Shi'a Islam in Pakistan
Encyclopedia
According to the Library of Congress
, Pew Research Center
, Oxford University
, CIA
World Factbook
, U.S. State Department
and many others, Shi'as make up 5-20% of the total Muslim
population of Pakistan
. The total number of Shias in Pakistan is approximately 17 million to as high as 30 million according to Vali Nasr
. Globally
, Shia Islam is represented by 10-20% of the total Muslim
population, while as much as 90% or nine-tenths
is composed of Sunni Islam
.
of Pakistan or the Indian subcontinent
. The region that is now Pakistan has been conquered and ruled mostly by Sunni empires, such as the Ghaznavids, Ghurids, Timurid
, Mughals
, Durrani
, and others.
With Husain ibn Ali becoming the revered personality in Indian subcontinent
or South Asia
not only for the Shias and Sunnis but also from non Muslim communities especially the Hindus of North India, that's apparent from members of Hindu community's participation in commemoration ceremonies of martyrdom of Husain ibn Ali every year on the day of Ashura. It has been believed that prior to his martyrdom Husain ibn Ali the grandson of Prophet Muhammed expressed his desire to go towards Al Hind (the region of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India).
In their account many historians write that Husain ibn Ali and the commander of the enemy forces, Umar ibn Saad
met before the Battle of Karbala
at night and talked together for a long time. After that meeting Umar ibn Saad sent a letter to the Governor of Kufa
, Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad
in which he wrote that Husain ibn Ali has suggested that he go to ‘one of the border outposts’ of the rapidly expanding Muslim empire as a way of resolving conflict. Other traditions named Border Outpost as Al Hind or present day India and Pakistan. Even though Husain ibn Ali himself was not able to go to Indian subcontinent, some of the Shia did emigrate there for various reasons, including those who came as refugees whom Umayyads and Abbasids persecution. These refugees brought with them rituals which kept alive the remembrance of Karbala and their Shia Identity.
While Shi'a Muslims have found a refuge in the Indian subcontinent, tensions between them and Sunnis has resulted in the creation in recent years of Shi'a-specific organizations. Shias in Pakistan and India also faced persecution by some Mughal Emperors which resulted in martyrdom of great Shia Scholar Qazi Nurullah Shustari
also known as Shaheed-e-Thaalis that means the third Martyr. Many Nawabs and Tipu Sultan
of Mysore, were among the famous Shias who were rulers in Indian subcontinent present day Pakistan and India.
It has been believed that in seventh century few ladies from the household of Prophet Mohammad after Battle of Karbala
came in Punjab
province which is now a part of Pakistan. One of the prominent of them was Ruqayyah bint Ali, the daughter of Ali bin Abi Talib through his wife Ummul Banin, Ruqayyah bint Ali was the sister of Abbas ibn Ali
and wife of Muslim ibn Aqeel
. Still her shrine in Lahore
, Punjab
of Pakistan, is visited by people all around and she is referred as Bibi Pak Daman
.
, Khawaja Nazimuddin
and their families were Shia Muslims, and so are the Bhutto
s, Asif Ali Zardari
, Haidar Abbas Rizvi
, Syeda Abida Hussain
, Syed Fakhar Imam, Faisal Saleh Hayat
, Fahmida Mirza
, Zulfiqar Mirza
and several other top ranking Pakistani Politicians and Generals such as Mushaf Ali Mir
, Yahya Khan
, Muhammad Musa and Iskander Mirza.
While in past few decades, to address the legal needs and political support of the Shi'a population in Pakistan organization like Tehrik-e-Jafaria Pakistan & ISO
were formed, while Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan
a Shia militant group was formed to deter the militancy against Shias by Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan
a Sunni Deobandi
militant group. Although the Sunni and Shia Muslims usually coexist peacefully, sectarian violence occurs sporadically by radical groups.
When General Zia ul-Haq, the former military ruler of Pakistan
, introduced new laws to make Zakat
deductions mandatory for every Muslim
during the 1980s, Tehrik-e-Jafaria held a large public demonstration in Islamabad
to compel the government to exempt the Shia Muslim community from this law. This protest resulted in the ‘Islamabad Agreement’ in which the government agreed to introduce a separate syllabus for Shia students in public schools, as well as exempt the Shia community from the Zakat law, since Shia consider Zakat should to be paid to the needy rather than corrupt Sunni government. According to one senior Pakistani journalist who witnessed these events, Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini played an important role in this agreement being reached, and he sought assurances from General Zia al-Haq that Shia demands would be met. A message from Ayatollah Khomeini was also read out to the Shia protesters in Islamabad in which he called for them to keep up their spirits.
, Sindh
, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the capital Islamabad
. Pakistan hosts a number of distinct Shia communities, including the Turis and Bangash
Pashtun tribes
, Qizilbash, Hazaras, Baltis
, Shias of Padhrar, Khoja
s, Bohris
and others.
While the majority of Shia community comprises local ethnic groups like the Punjabis
, Sindhis
, Muhajirs
, Kashmiris
and few Pashtuns
and Balochis
. There are also many Shias of Persian-Arab
descent. Pakistani Shia community also has a large Sayyid
population.
Ismaili
s (Agha Khanis) and the smaller Mustaali
Dawoodi Bohra
and Sulaimani Bohra
branches.
The Shia Ithna 'ashariyah school has its own Masjids
and Hussainia
s. Mustaali
Dawoodi Bohra
and Sulaimani Bohra
also have their own Masjids
. While the Nizari Ismailis pray in Jama'at Khanas.
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
, Pew Research Center
Pew Research Center
The Pew Research Center is an American think tank organization based in Washington, D.C. that provides information on issues, attitudes and trends shaping the United States and the world. The Center and its projects receive funding from The Pew Charitable Trusts. In 1990, Donald S...
, Oxford University
Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies
The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies is a Recognised Independent Centre of the University of Oxford, England. It was established in 1985 with the aim of encouraging the academic study of Islam and the Muslim world. The centre's Patron is Prince Charles.A new building for the centre is situated to...
, CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
World Factbook
The World Factbook
The World Factbook is a reference resource produced by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. The official paper copy version is available from the National Technical Information Service and the Government Printing Office...
, U.S. State Department
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
and many others, Shi'as make up 5-20% of the total 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...
population of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The total number of Shias in Pakistan is approximately 17 million to as high as 30 million according to Vali Nasr
Vali Nasr
Vali Nasr is a leading expert on Middle East and Islamic world, a best-selling author, influential commentator and Professor of International Politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of Tufts University, Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings Institution, and a columnist for...
. Globally
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
, Shia Islam is represented by 10-20% of the total 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...
population, while as much as 90% or nine-tenths
Decile
* In descriptive statistics, any of the nine values that divide the sorted data into ten equal parts, so that each part represents 1/10 of the sample or population* In astrology, an aspect of 36 degrees-See also:*Percentile*Quantile*Quartile*Summary statistics...
is composed of Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
.
History
It is unknown when the Shia community first established itself in what is now the stateSovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
of Pakistan or the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
. The region that is now Pakistan has been conquered and ruled mostly by Sunni empires, such as the Ghaznavids, Ghurids, Timurid
Timurid Dynasty
The Timurids , self-designated Gurkānī , were a Persianate, Central Asian Sunni Muslim dynasty of Turko-Mongol descent whose empire included the whole of Iran, modern Afghanistan, and modern Uzbekistan, as well as large parts of contemporary Pakistan, North India, Mesopotamia, Anatolia and the...
, Mughals
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
, Durrani
Durrani Empire
The Durrani Empire was a Pashtun dynasty centered in Afghanistan and included northeastern Iran, the Kashmir region, the modern state of Pakistan, and northwestern India. It was established at Kandahar in 1747 by Ahmad Shah Durrani, an Afghan military commander under Nader Shah of Persia and chief...
, and others.
With Husain ibn Ali becoming the revered personality in Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
or South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
not only for the Shias and Sunnis but also from non Muslim communities especially the Hindus of North India, that's apparent from members of Hindu community's participation in commemoration ceremonies of martyrdom of Husain ibn Ali every year on the day of Ashura. It has been believed that prior to his martyrdom Husain ibn Ali the grandson of Prophet Muhammed expressed his desire to go towards Al Hind (the region of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India).
In their account many historians write that Husain ibn Ali and the commander of the enemy forces, Umar ibn Saad
Umar ibn Sa'ad
Umar ibn Sa'ad was the son of Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqqas. He was a clergyman and governor of Ray city, and took orders from Ibn Ziyad...
met before the Battle of Karbala
Battle of Karbala
The Battle of Karbala took place on Muharram 10, in the year 61 of the Islamic calendar in Karbala, in present day Iraq. On one side of the highly uneven battle were a small group of supporters and relatives of Muhammad's grandson Husain ibn Ali, and on the other was a large military detachment...
at night and talked together for a long time. After that meeting Umar ibn Saad sent a letter to the Governor of Kufa
Kufa
Kufa is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000....
, Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad
Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad
Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad was a son of Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan after whose death in 673 he became the Governor of Kufa and Basra and later Khurasan.He also minted coinage, which survives to this day...
in which he wrote that Husain ibn Ali has suggested that he go to ‘one of the border outposts’ of the rapidly expanding Muslim empire as a way of resolving conflict. Other traditions named Border Outpost as Al Hind or present day India and Pakistan. Even though Husain ibn Ali himself was not able to go to Indian subcontinent, some of the Shia did emigrate there for various reasons, including those who came as refugees whom Umayyads and Abbasids persecution. These refugees brought with them rituals which kept alive the remembrance of Karbala and their Shia Identity.
While Shi'a Muslims have found a refuge in the Indian subcontinent, tensions between them and Sunnis has resulted in the creation in recent years of Shi'a-specific organizations. Shias in Pakistan and India also faced persecution by some Mughal Emperors which resulted in martyrdom of great Shia Scholar Qazi Nurullah Shustari
Qazi Nurullah Shustari
Qazi Nurullah Shustari also known as Shaheed-e-Salis was an eminent jurist and scholar of his time, 1542 A.D.-1610/11. Qazi Nurullah Shustari also known as Shaheed-e-Salis (third martyr) was an eminent jurist (faqih) and scholar (alim) of his time, 1542 A.D.-1610/11. Qazi Nurullah Shustari ...
also known as Shaheed-e-Thaalis that means the third Martyr. Many Nawabs and Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
of Mysore, were among the famous Shias who were rulers in Indian subcontinent present day Pakistan and India.
It has been believed that in seventh century few ladies from the household of Prophet Mohammad after Battle of Karbala
Battle of Karbala
The Battle of Karbala took place on Muharram 10, in the year 61 of the Islamic calendar in Karbala, in present day Iraq. On one side of the highly uneven battle were a small group of supporters and relatives of Muhammad's grandson Husain ibn Ali, and on the other was a large military detachment...
came in Punjab
Punjab (British India)
Punjab was a province of British India, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British rule. With the end of British rule in 1947 the province was split between West Punjab, which went to Pakistan, and East Punjab, which went to India...
province which is now a part of Pakistan. One of the prominent of them was Ruqayyah bint Ali, the daughter of Ali bin Abi Talib through his wife Ummul Banin, Ruqayyah bint Ali was the sister of Abbas ibn Ali
Abbas ibn Ali
Al-‘Abbās ibn ‘Ali was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib and fourth Rashidun Caliph) and Fātimah bint Hizam al-Kilabiyyah .Al-‘Abbās is revered by Muslims for his loyalty to his half-brother Husayn ibn ‘Alī, his respect for the...
and wife of Muslim ibn Aqeel
Muslim ibn Aqeel
Muslim ibn Aqeel, or Muslim ibn Aqil, was the cousin of Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali, and the son of Aqeel ibn Abu Talib. Muslim ibn Aqeel was sent ahead as an envoy to Kufa to see if the people could be trusted to be loyal to the Imam Husayn. He sent word back saying that the people of Kufa...
. Still her shrine in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
of Pakistan, is visited by people all around and she is referred as Bibi Pak Daman
Bibi Pak Daman
Bibi Pāk Dāman is the name given to the shrine and mausoleum of Ruqayyah bint Ali located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Legend has it that it holds the graves of six ladies from Muhammad's household...
.
Political Influence
Pakistan is the only Sunni majority country where Shias have been elected to top offices and played an important part in the country's Independence, history and nation building. The founder of Pakistan Muhammed Ali Jinnah, Muhammad Ali BograMuhammad Ali Bogra
Nawabzada Mohammed Ali Bogra was a Pakistani statesman of Bengali origin, who served as the third Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1953 until 1955.-Early life:...
, Khawaja Nazimuddin
Khawaja Nazimuddin
Hajji Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin, KCIE , was the second Governor-General of Pakistan, and later the second Prime Minister of Pakistan as well.-Early life:...
and their families were Shia Muslims, and so are the Bhutto
Bhutto
Bhutto is a Sindhi, Rajput tribe settled in Sindh, Pakistan.-Bhutto tribe:The Bhutto tribe is a Rajput tribe that has been settled in Sindh for over two centuries, occupying part of Balochistan in Kachhi, Sibi, Dera Murad Jamali, Bhag and Mithri, having migrated to Sindh from Jaiselmere in India...
s, Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party . He is also the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who served two nonconsecutive terms as Prime Minister....
, Haidar Abbas Rizvi
Haidar Abbas Rizvi
Syed Haider Abbas Rizvi , is the deputy parliamentary leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement in the National Assembly of Pakistan.-Education:...
, Syeda Abida Hussain
Syeda Abida Hussain
Syeda Abida Hussain is a Pakistani politician. She is a former National Assembly member from Jhang, Punjab.Hussain is married to Syed Fakhar Imam also prominent Pakistani politician, who was the Speaker of the National Assembly in 1985-86...
, Syed Fakhar Imam, Faisal Saleh Hayat
Faisal Saleh Hayat
Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat is a Pakistani politician from Jhang, Punjab, Pakistan. Faisal Saleh Hayat was born in Lahore in 1952 to a landlord Shia Muslim family of Jhang, Punjab.- Education :Faisal Saleh Hayat is also a successful businessman...
, Fahmida Mirza
Fahmida Mirza
Dr. Fahmida Mirza , sometimes also spelled as Fehmida Mirza , is a medical doctor, agriculturist and businesswoman from Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan who was elected as the first female Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan on March 19, 2008...
, Zulfiqar Mirza
Zulfiqar Mirza
Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza is a leader and politician who is affiliated with Pakistan Peoples Party. He hails from thedistrict Badin, Hyderabad. He did his graduation from LMC Jamshoro, Hyderabad, Sindh. He is married to Dr. Fahmida Mirza who was elected as the first female Speaker of the National...
and several other top ranking Pakistani Politicians and Generals such as Mushaf Ali Mir
Mushaf Ali Mir
Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir was four-star general of the Pakistan Air Force who served as the chief of air staff of the Pakistan Air Force from 20 November 2000 until his death on February 20, 2003 when the PAF Fokker F-27 he was traveling in, crashed near Kohat, Pakistan...
, Yahya Khan
Yahya Khan
General Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan Qizilbash, H.Pk, HJ, S.Pk, psc was the third President of Pakistan from 1969 to 1971, following the resignation of Ayub Khan...
, Muhammad Musa and Iskander Mirza.
While in past few decades, to address the legal needs and political support of the Shi'a population in Pakistan organization like Tehrik-e-Jafaria Pakistan & ISO
Imamia Students Organisation
Imamia Students Organisation is a Shi'a Muslim students organisation in Pakistan. It was founded by Dr. Mohammad Ali Naqvi on 22 May 1972 at University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore...
were formed, while Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan
Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan
Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan is a Shi'a militant group formed in the early 1990s as a response to sectarian violence against Pakistani Shia' orchestrated by militant Sunni movements such as Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi...
a Shia militant group was formed to deter the militancy against Shias by Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan
Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan
Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan is a militant Sunni Deobandi organization, and a formerly registered Pakistani political party, established in the early 1980s in Jhang by Maulana Haq Nawaz Jhangvi its stated goal is to primarily to deter major Shia influence in Pakistan in the wake of the Iranian...
a Sunni Deobandi
Deobandi
Deobandi is a movement of Sunni Islam. The movement began at Darul Uloom Deoband in Deoband, India, where its foundation was laid on 30 May 1866.-History:...
militant group. Although the Sunni and Shia Muslims usually coexist peacefully, sectarian violence occurs sporadically by radical groups.
When General Zia ul-Haq, the former military ruler of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, introduced new laws to make Zakat
Zakat
Zakāt , one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is the giving of a fixed portion of one's wealth to charity, generally to the poor and needy.-History:Zakat, a practice initiated by Muhammed himself, has played an important role throughout Islamic history...
deductions mandatory for every 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...
during the 1980s, Tehrik-e-Jafaria held a large public demonstration in Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
to compel the government to exempt the Shia Muslim community from this law. This protest resulted in the ‘Islamabad Agreement’ in which the government agreed to introduce a separate syllabus for Shia students in public schools, as well as exempt the Shia community from the Zakat law, since Shia consider Zakat should to be paid to the needy rather than corrupt Sunni government. According to one senior Pakistani journalist who witnessed these events, Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini played an important role in this agreement being reached, and he sought assurances from General Zia al-Haq that Shia demands would be met. A message from Ayatollah Khomeini was also read out to the Shia protesters in Islamabad in which he called for them to keep up their spirits.
Pakistan Shia communities
Pakistani Shia community is spread across the country, mainly in PunjabPunjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
, 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...
, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the capital Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
. Pakistan hosts a number of distinct Shia communities, including the Turis and Bangash
Bangash
Bangash is the name of a Pashtun clan. The Bangash clan inhabit regions within the Federally Administered Tribal Areas , the Kurram Agency, the Miranzai Valley bordering the Samana Range, Naryab, Tirah, Kohat and Peshawar within the Sarhad province...
Pashtun tribes
Pashtun tribes
The Pashtun people are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan and the second largest in Pakistan. Pashtun, tribes are divided into four supertribal confederacies: the Arbanee , Betanee , Gharghasht, and Karlanee .Traditionally, according to folklore, all Pashtuns are said to have descended, at...
, Qizilbash, Hazaras, Baltis
Balti people
The Balti are an ethnic group of Tibetan descent with some Dardic admixture located in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan and Ladakh, a region in Jammu & Kashmir, India; as well as scattered in Pakistan's major urban centres of Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad/Rawalpindi. The Balti language belongs to the...
, Shias of Padhrar, Khoja
Khoja
The Khojas are ethnic group of Shia Muslims. The word Khoja derives from Khwaja, a Persian title .In Pakistan, many Khojas migrated to and settled in the province of Sindh and especially in the city of Karachi. While in India, most Khojas live in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and...
s, Bohris
Mustaali
The Musta‘lī Ismā'īlī Muslims are so named because they accept Al-Musta'li as the nineteenth Fatimid caliph and legitimate successor to his father, al-Mustansir...
and others.
While the majority of Shia community comprises local ethnic groups like the Punjabis
Punjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
, Sindhis
Sindhi 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...
, Muhajirs
Muhajir people
Muhajir [literally – migrants] is a term commonly used especially by Pakistanis to describe the Muslim immigrants who chose to settle in Pakistan and shifted their domicile after partition of British India into Pakistan and India. Some had participated in the movement for creation of Pakistan in...
, Kashmiris
Kashmiri people
The Kashmiri people are a Dardic linguistic group living in Kashmir Valley in Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and parts of the Pakistani territory of Azad Kashmir who speak the Kashmiri language...
and few Pashtuns
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
and Balochis
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
. There are also many Shias of Persian-Arab
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
descent. Pakistani Shia community also has a large Sayyid
Sayyid
Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
population.
Divisions within the Shia sect
Although the overwhelming majority of Pakistani Shia Muslims belong to Ithna 'ashariyah school, there are significant minorities of NizariNizari
'The Shī‘a Imami Ismā‘īlī Tariqah also referred to as the Ismā‘īlī or Nizārī , is a path of Shī‘a Islām, emphasizing social justice, pluralism, and human reason within the framework of the mystical tradition of Islam. The Nizari are the second largest branch of Shia Islam and form the majority...
Ismaili
Ismaili
' is a branch of Shia Islam. It is the second largest branch of Shia Islam, after the Twelvers...
s (Agha Khanis) and the smaller Mustaali
Mustaali
The Musta‘lī Ismā'īlī Muslims are so named because they accept Al-Musta'li as the nineteenth Fatimid caliph and legitimate successor to his father, al-Mustansir...
Dawoodi Bohra
Dawoodi Bohra
Dawoodi Bohra is a subsect of Ismāʿīlī Shīʿa Islām. While the Dawoodi Bohra is based in India, their belief system originates in Yemen, where it evolved from the Fatimid Caliphate and where they were persecuted due to their differences from mainstream Sunni Islam...
and Sulaimani Bohra
Sulaimani Bohra
Sulaymanis are a Musta‘lī Ismaili community that predominantly reside in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Pakistan and India. They are also called Makrami. They number between several hundred thousand and one million in Saudi Arabia alone...
branches.
The Shia Ithna 'ashariyah school has its own Masjids
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
and Hussainia
Hussainia
A Hussainia, also known as an Ashurkhana or Imambargah, is a congregation hall for Shia commemoration ceremonies, especially those associated with the Remembrance of Muharram. The name comes from Husayn Ibn Ali, the grandson of Muhammad and an Imam of the Shia. Hussain was killed by Yazid I in...
s. Mustaali
Mustaali
The Musta‘lī Ismā'īlī Muslims are so named because they accept Al-Musta'li as the nineteenth Fatimid caliph and legitimate successor to his father, al-Mustansir...
Dawoodi Bohra
Dawoodi Bohra
Dawoodi Bohra is a subsect of Ismāʿīlī Shīʿa Islām. While the Dawoodi Bohra is based in India, their belief system originates in Yemen, where it evolved from the Fatimid Caliphate and where they were persecuted due to their differences from mainstream Sunni Islam...
and Sulaimani Bohra
Sulaimani Bohra
Sulaymanis are a Musta‘lī Ismaili community that predominantly reside in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Pakistan and India. They are also called Makrami. They number between several hundred thousand and one million in Saudi Arabia alone...
also have their own Masjids
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
. While the Nizari Ismailis pray in Jama'at Khanas.