ETHNIC GROUPS IN PAKISTAN

JINNAH UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN

NAME: SYEDA TEHREEM ZAFAR

COURSE TITLE: PAKISTAN STUDIES

COURSE CODE: PAK 1011

COURSE INCHARGE: MISS RAKSHANDA MUNEER

ASSIGNMENT TOPIC: ETHNIC GROUPS IN PAKISTAN

INDEX

 Introduction
 Major ethnic groups
 Punjabis
 ETHNIC GROUPS IN PAKISTAN

 Pashtuns
 Sindhi
 Siraiki
 Muhajir
 Baloch
 Kashmirirs
 Brahuis
 Hazara

ABSTRACT

There is hardly any state in the world, which is not ethnically plural. Pakistan is also
no exception in this regard. Pakistan is a country with unique ethnic diversity. This
 ETHNIC GROUPS IN PAKISTAN

present study focuses on the concept of ethnicity and different variables such as
religion, language, territory and caste, which have potential to give birth violent
conflicts among different ethnic identities of Pakistan. Process of national integration
can be secured only when ethnic identities would be given adequate representation
according to the constitution to decide their future themselves and opportunities to
flourish their specific cultural identity. Ethnic identities come into conflict when they
face imbalance in the society. Economic resources should be judiciously distributed
among different ethnic identities. Political system should have capability to articulate
social capital on the proper place according to their intellectual level. System should
have capability to generate resources and to utilize these resources in the best interest
of various segment of society. Political system should initiate various economic,
social and political measures to curb ethnic conflict. (1) (Majeed)
 ETHNIC GROUPS IN PAKISTAN

INTRODUCTION:
Pakistan is the world’s sixth most populous country with a population of over 201
million inhabitants. With a land area of 881,913km 2, the country is the 36th largest in
the world. The territory forming Pakistan is considered the cradle of civilization
having been home to several ancient cultures. Pakistan has been ruled by several
dynasties and empires including Mauryan, Achaemenid, Mongol, Mughal, and Delhi
Sultanate. There are over 60 languages spoken in Pakistan. Urdu is the official
national language, and a symbol of national unity understood by 80% of the Pakistani.
Pakistan has six major ethnic groups and other ethnic minorities. (2) (Ethnic Groups
In Pakistan, n.d.)

(Major Ethnic Groups in Pakistan, 2012)

 ETHNIC GROUPS IN PAKISTAN

MAIN DISSCUSION
MAJOR ETHNIC GROUPS
PUNJABIS:
Punjabi people are the ethnic majority in the Punjab region of Pakistan and
Northern India accounting for 44.7% of the population in Pakistan. The group belongs
to the Indo-Aryan ethnic group. Punjabi identity is traditionally cultural, linguistic and
geographical and is independent of historical religion and origin. Punjabi activities in
the Indus Valley led to the early civilization in the 5 th and 4th millennium BC. During
that same period, the group was led by small kingdoms and tribes but was later ruled
by local kings. Punjabi people are tolerant of several religions. However, Muslims and
Hindus form the religious majority among the Punjabi. Sikhism and Christianity are
also practiced in the area. Punjabi culture is that of the Punjab region, one of the
oldest cultures in the world. The culture comprises of poetry, spirituality, weaponry,
music, cuisine, language, history, and values. (4) (Misachi, 2019)

(Punjabi, n.d.)
 ETHNIC GROUPS IN PAKISTAN

PASHTUNS:
Pashtuns (also referred to as Pakhtuns, Pathans and ethnic Afghans), an Iranic ethno-
linguistic group, are Pakistan's second largest ethnicity (consisting 25% of the
population). They are native to the regions, west of the Indus River including the
provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern Balochistan, southern and eastern
Afghanistan.
They constitute a significant diaspora community in the cities of Lahore and Karachi,
and are also a major ethnic group among the Afghan in refugees Pakistan. Pashtuns
form the major ethnic group in Afghanistan. They follow Pashtunwali and a deep rich
history linked to rulers.
They speak Pashto as their first language and are divided into multiple tribes such
as Afridi and Yousafzai and Khattak, which are notably the main Pashtun tribes in
Pakistan. They make up an estimated 32 million of Pakistan's total population and are
mostly adherent to Sunni Islam. Notable Pashtuns include former president Ayub
Khan, incumbent prime minister Imran Khan, cricketers Shahid Afridi and Shaheen
Afridi, actor Fawad Khan and Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai. (6) (Ethnic groups in
Pakistan, n.d.)

(Pashtuns,
n.d.)

SINDHI:
the

traditional first names. Sindhi Muslim culture is highly influenced by Sufi doctrines

Sindhi are natives to the Sindh Province of Pakistan. This ethnic group forms 14.1%
of Pakistan’s population. Sindh Province was one of the places to be influenced by
 ETHNIC GROUPS IN PAKISTAN

Islam because of its location. The Muslims had a great influence on the Hindu who
initially resided in the region. After Pakistan independence in 1947, most of the
Sindhis migrated to India living a few of the group behind. The Sindhis in Pakistan
are mainly Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs. Sindhis’ culture is heavily influenced by
Islam especially and principles and some of the popular cultural icons of Sindh
are Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Jhulelal and Sachal Sarmast. (8)
(Misachi, 2019)

(Sindhis, n.d.)

SIRAIKI:
The Saraikis (Saraiki: ‫)سرائیکی قوم‬, are Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group in central and
southeastern Pakistan, primarily southern Punjab. Their language is Saraiki. The
Saraiki people did not see themselves as a distinct ethnic group until the 1960s. An
 ETHNIC GROUPS IN PAKISTAN

Islamic identity formed the basis of the majority community's group consciousness for
centuries prior to the establishment of Pakistan.
The Saraiki people follow many religions, though most are predominantly followers
of Islam. A small minority of Saraikis follow Hinduism, Christianity and Sikhism.
After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, many Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India
where they are known as Multanis, Derawalis, and Bhawalpuris.
Saraiki culture consists of Jhumar danceform (also performed in Punjab) and
cameleering. Saraiki culture is the culture of the Saraiki people, residing
in Pakistan and outside Pakistan. Saraiki culture combined with Indus Valley culture
as well as Persian and Muslim influences has a crich history along with its own
language and traditions. On 6 March, the Saraiki cultural day is also celebrated. (10)
(Saraiki people, n.d.)

(Saraiki, n.d.)
MUHAJIRS:
Muhajirs (meaning "migrants") are also called "Urdu-speaking people." Muhajirs are
a collective multiethnic group who emerged through the migration of Indian Muslims
from various parts of India to Pakistan starting in 1947, as a result of the world's
 ETHNIC GROUPS IN PAKISTAN

largest mass migration. The majority of Muhajirs are settled in Sindh mainly
in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Mirpur Khas. Sizable communities of Muhajirs
are also present in cities including Lahore, Multan, Islamabad, and Peshawar.
Muhajirs held a dominating position during the early nation building years of
Pakistan. The term Muhajir is also used for descendants of Muslims who migrated to
Pakistan after the 1947 partition of India. (12) (Ethnic groups in Pakistan, n.d.)
BALOCH:
The Baloch are an Iranic ethnic linguistic group, and are principally found in the east
of Balochistan province of Pakistan. Despite living south towards the Gulf of
Oman and the Arabian sea for centuries, they are classified as a northwestern Iranian
people in accordance to their language which belongs to the northwestern subgroup
of Iranian languages.
According to Dr. Akhtar Baloch, Professor at University of Karachi, the Balochis
migrated from Balochistan during the Little Ice Age and settled in Sindh and Punjab.
The Little Ice Age is conventionally defined as a period extending from the sixteenth
to the nineteenth centuries (or alternatively, from about 1300 to about 1850), although
climatologists and historians working with local records no longer expect to agree on
either the start or end dates of this period, which varied according to local conditions.
According to Professor Baloch, the climate of Balochistan was very cold and the
region was uninhabitable during the winter so the Baloch people migrated in waves
and settled in Sindh and Punjab. (13) (Ethnic groups in Pakistan, n.d.)

(Balochi, n.d.)

KASHMIRIS:
Kashmiri are a Dardic (subgrouping of Indo-Aryan) ethnic group native to
the Kashmir Valley. The majority of Kashmiri Muslims are Sunni. They refer to
themselves as "Kashur" in their mother language. Kashmiri Muslims
 ETHNIC GROUPS IN PAKISTAN

are descended from Kashmiri Hindus and are also known as 'Sheikhs'.Since 1947,

many ethnic Kashmiri Muslims also live in Pakistan. There are Kashmiris who live in
areas that border the Kashmir Valley, in the Neelum and Leepa Valleys of northern
Azad Kashmir. Invariably, Kashmiris in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan are Muslims.
(15) (Ethnic groups in Pakistan, n.d.)

(Kashmiris, n.d.)

BRAHUIS:
The tribes known as the Brahui (also Brohi) live in the rugged hills of Pakistan's
western borderland. Various explanations of the name Brahui have been suggested.
The most likely one is that it is a variation of Barohi, meaning "mountain dweller" or
"highlander."
The Brahui homeland lies on the Kalat Plateau, where elevations vary between 7,000–
8,000 feet (2,100–2,400 meters). The region is extremely arid (dry), with annual
rainfall averaging less than eight inches (twenty centimeters). The Brahui language is
related to the languages spoken in South India.The Brahui are Muslim, belonging
mostly to the Sunni sect of Islam. They follow Islamic religious beliefs and practices
as set out in the Qu'ran (Koran), though many of their social customs are Indian in
origin. (17) (Brahui, n.d.)
 ETHNIC GROUPS IN PAKISTAN

(Brahuis, n.d.)

HAZARA:
The Hazara people, natives to the present day Hazarajat (Hazaristan), are a Persian-
speaking people mostly residing in all Pakistan and specially in Quetta. Some are
citizens of Pakistan while others are refugees. Genetically, the Hazara are a mixture
of Turko-Mongols and Iranian-speaking peoples, and those of Middle
East and Central Asia. The genetic research suggests that they are closely related to
the Eurasian and the Uyghurs. The Pakistani Hazaras estimated population is believed
to be more than 1,550,000. (19) (Ethnic groups in Pakistan, n.d.)
 ETHNIC GROUPS IN PAKISTAN

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