Pakistan

Indo-Aryan 78.8%.
Panjabi-related 56.4%

Panjabi                                                                       75 million
Saraiki                                                                        15 million
Hindko                                                                        5.8 million
Dogri                                                                           840,000

Sindhi 11.8%                                                             18.5 million

Mohajirs (Urdu-speaking) 7.6%.

Indian Muslim immigrants at time of independence found mainly in Karachi and Hyderabad.

Northern peoples 2%. Numerous smaller groups

Khowari (Chitrali)                                                     370,000
Shina                                                                          400,000
Kohistani                                                                   260,000
Kashmiri                                                                    140,000
Torwali                                                                       90,000.

Tribal peoples of Sindh 1%

Koli(4)                                                                        288,000
Bagri                                                                          276,000
Marwari Bhil (Dhatki, 3)                                          256,000
Meghwar Bhil                                                           220,000

Indo-Iranian 18.5%

Pathan 13.1%. Speaking Pushtu (Pashtun), twomain groups:

Pakhtun (mainly Pakistan)                           8.1million
Pashtun (mainly Afghan – manyrefugees) 12.3 million

(straddling the Afghanborder.)

Baluch 4.2%. in the west                               6.7 milllion

Persian 1.2%.

Tajik                                                                 1,450,000
Dari/Hazara                                                    340,000
Iranian                                                             40,000
Wakhi                                                              25,000
Parsee                                                             7,000

Dravidian 1.6%

Brahui live among the Baluch                     2.6 million

Tibetan 0.5%. In the far north and Kashmir:

Balti-Purik                                                                 800,000

Other 0.6%.

Uzbek                                                                         640,000
Arab                                                                           155,000

Literacy 38% officially, many estimate it is nearer25%
Official language Urdu, which is becoming widely used by all

Religion

Pakistan is an Islamic republic. The government has pursued a policy of Islamic interpretation of the legal system, taxation, public life and discrimination against all Muslim and non-Muslim religious minorities despite widespread popular misgivings. Shari’a law has been increasingly applied – even to Christians and Hindus – despite its contravention of the constitution. This gives numerous opportunities for the majority Sunni Muslims to oppress and persecute Shi’a Muslims, Ahmaddiya, Hindus and Christians. Yet, there remains a surprising degree of religious freedom and the government regularly assures minorities of their freedom and opportunities under the law.

Religion type:                                     % ofpopulation        Approx number

Muslim                                                        96.08                          150,349,015
Christian                                                     2.31                             3,614,761
Hindu                                                          1.50                             2,347,247
Baha’I                                                          0.06                             93,890
Other                                                          0.03                             46,945
Traditional ethnic                                     0.02                             31,297

Prayer Needs

1. Pray for the binding of the spirit of lawlessness andviolence that has crippled this nation and for the raising up of leadersof integrity.
2. Pray for new believers, for their protection,multiplication, and good integration into culturally appropriate Christianfellowships. Often such believers have the double trauma of rejection bytheir community and then non-acceptance by the Christian community.
3. Pray for believers, for spiritual leadership, for courageto share their faith, for unity, and for a missionary vision.
4. Pray for the unreached and unevangelized.

Geography

Area: 796,095 square kilometers, which includes83,700 square kilometers of the third of Kashmir controlled by Pakistan. Thereare arid mountains in the north and west and the Sindh desert in the southeast.There are vast irrigation schemes in the fertile Indus valley.

Major Cities:
Islamabad                                                                              1.1 million
Karachi                                                                                   11.9 million
Lahore                                                                                    6.25 million
Faisalabad                                                                              2.3 million
Rawalpindi                                                                             2.1 million
Multan                                                                                    1.5 million
Gujranwala                                                                            1.45 million
Hyderabad                                                                             1.4 million
Peshawar                                                                               1,325,000

Urbanites                                                                              33%

Economy

The main exports are sports goods, textiles, garments and heroin. Wealthy families control much of the agricultural land and commerce.About 40% of government income is spent on the military and development of nuclear weapons. Other factors besieging the economy include uncontrolled population growth, lack of water and land, plus the effects of the Afghanistan wars and refugees, and a high level of corruption. The infrastructure of the country is being eroded through lack of investment. The extreme Islamist movement is deeply influencing the state such that economic collapse could be hastened.