded in the province of Panjab, from where most its adherents originate. There is also a small Hindu minority in the country. The government of Pakistan has special reserved seats in the government to ensure that the community is well represented in parliament. The vast majority of Hindus and Sikhs follow an alternative sect which is more egalitarian and quite distinct from that followed in India and are found in the south eastern province of Sindh. Danesh Kanieria is a famous Pakistani cricketer who belonged to the Hindu faith.

Kalash

The Kalash or Kalasha, are an ethnic group of the Hindu Kush, settling in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. They speak the Kalash language, a member of the Dardic family. The culture of Kalash people is unique and differs drastically from the various ethnic groups surrounding them. They are polytheists and nature plays a highly significant and spiritual role in their daily life. As part of their religious tradition, sacrifices are offered and festivals held to give thanks for the abundant resources of their three valleys. The Kalash pantheon is the last untouched, living representative of Indo-European mythology.

Chitralis

The people of Chitral the northernmost part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa belong mostly to the Khow ethnic group, but there are more than ten other ethnic groups represented in Chitral. Despite their diverse ethnic, religious and linguistic backgrounds they have a strong sense of being Chitrali and they share a common culture and use Khowar as a lingua franca. The State of Chitral used to be a Princely State until its amalgamation into Pakistan in 1969.

1998 Census

According to the most recent (1998) census [1] conducted by the Government of Pakistan, Hindus make up 1.20% of the population and Christians (Protestant and Roman Catholic) 1.9%, or around 2.3 million people. Other estimates put the numbers higher. Historically, there was also a small contingent of Jews in Pakistan most of whom left in the 1960s, their numbers are estimated to be between 1000-5000 predominantly in the city of Karachi.

Religious Freedom Report 2002

The U.S. State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2002 [2] estimates the Shi'a population between 15-20%, among which around 900,000 are Ismailis which is a sect of Shi'i Muslims and who pay tribute to their living spiritual leader, the Aga Khan. It also lists Christians at 2.09 million; Ahmadis at 286,000, Hindus at 1.03 million; Parsis, Buddhists, and Sikhs at 20,000 each; and Baha'is at 50,000-100,000.

Atheists and Agnostics

The numbers of those who do not profess any faith (such as Atheists and Agnostics) is not known.

See also

• Christianity in Pakistan

External links

• Jews in Pakistan. An article by Prof. Adil Najam of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.