Demographics of Pakistan, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.

Pakistan has an estimated population of over 169 million inhabitants in 2007. During 1951-98, Pakistan's urban population expanded sevenfold. And by the next decade the population is expected to exceed 176 million.^[1] Non-governmental and international sources report that Pakistan's current population is estimated to be 165,803,560 (July 2006 est).^[2] In the past, the country's population had a relatively high growth rate that has, however, been moderated by declining fertility and birth rates. Dramatic social changes have led to rapid urbanization and the emergence of megacities. During 1990-2003, Pakistan sustained its historical lead as the most urbanized nation in South Asia, with city dwellers making up 34% of its population.^[3] Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Possible meanings: Faro Airport (Portugal) Federation of Astrobiology Organizations Financial Aid Office Food and Agriculture Organization This page expands a three-character combination which might be any or all of: an abbreviation, an acronym, an initialism, a word in English, or a word in another language. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... This article is about megacities in general. ...

Pakistan has a multicultural and multi ethnical society and hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world as well as a young population.

Pakistan's next national census will take place in 2008.^[4]

Population data

Geographic distribution

The majority of southern Pakistan's population lives along the Indus River. In the northern half, most of the population lives about an arc formed by the cities of Faisalabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan and Peshawar. The Indus River {Urdu: Sindh; Sindhi: Sindhu; Punjabi (Shahmukhi: سندھ, Gurmukhi: ਸਿੰਧੂ) ; Hindi and Sanskrit: सिन्धु ; Persian: حندو ; Pashto: ّآباسنFather of Rivers; Tibetan: Lion River; Chinese: Yìndù; Greek: Ινδός Indos} is the longest and most important river in Pakistan. ...   (Urdu: فیصل آباد) is a city located in Punjab, Pakistan. ...   (Urdu: لاہور, Punjabi: لہور, pronounced ) is the capital of the Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. ...   (Urdu: راولپنڈی) is a city in the Potwar Plateau near Pakistans capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. ... For other places called Islamabad, see Islamabad (disambiguation). ... Gujranwala (Urdu: گوجرانوالہ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan with a city population of 1,132,509 (1998 census). ... Sialkot (Urdu/Punjabi: سیالکوٹ ) is a city situated in the north-east of the Punjab province in Pakistan at the feet of the snow-covered peaks of Kashmir near the Chenab river. ... Nowshera (Pashto: نوښار) (Urdu: ) - known locally as Now-khaar or Now-Shaar is the chief city of Nowshera District in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. ... Location of Swabi District (highlighted in yellow) within the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. ... Location of Mardan District (highlighted in yellow) within the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. ...   (Urdu: پشاور; Pashto: پښور) literally means City on the Frontier in Persian and is known as Pekhawar in Pashto. ...

Population and growth

• Population: 164,741,942 (July 2007 est.)
• Growth rate: 1.828% (2007 est.)
• Birth rate: 27.74 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
• Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
• Net migration rate: -1.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Pakistanis around the world

See Overseas Pakistani Language(s) UrduLanguages of PakistanEnglishArabicFrench Religion(s) IslamChristianityZoroastrianism An overseas Pakistani is a Pakistani citizen who has migrated to another country or a person of Pakistani origin who is born outside Pakistan. ...

• United Arab Emirates: over 1 million
• Saudi Arabia: 900,000
• United Kingdom: 700,000
• Canada:80 000
• United States: 210,410^[5]
• Australia: 80,000
• Italy: 65,000
• France: 60,000
• the Netherlands: 50,000^[6]
• Spain: 45,000 (mostly in Catalunya)
• Germany: 35,000
• Norway: 40,000
• Denmark: 28,000
• Sweden: over 20,000

Pakistani Canadian refers to people born in Canada of Pakistani descent or those who immigrated to Canada from Pakistan. ... A Pakistani American is someone born in the United States of Pakistani descent, or someone who has immigrated to the United States from Pakistan. ... Motto: Je Maintiendrai (Dutch: Ik zal handhaven, English: I Shall Uphold) Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Capital Amsterdam1 Largest city Amsterdam Official language(s) Dutch2 Government Parliamentary democracy Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Beatrix  - Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende Independence Eighty Years War   - Declared July 26, 1581   - Recognised January 30, 1648 (by Spain... Capital Barcelona Official languages Spanish and Catalan In Val dAran, also Aranese. ...

Structure

Age structure

• 0-14 years: 40% (male 33,293,428; female 31,434,314)
• 15-64 years: 56.9% (male 48,214,298; female 46,062,933)
• 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 3,256,065; female 3,542,522) (2006 est.)

Gender ratios

• Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
• under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
• 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
• 65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
• total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Human development

Mortality and life expectancy

• Infant mortality rate: 68.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
• Life expectancy at birth:
  • total population: 63.39 years
  • male: 62.4 years
  • female: 64.44 years (2006 est.)

Fertility

• Total fertility rate: 4 children born/woman (2006 est.)
• Fertility decline rate: 1.8 children per woman per decade (2nd fastest in world)^[7]

Literacy

Definition: over the age of 15 and can read and write.

• total population: 54% (2004 est.)
• male: 66%
• female: 42%

Nationality and ethnicity

Ethnic groups

Main article: Ethnic groups in Pakistan

Major ethnic groups in Pakistan, 1973

Pakistan's ethnic diversity is obvious and yet accurate numbers have been elusive. Most believe that the large majority of Pakistanis belong to the Indo-Aryan ancestral group. There are many ethnic groups: Pakistan's census and rough estimates vary, but the consensus is that the Punjabis are by far the largest group, and that Pakhtuns (or Pashtuns) and Sindhis are the next two largest groups^[8] The Punjabi population is estimated to comprise 44.15% of the national total. The Pakhtuns are the second-largest group at roughly 15.42%, followed by Sindhis at 14.1%. Saraikis, a group seen as transitional between Punjabis and Sindhis, make up 10.53% of the population. The remaining groups that comprise large percentages include the Muhajirs (migrants from different parts of India) at 7.57% and the Baloch people at 3.57%. The other main ethnic groups include Hindkowans, the Brahui and Kashmiri people, and the various peoples of the Northern Areas, who all together total roughly 4.66% of the total population. The Pakhtun and Baloch represent two of the major populations that are linguistically Iranic, while the Punjabis, Sindhis and Saraikis are the major linguistically Indic groups. Muhajir population is a multi-ethnical group, and include mixed blood lines of Indians from India who claim Afghan, Persian, Turk, Mongol, and Arab admixture. There are several principal ethnic groups in Pakistan: Punjabis, Pashtuns, Sindhis, Muhajirs, Seraikis, Balochis, Hindkos, Memon, Bohri, Ismaili, and so on. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 632 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (769 × 730 pixel, file size: 129 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) 1973 version of the ethnic groups in Pakistan. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 632 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (769 × 730 pixel, file size: 129 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) 1973 version of the ethnic groups in Pakistan. ... This article is about the Pakistani province. ... The Pashtuns (also Pushtun, Pakhtun, or ethnic Afghan; in referring to the period of the British Raj or earlier, sometimes Pathan) are an ethnic/religious group of people, living primarily in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India who follow Pashtunwali, their indigenous religion. ... Language(s) Pashto (plus second languages from countries of residence) Religion(s) Islam (predominantly Sunni) Pashtuns (Pashto/Urdu/Persian: or پختون , also rendered as Pushtuns, Pakhtuns, Pukhtuns), also called Pathans (Urdu: پٹھان, Hindi: पठान ) or ethnic Afghans (Pashto: افغان )[9][10] are an Eastern Iranian ethno-linguistic group with populations primarily in eastern and... Sindhis (सिन्धी, سنڌي) are an Indo-Aryan language speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating in Sindh which is part of present day Pakistan. ... Language(s) Balochi Religion(s) Islam Sunni (predominantly) and Zikris around Turbat[17][18] [19] Related ethnic groups Iranian people Especially Pashtuns, Kurds, Laks, Zazas Persians and Mazandaranis The Baloch (بلوچ; alternative transliterations Baluch, Balouch, Bloach,Balooch, Balush, Balosh, Baloosh, Baloush et al. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Brahui people or Brohi people (Urdu: بروہی) are an ethnic group of about 2. ... For other uses, see Kashmiri (disambiguation). ... Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani control. ... The Iranian languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family. ... The Indo-Aryan languages form a subgroup of the Indo-Iranian languages, thus belonging to the Indo-European family of languages. ...

Over three million Afghan refugees were living in Pakistan during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and about two million still remain in the country until December 2009.^[9] They are not counted in the national census, even the ones born in Pakistan, because they are still considered citizens of Afghanistan. In addition, there are considerably colonies of other refugees/migrants settled in Pakistan particularly in Karachi^{[citation needed]}, Lahore^{[citation needed]} as well as in the twin cities of Islamabad^{[citation needed]}/Rawalpindi^{[citation needed]}, these include a sizeable Iranian/Persian population^{[citation needed]}, a small Turkish population from Turkey^{[citation needed]}, Tajiks from both Tajikistan and Afghanistan^{[citation needed]}. The Muhajir or Mohajir Afghans are the Afghan refugees that fled Afghanistan after the Soviet invasion in 1979. ... A Soviet soldier on guard in Afghanistan in 1988. ...   (Sindhi: , Urdu: ) is the largest city in Pakistan and is the provincial capital of Sindh province. ...   (Urdu: لاہور, Punjabi: لہور, pronounced ) is the capital of the Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. ... For other places called Islamabad, see Islamabad (disambiguation). ...   (Urdu: راولپنڈی) is a city in the Potwar Plateau near Pakistans capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. ... This article is about the Persian people, an ethnic group found mainly in Iran. ... The Turkic people are any of various peoples whose members speak languages in the Turkic family of languages. ... Language(s) Persian (varieties of Dari and Tajiki) Religion(s) Islam (predominantly Sunni, with sizable Ithna Ashari and Ismaili minorities) TājÄ«k (Persian: ; UniPers: Tâjik; Tajik: ) is a term generally applied to Persian-speaking peoples of Iranian origin living east of Iran. ...

Religions

Main article: Religion in Pakistan

See also: Islam in Pakistan, Christianity in Pakistan, History of the Jews in Pakistan, Hinduism in Pakistan, and Sikhism in Pakistan

Census data^[2] indicates that over 97% of the population are Muslims. The Muslims have different schools which are called Madhahib (singular: Madhhab) i.e, schools of jurisprudence (also 'Maktab-e-Fikr' (School of Thought) in Urdu). More than 77% of Pakistani Muslims are Sunni Muslims and there is sizeable minority 20% Shi'a Muslims. Nearly all Pakistani Sunni Muslims belong to the Hanafi school with a small Hanbali school represented by Wahabis and Ahle Hadith. The Hanafi school includes the Barelvis and Deobandis schools. Although the majority of Pakistani Shia Muslims belong to Ithna 'ashariyah school, there are significant minorities: Nizari Khoja Ismailis (Aga Khanis) and the smaller Mustaali Dawoodi Bohra and Sulaimani Bohra branches. By one estimate, in Pakistan, Muslims are divided into following schools: The Badshahi Masjid, Lahore - The largest mosque of the moghal empire A census held by the Pakistan International Bureau indicates that over 96% of the population of Pakistan are Muslims. ... Over 98% of 166 million peoples of Pakistan are Muslims and Islam is the State religion of Pakistan. ... The adherents of Christianity are the largest religious minority community in Pakistan. ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... After the Partition of India, Hinduism became one of the smallest religions in the newly created state of Pakistan, but has nonetheless played a major role in its culture and politics as well as the history of its regions. ... Sikhism is a very small minority religion in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan but has many cultural, historical and political ties to the country, and to the historical region of Punjab. ... Over 98% of 166 million peoples of Pakistan are Muslims and Islam is the State religion of Pakistan. ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... Madhhab(مذهب) (Madhahib, pl) is an Islamic term that refers to a school of thought or religious jurisprudence (fiqh) within Sunni Islam. ... Urdu ( , , trans. ... Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. ... Shī‘a Islam, also Shi‘ite Islam, or Shi‘ism (Arabic ) is the second largest denomination of the Islamic faith. ... The Hanafi (Arabic حنفي) school is the oldest of the four schools of thought (Madhhabs) or jurisprudence (Fiqh) within Sunni Islam. ... Hanbali (Arabic: حنبلى ) is one of the four schools (Madhhabs) of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. ... Wahhabism (sometimes spelled Wahabbism or Wahabism) is a movement of Islam named after Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab (1703–1792). ... Ahl Hadith (Urdu: اہل حدیث, ahl-e hadÄ«s) is a Hanbali school of jurisprudence in Pakistan. ... A name given to the Sunni Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. ... The Deobandi (Urdu: دیو بندی devbandÄ«) is a Sunni Islamic revivalist movement which started in South Asia and has more recently spread to other countries, such as Afghanistan, South Africa and the United Kingdom. ... Twelvers or the Ithna Asharia (Arabic اثنا عشرية) are members of the group of Shia Islam who believe in twelve Imams. ... Main article: Ismaili The NizārÄ«yya (Arabic النزاريون Al-Nizarin) are the largest branch of the IsmāīlÄ« (in Persian: اسماعیلیه) and make up over two thirds of IsmāīlÄ« Muslims. ... The IsmāʿīlÄ« (Urdu: اسماعیلی IsmāʿīlÄ«, Arabic: الإسماعيليون al-IsmāʿīliyyÅ«n; Persian: اسماعیلیان Esmāʿīliyān) branch of Islam is the second largest part of the ShÄ«a community, after the Twelvers (Ithnāʿashariyya). ... This group is named Mustaali because they follow Imam Mustalli, after Imam Mustansir Billah, and not Nazaar whom the Aga Khan group consider as their Imam. ... Dawoodi Bohras (Arabic: داؤدی بوہرہ, Hindi: दवूदि बोह्रा) are the main branch of the Bohras, a MustaˤlÄ« subsect of IsmāīlÄ« Shīˤa Islām, and are based in India. ... Sulaimani Bohra are a subsect of Ismaili Mustaali. ...

The difference among Sunni schools (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi, and Hanbali) are small in practice, and they may pray together in any Sunni Masjid (Mosque). In Pakistan, adherents of the Barelvi and Deobandi schools also pray together in same Masjids. Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... The Hanafi (Arabic حنفي) school is the oldest of the four schools of thought (Madhhabs) or jurisprudence (Fiqh) within Sunni Islam. ... This page deals with Islamic thought. ... Shafii is one of the four schools of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. ... Hanbali (Arabic: حنبلى ) is one of the four schools (Madhhabs) of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. ... The Masjid al-Haram in Mecca as it exists today A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ... A name given to the Sunni Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. ... The Deobandi (Urdu: دیو بندی devbandÄ«) is a Sunni Islamic revivalist movement which started in South Asia and has more recently spread to other countries, such as Afghanistan, South Africa and the United Kingdom. ...

There are small non-Muslim religious groups: Christians, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Bahá'ís and others 3%. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... Religions Sikhism Scriptures Guru Granth Sahib Languages English, Punjabi] A Sikh (English: or ; Punjabi: , , IPA: ) is an adherent to Sikhism. ... This article is about the Parsi community. ... This article is about the generally recognized global religious community. ...

Religious Population In Pakistan

• Muslims: 158,000,000
• Hindus: 3,300,000
• Christians: 2,500,000
• Ahmadis: over 450,000
• Bahá'ís: 30,000
• Sikhs: 20,000
• Buddhists: 20,000
• Zoroastrian/Parsis: 20,000
• Other (included Animists, Atheists, Jews, etc): unknow

Sources: ^[10][11][12] For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Hinduism is a religious tradition[1] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... This article is about the Ahmadiyya branch of Islam founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. ... This article is about the generally recognized global religious community. ... Sikhism (IPA: or ; Punjabi: , , IPA: ), founded on the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century Northern India, is the fifth-largest religion in the world. ... A statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Tawang Gompa, India. ... Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra, Zartosht). ... This article is about the Parsi community. ... This article is in need of attention. ... For information about the band, see Atheist (band). ...

Languages of Pakistan

Main article: Languages of Pakistan

• Badeshi
• Bagri
• Balochi
• Balti
• Bateri
• Bengali
• Bhadrawahi
• Brahui
• Brokskat
• Burig
• Burmese
• Burushaski
• Chambeali
• Chilliso
• Dameli
• Dogri (North Indian)
• Dehawri
• Dhakti
• Domaaki
• Gawar-Bati
• Ghera
• Goaria
• Gowro
• Gujarati
• Gojri
• Gurgula
• Hazaragi
• Hindko
• Jadgali
• Jandavra
• Kabutra
• Kachchi
• Kalashamun
• Kalkoti
• Kamviri
• Kashmiri
• Khetrani
• Khowar
• Kohistani
• Makrani
• Marwari
• Pahari-Pothohari
• Pashto
• Punjabi
• Palula
• Saraiki
• Shina
• Sindhi
• Tajik
• Torwali
• Urdu
• Uyghur
• Ushojo
• Wakhi
• Yidgha

Language families in Pakistan are mainly Indo-Aryan with a minor language belonging to Dravidian (Brahui) and one language isolate (burushaski) English is an official language of Pakistan while Urdu is termed the national language. ... Badeshi is a Northwestern Iranian language spoken by over 10,000 people in upper reaches of Bishigram Valley (Chail), east of Madyan, Swat, Kohistan in Northern Areas of Pakistan. ... Bagri बागड़ी is a dialect of Rajasthani language of the Indo-Aryan family. ... Balochi (also Baluchi, Baloci or Baluci) is a Northwestern Iranian language. ... Balti (بلتی) is a language spoken in Baltistan, in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. ... Bangla redirects here. ... The Brahui (بروہی) or Bravi (براوِ) language, spoken by the Brahui, is mainly spoken in Balochistan, Pakistan, although it is also spoken in Afghanistan and Iran. ... The Burig, or Purik, are another group of Tibetan Muslims who live south of the Balti in Kashmir. ... Burushaski is a language isolate spoken by some 87,000 (as of 2000) Burusho people in the Hunza, Nagar, Yasin, and parts of the Gilgit valleys in northern Pakistan and Kashmir. ... Dameli is a language spoken by less than 5,000 people in the remote valley of Damil-Nisar, in the Chitral District of the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan. ... Areas in India and Pakistan where Dogri and related dialects are spoken Dogri (डोगरी or ڈوگرى) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by about two million people in India and Pakistan, chiefly in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, but also in northern Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, other parts of Kashmir, and... Domaaki - also known as Dumaki or Doma - is a language spoken in parts of northern Pakistan. ... Gawar-Bati is known in Chitral as Aranduyiwar, because it is spoken in Village Arandu, which is the last village in the bottom of Chitral and is across the Kunar River from Berkot in Afghanistan. ... Gujarati (ગુજરાતી GujÇŽrātÄ«; also known as Gujerati, Gujarathi, Guzratee, and Guujaratee[3]) is an Indo-Aryan language descending from Sanskrit, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. ... Gojri also known as Gujari is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Gujjars of Northern Pakistan and India. ... Hazaragi is a dialect of the Persian language, with a significant deviation from it to be on the borderline of being a separate language. ... It has been suggested that Hindku be merged into this article or section. ... Kamviri is a dialect of the Kamkata-viri language spoken by 5,500 (or up to 10,000) of the Kom people of Afghanistan and Pakistan. ... Kashmiri (कॉशुर, کٲشُر Koshur) is a northwestern Indo-Aryan language spoken primarily in the valley of Kashmir, a region situated mostly in the Jammu and Kashmir state of India. ... Khowar is classified as a Dardic Language. ... Kohistani is a Dardic language spoken in Kohistan District (Pakistan). ... The Marwari language (also variously Marvari, Marwadi, Marvadi) is spoken in the Indian state of Rajasthan, but is also found in the neighboring state of Gujarat and in Eastern Pakistan. ... Selected ethnic groups of Nepal; Bhotia, Sherpa, Thakali Gurung Kiranti, Rai, Limbu Newari Pahari Tamang Pahari (or Pahaari) is a general terms for a range of dialects spoken across the Himalayan range, not limited to a single country in the subcontinent. ... The Pothwari or Pothohari language in Urdu otherwise known as Mirpuri or Potwari is an Indo-European language spoken from the Potwar district around Rawalpindi, Pakistan to the Cease-fire Line (LoC) of Indian administered Kashmir de-facto border in the Mirpur district of the Jammu area in Pakistan administered... Pashto (‎, IPA: also known as Pakhto, Pushto, Pukhto ‎, Pashtoe, Pashtu, Pushtu or Pushtoo) is a language spoken by Pashtuns living in Afghanistan and western Pakistan. ... Punjabi redirects here. ... ... Tshina is a Dardic Language and is spoken by majority of people in Northern Areas of Pakistan. ... SindhÄ« (سنڌي, सिन्धी) is the language of the Sindh region of South Asia, which is now a province of Pakistan. ... Tajik or Tadjik (тоҷикӣ, تاجیکی, tojikí) is a descendant of the Persian language spoken in Central Asia. ... Torwali (Turvali) language is spoken in Kohistan and Swat, North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. ... Urdu ( , , trans. ... Uyghur (‎/Uyghurche//, or ‎/Uyghur tili//)[1] is a Turkic language spoken by the Uyghur people in Xinjiang (also called East Turkestan or Uyghurstan), formerly also “Sinkiang” and “Chinese Turkestan,” a Central Asian region administered by China. ... The Wakhi Tajiki language is an Iranian language in the subbranch of Southeastern Iranian languages (see Pamir languages). ... The Yidgha language is a Pamir language spoken in the Upper Lutkuh Valley of Chitral, west of Garam Chishma in Pakistan. ...

Prevalence

According to the census, Pakistanis identified the following languages as their mother tongues [figures rounded to nearest percent]: Punjabi 44%, Pashto 15%, Sindhi 14%, Saraiki 11%, Urdu 8%, Balochi 4%, others 4%

The majority of Pakistanis can speak or understand two or more languages.

Major languages

The official language of Pakistan is Urdu (English is widely considered as one too). Urdu is the national language and lingua franca, although it is spoken as a first language by approximately 8% of the population. ~44% speak Punjabi as a first language, 15% Pashto, and 31% other languages such as (Sindhi, Saraiki, Balochi, Hindko and Brahui.) An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... Urdu ( , , trans. ... Lingua franca, literally Frankish language in Italian, was originally a mixed language consisting largely of Italian plus a vocabulary drawn from Turkish, Persian, French, Greek and Arabic and used for communication throughout the Middle East. ... Punjabi redirects here. ... Pashto (‎, IPA: also known as Pakhto, Pushto, Pukhto ‎, Pashtoe, Pashtu, Pushtu or Pushtoo) is a language spoken by Pashtuns living in Afghanistan and western Pakistan. ... SindhÄ« (سنڌي, सिन्धी) is the language of the Sindh region of South Asia, which is now a province of Pakistan. ... ... Balochi (also Baluchi, Baloci or Baluci) is a Northwestern Iranian language. ... Hindko is an ancient language spoken in the Indian subcontinent. ... The Brahui (بروہی) or Bravi (براوِ) language, spoken by the Brahui, is mainly spoken in Balochistan, Pakistan, although it is also spoken in Afghanistan and Iran. ...

English (Official Language)

English is the official language, being widely used within the government, by the civil service and the officer ranks of the military. Pakistan's Constitution and laws are written in English. Many schools, and nearly all colleges and universities, use English as the medium of instruction. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... Medium of instruction is the language that is used in teaching. ...

Urdu (National Language)

Urdu is the national language of Pakistan, the lingua franca of the people. It is a standardised register of Hindustani and in its spoken form, is mutually intelligible with Hindi, the lingua franca of north India. It is widely used, both formally and informally, for personal letters as well as public literature, in the literary sphere and in the popular media. It is a required subject of study in all primary and secondary schools. It is the first language of most Muhajirs. As Pakistan's national language, Urdu has been promoted as a token of national unity. Although less than 8% of Pakistanis speak it as their first language, it is spoken as a second language by nearly all literate Pakistanis. It is written in a modified form of the Persian alphabet and its basically Indic vocabulary has been enriched by words from Arabic, Persian, and English. Urdu has drawn inspiration from Persian literature and has now an enormous stock of words from that language. In recent years, the Urdu spoken in Pakistan has gradually incorporated words from many of the native languages found there including Pushto, Punjabi and Sindhi to name a few. As such the language is constantly developing and has acquired a particularly 'Pakistani' flavour to it distinguishing itself from that spoken in ancient times. The first poetry in Urdu was by the Persian poet Amir Khusro (1253-1325) and the first Urdu book "Woh Majlis" was written in 1728 and the first time the word "Urdu" was used by Saraj-ud-din Aarzoo in 1751. An official language in British India since 1835 and in India since 1947, where it is spoken by Muslim population, Urdu is one of the 22 national languages recognized by the constitution of that country. Urdu ( , , trans. ... Pashto (پښتو; also known as Afghan, Pushto, Pashto, Pashtoe, Pashtu, and Pukhto) is the language spoken by the ethnic Afghan otherwise known as the Pashtun people who inhabit Afghanistan and the Western provinces of Pakistan. ... Punjabi (also Panjabi; in GurmukhÄ«, PanjābÄ« in ShāhmukhÄ«) is the language of the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan. ... SindhÄ« (سنڌي, सिन्धी) is the language of the Sindh region of South Asia, which is now a province of Pakistan. ... Abul Hasan YamÄ«n al-DÄ«n Khusrow (Persian: , Devanagari: अबुल हसन यमीनुददीन ख़ुसरो) (1253-1325 CE), better known as AmÄ«r Khusrow DehlawÄ«, was the greatest Persian-writing poet of medieval India one of the iconic figures in the cultural history of the Indian subcontinent. ...

Sindhi (Provincial Language)

Sindhi is spoken as a first language by 14% of Pakistanis, mostly in Sindh. Sindhi has very rich literature and is used in schools. Sindhi language contains Arabic words and is affected by Arabic language to a great extent. The reason being Arab ruled Sindh for more than 150 years. Muhammad bin Qasim entered Sindh and conquered it in 712 AD. He remained here for three years and set up Arabic rule in the area. According to historians, the social fabric of Sindh comprises elements of Arabic society. Sindhi is spoken in Pakistan and is also one of the constitutional languages of India. It is spoken by about 20 million people in the southern Pakistani province of Sindh, Southern Pakistan, and by about 2½ million more across the border in India. In Pakistan it is written in the Arabic script with several additional letters to accommodate special sounds. The largest Sindhi-speaking city is Hyderabad, Pakistan. Sindhi literature is also spiritual in nature and Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai (1689-1752) is one of its Greatest poet who wrote Sassi Punnu, Umar Marwi (the great folk stories of the civilization) in his famous book "Shah jo Rasalo". SindhÄ« (سنڌي, सिन्धी) is the language of the Sindh region of South Asia, which is now a province of Pakistan. ... Sindh (SindhÄ«: سنڌ, UrdÅ«: سندھ) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhis. ...

Punjabi (Provincial Language)

Punjabi is spoken as a first language by more than 44% of Pakistanis, mostly in Punjab as well as by a large number of people in Karachi. It is an important language since Punjabi is spoken by about half of Pakistanis. However, Punjabi does not have any official status in Pakistan. The exact numbers of Punjabi speakers in Pakistan is hard to find since there are many dialects/languages, such as Saraiki, which some regard as part of Punjabi and others regard as separate language. Punjabi is spoken by almost 60% of the population in Pakistan. The standard Punjabi dialects is from Lahore, Sialkot, Gujranwala and Sheikupura districts of the Pakistani Punjab which was used by Waris Shah (1722-1798) in his famous book "Heer" and is also now days langueage of Punjabi literature, film and music; such as Lollywood. Other dialects are Multani or Saraiki in West and South, Pothowari in North, Dogri in the mountain areas and Shahpuri in Sargodha area. Punjabi redirects here. ... This article is about the Pakistani province. ...   (Sindhi: , Urdu: ) is the largest city in Pakistan and is the provincial capital of Sindh province. ...

Punjabi is a very old language and it has been related to Sanskrit in Vedic-period (ca 1700 B.C.), Pali, Prakart and Upbharnash in Ashok-period (273-32 B.C.) and Hindvi, Lahori and Multani under Muslim period (711-1857). Punjabi literature was principally spiritual in nature and has had a very rich oral tradition. The Great Sufi/Saint poetry has been the folklore of the Punjab and still sung with great love in any part of Punjab.

• Punjabi dialects
  • Lahori - "The standard Punjabi language" and spoken in the heart of Punjab where most of the Punjabi population lives. The main districts are Lahore, Multan, Sheikhupura, Gujaranwala and Sialkot.
  • Jhangvi or Jangli - Spoken in the central Pakistani Punjab, stretches from districts Khanewal to Jhang and includes Faisalabad and Chiniot.
  • Shahpuri - Spoken in Sargodha, Khushab and Mandi Bahawaldin districts.
  • Pothowari - The area where Pothowari is spoken extends in the north from Azad Kashmir (Mirpur) to as far south as Jhelum, Gujar Khan, Chakwal and Rawalpindi. The language in Dhani area of Chakwal is a mix of Pothowari, saraiki and jhangwi

Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

Pashto (Provincial Language)

Pashto is spoken as a first language by 15% of Pakistanis, mostly in the North-West Frontier Province and in Balochistan as well as by immigrants to the eastern provinces who are often not counted due to census irregularities. Pashto has rich written literary traditions as well as oral tradition. There are two major dialect patterns within which the various individual dialects may be classified; these are Pakhto, which is the northern (Peshawar) variety, and the softer Pashto spoken in southern areas. Khushal Khan Khattak (1613-1689) and Rahman Baba (1633-1708) were most famous poets in Pashto language. In the last part of 20th century, Pukhto/pashto has produced some great poets like Ghani Khan, Khatir Afridi and Amir Hamza Shinwari. Pashto (‎, IPA: also known as Pakhto, Pushto, Pukhto ‎, Pashtoe, Pashtu, Pushtu or Pushtoo) is a language spoken by Pashtuns living in Afghanistan and western Pakistan. ... The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) (Urdu: Å›imāl maÄ¡ribÄ« sarhadÄ« sÅ«ba شمال مغربی سرحدی صوبہ) is the smallest of the four main provinces of Pakistan. ... Balochistan, or Ballsforchinstan, Balochi, Pashto, Urdu: بلوچستان) is a province in Pakistan, the largest in the country by geographical area. ... Pashto (‎, IPA: also known as Pakhto, Pushto, Pukhto ‎, Pashtoe, Pashtu, Pushtu or Pushtoo) is a language spoken by Pashtuns living in Afghanistan and western Pakistan. ... Pashto (پښتو; also known as Afghan, Pushto, Pashto, Pashtoe, Pashtu, and Pukhto) is the language spoken by the ethnic Afghan otherwise known as the Pashtun people who inhabit Afghanistan and the Western provinces of Pakistan. ... Khushal Khan Khattak Khushal Khan Khattak (1613 - 1690) was a famous Afghan warrior, poet, and tribal chief of the Khattak tribe. ... Events January - Galileo observes Neptune, but mistakes it for a star and so is not credited with its discovery. ... Year 1689 (MDCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Rahman Baba (Pashto: رحمان بابا ) known as the Nightingale of Afghanistan and Pakhtoonkhwa, Rahman Baba is a legendary Pashto Sufi poet. ... Events February 13 - Galileo Galilei arrives in Rome for his trial before the Inquisition. ... // Events March 23 - James Francis Edward Stuart lands at the Firth of Forth July 1 - Tewoflos becomes Emperor of Ethiopia September 28 - Peter the Great defeats the Swedes at the Battle of Lesnaya Kandahar conquered by Mir Wais In Masuria one third of the population die during the plague J...

Saraiki

Saraiki is related to Punjabi (See Classification, below) It is spoken as a first language by 11% of Pakistanis, mostly in the southern districts of Punjab, Pakistan (see Saraikis). Almost 10% of the population of Pakistan speak the Saraiki language. Dialects tend to blend into each other, with Punjabi to the east, and Sindhi to the south. Until recently it was considered to be a dialect of Punajbi. The Saraiki language has an 85% lexical similarity with Sindhi and 68% similarity with Odki and Sansi. Dialects are Derawali, Khatki, Jangli or Jatki and Riasti or Bahawalpuri. Saraiki or Multani (also Lehndi by some) differs from Punjabi more than any other dialect. Multani becomes more and more different as you move down south, as the influence of Sindhi increases, it is also known as Saraiki there. Saraiki itself is Sindhi word and means northern. ... The Punjab/ پنجاب province of Pakistan is part of the larger Punjab region. ... ...

Hindko

Hindko is an ancient Indo-Aryan language spoken by Hindkowans (Punjabi Pathans) in Pakistan. The language is spoken in the areas of the North West Frontier Province (including Hazara), Punjab and Kashmir by an estimated 2.2 to 4 million people.^{[citation needed]} During the pre-Buddhist era in present day Pakistan, the language of the masses was refined by the ancient grammarian Pāṇini, who set the rules of a structurally rigorous language called Sanskrit which was used principally for scriptures (analogous to Latin in the Western world). Meanwhile, the vernacular language of the masses, Prakrit developed into many tongues and dialects which spread over the northern parts of South Asia. Hindko is believed to be closely related to Prakrit. Due to the geographic isolation of the regions, it has undergone very little grammatical corruption, but has borrowed considerable vocabulary from its neighbours, in particular Pashto. It shows close affinity to Punjabi and the Lahnda sub-group of Indo-Aryan tongues and can be sub-divided into a northern and southern dialects. It has been suggested that Hindku be merged into this article or section. ... The Indo-Aryan languages form a subgroup of the Indo-Iranian languages, thus belonging to the Indo-European family of languages. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) is geographically the smallest of the four provinces of Pakistan. ... The Hazara region is located in NWFP, Pakistan. ... The Punjab/ پنجاب province of Pakistan is part of the larger Punjab region. ... Kashmir (or Cashmere) may refer to: Kashmir region, the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent India, Kashmir conflict, the territorial dispute between India, Pakistan, and the China over the Kashmir region. ...

Balochi (Provincial Language)

Balochi is spoken as a first language by over 5% of Pakistanis, mostly in Balochistan. Sindh and southern Punjab. Balochi language is very close to the Persian itself. The name Balochi or Baluchi is not found before the 10th Century. It is believed that the language was brought to its present location in a series of migrations from northern Iran region of Caspian Sea. Rakshani is the major dialect group in terms of numbers. Sarhaddi, is a sub dialect of Rakshani. Other sub - dialects are Qalati, Chagai Kharani, and Makurani. The Eastern Hill Balochi or Northern Balochi are distinct dialects. Balochi (also Baluchi, Baloci or Baluci) is a Northwestern Iranian language. ... Balochistan, or Ballsforchinstan, Balochi, Pashto, Urdu: بلوچستان) is a province in Pakistan, the largest in the country by geographical area. ... Sindh (Sindhī: سنڌ, Urdū: سندھ) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhis. ... This article is about the Pakistani province. ... Farsi redirects here. ... The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the worlds largest lake or a full-fledged sea. ...

Persian

Persian is considered to be a cultural language of Pakistan. Although Persian has neither official status, it had for long been the lingua franca of the Indian subcontinent and was the official and cultural language of the Mughal Empire. Persian was officially abolished from the region with the arrival of the British to the province of Sindh in 1843 and Punjab in 1849 to minimize the influence of Persia and Afghanistan on the subcontinent. Nevertheless, Persian has influenced Urdu immensely, and is still appreciated as a literary and prestigious language among the educated elite, especially in fields of music (Qawwali) and art. Persian is mainly spoken by the inhabitants of Chitral in Pakistan. Dari (a variant of Persian) is also the native tongue of many Afghan refugees currently residing in Pakistan. Farsi redirects here. ... Map of South Asia (see note) This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia. ... Capital Delhi / Agra Language(s) Persian (initially also Chagatai, Turkish; later also Urdu) Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1526-1530 Babur  - 1530–1539 and after restoration 1555–1556 Humayun  - 1556–1605 Akbar  - 1605–1627 Jahangir  - 1628–1658 Shah Jahan  - 1659–1707 Aurangzeb History  - Established April 21, 1526  - Ended September 21, 1857 Area... Sindh (SindhÄ«: سنڌ, UrdÅ«: سندھ) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhis. ... This article is about the geographical region. ... For other uses of this term see: Persia (disambiguation) The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... Qawwali (Urdu: قوٌالی, Hindi: क़वाली) is the devotional music of the Chishti Sufis of the Indian Subcontinent. ... This article is about the town of Chitral. ... Dari is a term used to denote one of several closely related Persian dialects spoken in what used to be Greater Khorasan: The official name for the Persian language in Afghanistan; see Dari (Afghanistan) One name used by Zoroastrians (the others being Gabri and Yazdi) to refer to the Northwestern...

Arabic

Arabic is considered to be religious language of Pakistan. The Quran, Sunnah, Hadith and Muslim theology is taught in Arabic with Urdu translation. The large numbers of Pakistani's living in the Gulf region and in other Middle Eastern Countries has further increased the number of people who can speak Arabic within Pakistan. Arabic redirects here. ... The Quran (Arabic al-qurʾān أَلْقُرآن; also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ... Sunnah(t) () literally means “trodden path”, and therefore, the sunnah of the prophet means “the way of the prophet”. Terminologically, the word ‘Sunnah’ in Sunni Islam means those religious actions that were instituted by Muhammad(PBUH) during the 23 years of his ministry and which Muslims initially received through consensus... Hadith ( transliteration: ) are oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of Prophet Muhammad. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ...

Minor Pakistani Languages

Aer: Population: 100 to 200 (1998). Women are monolingual. Region Lower Sindh, Jikrio Goth near Kunri around Deh 333, Hyderabad, and at Jamesabad. Others are reported to have migrated to India at Partition in 1947, living in the Kutch Bhuj area in Gujarat. Dialects Jikrio Goth Aer, Jamesabad Aer. Lexical similarity 78% with Katai Meghwar and Kutchi Bhil, 75% to 77% with Rabari, 76% with Kutchi Koli. Classification Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Language use All ages. They also speak Sindhi (adult men only for common topics), Panjabi (adult men of Jikrio Goth only for common topics), and Gujarati. 100% of boys and 25% of girls attend Sindhi medium schools. Language development Literacy rate in second language: 15% in Sindhi. Sindhi-based script. This article is about Hyderabad, Pakistan. ... Kutch (Kuchchh) District, State of Gujarat Kutch (also spelled Cutch, Kachh, Kachch and even Kachchh) is a district of Gujarat state in western India. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is for the Indian state. ... The Kutchi language originates from Kutch, India. ... The Kutchi language originates from Kutch, India. ... Proto-Indo-European Indo-European studies Indo-European is originally a linguistic term, referring to the Indo-European language family. ... Indo-Iranian can refer to: The Indo-Iranian languages The prehistoric Indo-Iranian people, see Aryan This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Indo-Aryan languages form a subgroup of the Indo-Iranian languages, thus belonging to the Indo-European family of languages. ... Gujarati (ગુજરાતી GujÇŽrātÄ«; also known as Gujerati, Gujarathi, Guzratee, and Guujaratee[3]) is an Indo-Aryan language descending from Sanskrit, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. ...

Comments: Unusual interrogative word suggests possible historical connection with Western Rajasthani group. Speakers in Pakistan are running out of marriage possibilities and may have to move to India. The group in India is the most influential. Other Aer people in Nawabshah, Sindh are reported to speak a different language, dress differently, and do not intermarry with this Hindu group. AER may stand for: Annual equivalent rate (see also: interest rate) Australian Energy Regulator A.E.R., a sub brand of B.N.C. American Economic Review The IATA airport code for the cities of Adler and Sochi, Russia In Greek mythology, aer was the name for what mortals breathed... Nawabshah Mudjamrao Road Nawabshah (Urdu: نوابشاہ) city (established in 1912) is located in the centre of Sindh,Along With Left Bank Of River Indus Near Sakrand Tehsel, Pakistan, and is therefore often known as the Heart of Sindh. ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ...

Other Languages

Numerous other languages are spoken by relatively small numbers of people, especially in some of the more remote and isolated places in, for example, the Northern Areas of Pakistan.^[13] Other Indo-European languages spoken in Pakistan include Pothohari, Shina, Wakhi, Kashmiri, Marwari, Khowar, Dari Persian, Brahui, a Dravidian language, and Burushaski, a language isolate. The Northern Areas (Urdu: شمالی علاقے ) or Gilgit-Baltistan is the northernmost region of Pakistani-administered Kashmir. ... Pothohari can mean either an inhabitant of Pothohar, an area in the north of Pakistani Punjab province, or the language spoken in the region. ... Tshina is a Dardic Language and is spoken by majority of people in Northern Areas of Pakistan. ... The Wakhi Tajiki language is an Iranian language in the subbranch of Southeastern Iranian languages (see Pamir languages). ... For other uses, see Kashmiri (disambiguation) Kashmiri is a Dardic language spoken primarily in Kashmir, an Asian region now split between India, Pakistan and China. ... The Marwari language (also variously Marvari, Marwadi, Marvadi) is spoken in the Indian state of Rajasthan, but is also found in the neighboring state of Gujarat and in Eastern Pakistan. ... Khowar is classified as a Dardic language. ... Dari (Persian: ) is the official name for the Persian language spoken in Afghanistan[1] and is a synonymous term for Parsi]. // There are different opinions about the origin of the word Dari. ... Brahui may refer to: The Brahui language The Brahui people This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... For other uses, see Dravidian (disambiguation). ... Burushaski (Other names are Burushaski, Brushas, Brushias) is a language isolate spoken by some 50,000_60,000 people in the Hunza, Nagir, Yasin, and some parts of Gilgit valleys in northern Pakistan. ...

Arabic and Persian are also taught in schools and religious institutions. Arabic redirects here. ... Farsi redirects here. ...

Classification

Indo-European

Nearly all of Pakistan's languages are Indo-European languages and within the smaller Indo-Iranian sub-branch. For other uses, see Indo-European. ... Indo-Iranian can refer to: The Indo-Iranian languages The prehistoric Indo-Iranian people, see Aryan This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Indo-Aryan languages

Around 4/5 of Pakistan's population speak one or more of the various Indo-Aryan languages. Usually concentrated in the heavily populated areas east of the Indus river, the Indo-Aryan languages and their cultures form the predominate cultural group in the country. They derive their roots from the Sanskrit language that was once the pre-eminent tongue of learning and high culture in South Asia but are heavily influenced by the languages of the later Muslim invaders (i.e., Turkish, Persian, and Arabic), and are all written in a variant of either the Arabic or Nastaliq script. Urdu, the country's national language, is an Indo-Aryan tongue, closely related to the Hindi of neighboring India. Punjabi, Hindko and Saraiki, all mutually intelligible, are classified by linguists as dialects of an Indo-Aryan speech called Lahnda,^[14] also spelled as Lehnda. These are also, to a lesser extent, mutually intelligible with Urdu. Added together, speakers of these mutually-intelligible languages make up nearly two-thirds of Pakistan's population. Sindhi is the common language of the people of Sindh in southern Pakistan and has a rich literary history of its own, traced back to the era of the early Arab invasions. The Dardic languages of the