Overseas Pakistanis (Urdu: بیرون ملک پاکستانی نژاد), or the Pakistani diaspora, refer to Pakistanis who live outside of Pakistan. These include citizens who have migrated to another country as well as people born abroad of Pakistani descent. According to a December 2017 estimate by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, approximately 8.8 million Pakistanis live abroad. Data released in 2023 by the Ministry of Emigration and Overseas Employment states that more than 10.80 million people have moved abroad since 1990.[24]
The term Overseas Pakistani is officially recognised by the Government of Pakistan. It refers to Pakistani citizens who have not resided in Pakistan for a specified period (for the purpose of income tax) and to people born abroad who are of Pakistani descent.
The National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis, or NICOP, is a Computerised National Identity Card issued to workers, emigrants, citizens, or Pakistanis holding dual nationality. NICOP was conceived by NADRA in 2002 as a project of mutual resolve between the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, the Ministry of Labour & Manpower, and the Ministry of Interior. All NICOP holders are registered in the NADRA database to provide authenticity of the individual and visa-free entry into Pakistan. Proof of family relationships is necessary for various legal and administrative purposes involving NICOP.[29]
Pakistan Origin Card
The Pakistan Origin Card, or POC, is issued by Pakistani embassies or high commissions to people of Pakistani origin living abroad.[30] POC are not issued to those with dual nationalities.[31]
Emigration from Pakistan
Emigration from the territories that now constitute Pakistan began as early as 3000 BC.
Prehistoric
The presence of Harappan merchants in Mesopotamia from the Indus Valley civilisation is suggested by various forms of glyptic evidence. A recently discovered Mesopotamian cylinder seal inscription reveals that an interpreter from "Meluhha" (Harappa) was present. Several Indus-scripted seals have also been discovered in excavations.[32]
Middle Ages
During the 10th century, Arabic chronicles mention tribes coming into contact with Baloch settlers.[33] The majority of Baloch settlers originated from the Makran coast and settled in what is today Oman, forming part of the Bedoon community.[34] Many of them worked in various trades, including barbers, fan operators, and shopkeepers. Some were even drafted as soldiers for the army of the Iman of Oman.[35] A small population of Muslim clergy from Punjab, Kashmir, and Sindh settled in Mecca by the 14th century to aid travellers from the region making the journey for Hajj and to help expand Islam throughout the Indus Valley and its tributaries. Bankers and merchants from southern Punjab (Multan) and northern Sindh (Shikarpur) were present in Safavid Persia during the 15th century, living alongside Jews and Armenians.[36][37]Pashtun traders arrived by boat in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, as early as the 15th century.[38][39] The Mukkuvar locals established an alliance with the Pashtun traders, enlisting their help to fend off incursions from rivals in the north. The traders were rewarded through marriages and settled in Eravur.[38] Their settlement may have been deliberate, forming a buffer against future invasions from the north.[39] When Arab and Persian merchants expanded maritime trade routes in the 16th century, Sindh became fully integrated into the inter-Asian trade network. This led to increased trade and navigational interactions between Sindhi merchants and Arab/Persian merchants. Sindh also maintained independent commercial relations with East Asia and Southeast Asia, particularly with the Kedah Sultanate on the Malay Peninsula.[40]
Colonial era (1842–1947)
After the fall of Sindh in 1842 and Punjab in 1849, a large part of the territory of today's Pakistan came under rule of the British Empire. From 1842 to 1857, a small number of immigrants from Punjab, Sindh, and Kashmir began arriving in the British Isles as employees of the British East India Company, typically as lashkars and sailors in British port cities.[41][42][43] After the establishment of the British Empire in 1857, Baloch and Pashtuns, along with Punjabis, Sindhis, and Kashmiris, continued coming to Britain as seamen, traders, students, domestic workers, cricketers, political officials, and visitors. A small number of them settled in the region.[44] Many influential members of the Pakistan Movement, including Muhammad Iqbal and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, spent a considerable amount of time in Britain and Europe, studying at major British institutions.[45] Between 1860 and 1930, camel caravans worked in OutbackAustralia, which included Pashtun, Punjabi, Baloch, and Sindhi men[46] as well as others from Kashmir.[47] By 1900, Punjabis and Pashtuns began migrating to other parts of the British Empire. Many were veterans of the British Army, but also included a small migrant population who were legally considered British subjects. Pashtun migrants opted for the British Trucial States, where the British used their subjects as a valuable human resource in running the administration.[48]British Columbia became a destination for many Punjabi migrants as agents of the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Hudson's Bay Company guaranteed jobs for them between 1902 and 1905. However, many Punjabi migrants returned due to racism and the curtailing of migration of non-whites by the Canadian government.[49] Others sought opportunities by moving to the United States, particularly Yuba City, California. Poor wages and working conditions convinced Punjabi workers to pool their resources, lease land, and grow their own crops, thereby establishing themselves in the newly budding farming economy of northern California.[50]
Many people from modern Pakistan migrated and settled in Malaysia, which was also part of the British Empire. The Malays and Pakistanis share a strong Muslim identity. At the time of Malaysia's independence under the Federation of Malaya Independence Act 1957, there were more than two hundred thousand Pakistanis residing in Malaysia. Rather than forming a separate group under the categorized system, at the suggestion of the Malays themselves, Pakistanis immersed themselves into the Malay group. Thus, they became part of the Bumiputra elite, enriched by social ties, intermarriage, and shared economic and political aspirations. They also took positions in the civil service administration and gradually rose to the upper echelons of government, becoming inextricably intermixed with the Malay majority.[51] Many elite Malay families have at least one grandparent who was Pakistani. Diplomats, judges, legislators, and other government cadres include people with recognized Pakistani-Malay bloodlines.
Post independence
1947 to 1970
Emigration from Pakistan was relatively small between 1947 and 1970. The rapid industrialization of Pakistan during the 1950s and 1960s, coupled with the introduction of modern agricultural practices, pushed out surplus labor, leading to mass rural-to-urban migration, primarily to Karachi.[52] During this period, the majority of Pakistanis who went abroad considered themselves "sojourners", who left to earn money but did not intend to settle, or were students who planned to return to Pakistan after completing their degree programs. By 1971, no more than 900,000 Pakistanis lived abroad, with most residing in the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. In 1959, small numbers of Pakistanis were found working in Bahrain, Kuwait, and elsewhere in the Persian Gulf. By 1960, the Pakistani community in Bahrain numbered 2,200, while almost half of the population in Kuwait comprised non-nationals, including a small number from Pakistan. Pakistan was already the single most important source of non-Arab expatriate labor in the Kuwait Oil Company (representing about 19% of the workforce) and trailed only Americans among those working for Saudi Aramco in Saudi Arabia, representing 6% of the workforce.[53]
The first mass migration of Pakistanis began in 1965 during the construction of the Mangla Dam in Azad Jammu & Kashmir. Over 280 villages around Mirpur and Dadyal were submerged, which led to the displacement of over 110,000 people from the region. Pakistanis also emigrated from these areas and the regions of Attock and Nowshera due to high levels of unemployment and harsh terrain that made farming difficult.[54] During the same period, the British government actively sought workers from abroad for industrial towns in north-west England, which were suffering from labor shortages. Many Pakistani emigrants relocated to work in towns like Rochdale, Newcastle, Bristol, High Wycombe, Birmingham, Dewsbury, Huddersfield, and Bradford.[54] Consequently, many work permits for Britain were awarded to the displaced population of Mirpur.[55] Close to 50,000 Pakistanis from Mirpur emigrated to northern England between 1965 and 1970.[56][57] Those who emigrated during this time were aided by the 1948 British Nationality Act, which allowed people from British Commonwealth countries, such as Pakistan, to travel and settle in Britain as they were considered British citizens.[54]
1971 to present
The availability of a large-scale labor force from Pakistan resulted from a combination of economic, social, and institutional factors at home. By 1970, Pakistan was passing through a serious economic and political crisis, which eventually led to the secession of East Pakistan in 1971. The rapid economic development of the 1950s and 1960s could not be sustained by 1970, and a wave of nationalization of business and industry was unfolding under Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. This led to slower large-scale industrialization due to a new wave of industrial unrest and disaffection between industrialists and Bhutto's government, which favored the nationalization of banking, large-scale trading, and industry.
Rural-to-urban migration into Karachi slowed during the 1970s and 80s and was replaced by a rising wave of international migration to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, or Libya. The profile of the workforce and their places of origin followed the established patterns of internal migration routes. These included people from NWFP, northern Punjab (Potohar Plateau), the Seraiki belt in southern Punjab, and the hill tracts of Azad Jammu & Kashmir. Institutionally, a network of information chains to seek work and the channels for remitting money to families back in Pakistan already existed. The majority of migrants were young males who sought work abroad while families remained in Pakistan. These channels soon expanded and adapted to new requirements and conditions.[58] During the 1960s and 1970s, the remaining Pakistani Jewish community of 2000 began emigrating to Israel and settled in Ramla.[59]
Today's Pakistani diaspora is substantial, with over 9 million Pakistanis residing abroad, including an estimated 4 million in the Persian Gulf region. This represents a significant portion of the population seeking opportunities beyond their homeland. Emigration trends indicate a continued outflow, with 325,142 individuals departing in the first half of 2024 alone. The year 2015 witnessed a peak in outbound migration, as 946,571 Pakistanis left the country primarily in pursuit of employment and enhanced career prospects.[60]
The expatriate labor force in the Persian Gulf has followed a "circulating work force" pattern. Workers come in, work for a few years, periodically visit Pakistan for short or long breaks, and then return permanently.
Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development
The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development is a ministry of the Government of Pakistan that oversees matters concerning Overseas Pakistanis and human resource development in Pakistan. Pir Syed Sadaruddin Shah Rashidi is the current minister.[61] The ministry was created in June 2013 from a merger of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis[62][63] and the Ministry of Human Resource Development,[64] which was established in 2008. The Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment appoints Community Welfare Attachés (CWA) around the world to establish and maintain close contacts with foreign firms in need of manpower for their ventures in different countries, and to aid in the welfare of overseas Pakistanis. CWAs are currently located in:[65]
The Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) was established in July 1979, with its head office in Islamabad and regional offices in all provincial capitals as well as Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The objective of the OPF is to advance the welfare of Pakistanis working or settled abroad and their families in Pakistan by identifying their problems and contributing to their solutions. These include health care, financial aid, foreign exchangeremittance, and education.[66] The Overseas Pakistanis Foundation operates more than 24 schools in and across Pakistan, offering preschool, primary, secondary, and preparation for local SSC and the international GCE education. Most of its students opt to take the GCE O and AS/A Levels organized by the CIE of UCLES. It has also established international projects in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. The head office of the OPF schools is located in Islamabad, administering the system through six main regional offices:
Millions of Pakistanis emigrated to various countries during the 1970s and 1980s. Unlike European immigrants who settled permanently in the new world, many Pakistanis who emigrated considered themselves "sojourners", who left to earn money abroad but not to settle, or were students who intended to return to Pakistan upon completing their degree programs.
Pakistan International Schools are schools based outside Pakistan that promote the national curriculum. These schools fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education and mainly cater to students who are not nationals of the host country, such as children of the staff of international businesses, organizations, embassies, missions, or missionary programs.[67] For overseas Pakistani families, these schools provide continuity in education from Pakistan, as most prefer to stay within the same curriculum, especially for older childrenchildren.[68] Pakistan International Schools typically use curricula based on the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education and offer both Urdu and English language classes.
Since the independence of Pakistan in 1947, there has been a large population of Pakistanis in the Middle East, mainly in Saudi Arabia. However, since the 1990s, many have opted for countries like the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Pakistanis who immigrated to these countries or were born there tended to stay close to Pakistani culture. Many "International Pakistan Schools" were opened to cater to the large population and allow them to study under the same boards as students in Pakistan. As a result, those returning to Pakistan from the Middle East have found it much easier to adjust. Pakistanis from the Middle East can be found throughout the country today, usually fluent in Urdu, English, and their regional language. They are most likely involved in trading, media, telecommunications, banking, and aviation.
Since the 1990s, a large number of Pakistanis who settled in Europe have been returning to Pakistan. Those born in Europe have also maintained close links to Pakistani culture. However, there are instances where children did not learn Urdu while growing up or were not accustomed to Pakistani culture. As a result, those returning from Europe experience "culture shocks". Returnees from Norway and Denmark are mostly settled around Kharian in Punjab province, whereas those from northern England (Bradford) can be found in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (mainly Mirpur), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and upper Punjab (Jhelum, Chakwal, Attock, and Rawalpindi).
A map showing the distribution and population of Pakistan diaspora by country.
Pakistan
+ 1,000,000
+ 100,000
+ 10,000
+ 1,000
No data
Population of Pakistanis abroad, by country, according to the 2019-20 Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Yearbook,[5] or other estimates (if indicated).
^This census figure may not include recent immigrants or people of partial Pakistani ancestry.
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