Pakistanis in Sri Lanka
Encyclopedia
Pakistanis in Sri Lanka constitute a population of 300-400 according to the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation. Most Pakistanis residing in Sri Lanka are employees/workers and students. Mostly Muslim by religion, the majority are found in the Sri Lankan business and financial capital of Colombo
.
Memon traders that arrived from Sindh
to Sri Lanka in the 1870s.
in the 1870s. In late 1900 certain Memon merchants mainly from Kutiyana
, Porbandar
and Upleta
travelled to Sri Lanka
for trading. They are currently an important Muslim
minority in the country. Sunni Muslim by origin, they are entrepreneurs who settled in Sri Lanka
for business opportunities during the colonial period
. Some of these people came to the country as far back as the Portuguese period; others arrived during the British period from various parts of India. The Memons, first arrived in 1870 from northwestern India (Gujarat State). As of the early 21st Century they number over 10,000.
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
.
History
People hailing from present-day Pakistan have a history of immigrating to Sri Lanka as back as the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Memons of Sri Lanka for instance, are an important Muslim minority who claim descent from SindhiSindhi people
Sindhis are a Sindhi speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating from Sindh, a province Formerly of British India, now in Pakistan. Today Sindhis that live in Pakistan belong to various religious denominations including Islam, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity...
Memon traders that arrived from Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
to Sri Lanka in the 1870s.
Memons
Memons in Sri Lanka arrived from SindhSindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
in the 1870s. In late 1900 certain Memon merchants mainly from Kutiyana
Kutiyana
Kutiyana is a city and a municipality in Porbandar district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Geography:Kutiyana is located at . It has an average elevation of 30 metres . Kutiyana town is spread over almost 2km range...
, Porbandar
Porbandar
Porbandar is a coastal city in the Indian state of Gujarat, perhaps best known for being the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and Sudama...
and Upleta
Upleta
Upleta is a city and a municipality in Rajkot district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Geography:Upleta is located at . It has an average elevation of 39 metres ....
travelled to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
for trading. They are currently an important Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
minority in the country. Sunni Muslim by origin, they are entrepreneurs who settled in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
for business opportunities during the colonial period
Colonial Period
Colonial Period may generally refer to any period in a country's history when it was subject to administration by a colonial power.*Korea under Japanese rule*Colonial history of the United States...
. Some of these people came to the country as far back as the Portuguese period; others arrived during the British period from various parts of India. The Memons, first arrived in 1870 from northwestern India (Gujarat State). As of the early 21st Century they number over 10,000.
Notable people
Notable Pakistani expatriates who reside in Sri Lanka include:- Irfan HusainIrfan HusainIrfan Husain has been writing on a wide range of subjects for newspapers in Pakistan and elsewhere since 1970. He currently writes two weekly columns for Dawn, Pakistan’s widely circulated and highly respected daily...
- Pakistani civil servant and columnist who spends time equally between KarachiKarachiKarachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Sri Lanka, where he maintains a summer vacation house.