Hinduism in Pakistan
Hinduism is the second biggest religion in Pakistan, with about 2.14% of the population being Hindus. This is around 4.4 million people, according to the 2017 Pakistani census. However, the Pakistan Hindu Council says there are 8-10 million Hindus, making up 4% of the population.[1] The Umerkot district has the highest percentage of Hindus, with 52.2% of the population being Hindu. The Tharparkar district has the most Hindus in total, with 714,698 people.[2]
The Indus Valley in Pakistan is believed to be the birthplace of Hinduism. Rigveda, the oldest religious book in Hinduism, was written and composed in Ancient Pakistan.[3][4] Sanskrit, the sacred language of Hinduism also originated in the Swat region of northwestern Pakistan.[5]
Most Hindus in Pakistan live in Punjab and Sindh. They speak different languages like Sindhi, Gujarati, Tamil, Seraiki, Aer, Dhatki, and others. In rural Sindh, the diversity of beliefs often makes it hard to strictly define Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Islam. Even though Pakistan is mostly Muslim, Sindh has a strong Hindu heritage.[6]
Demographics change
Population change
The official number of Hindus living in Pakistan was 4.5 million or approx. 2.15% in the 2017 census. However, at different time some of the demographic experts of Pakistan Hindu council as well as various Pakistani Hindu politicians have given numbers based on their estimation research:
| Source/claimed by | Population | Year of claimed |
|---|---|---|
| Pakistan Hindu Council[7] | 8,000,000 | 2020 |
| Gulf News (U.A.E based)[8] | 8,800,000 | 2019 |
| The Economic Times (according to an official estimation)[9] | 7,500,000 | 2021 |
| According to Hindu community of Pakistan[9] | 9,000,000 | 2021 |
| Claimed by Mangla Sharma, member provincial assembly (MPA) from Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P)[10] | 10,000,000 | 2020 |
Percentage by district change
Following is a table showing the percentage of Hindus in the districts of Pakistan:
| Administrative Unit | District | Percentage of Hindus |
|---|---|---|
| Sindh | Umerkot | 54.53% |
| Tharparkar | 43.39% | |
| Mirpurkhas | 38.74% | |
| Tando Allahyar | 34.17% | |
| Badin | 23.61% | |
| Tando Muhammad Khan | 22.25% | |
| Sanghar | 21.79% | |
| Matiari | 16.66% | |
| Hyderabad | 8.22% | |
| Ghotki | 6.19% | |
| Karachi South | 4.01% | |
| Jamshoro | 3.87% | |
| Shaheed Benazirabad | 3.86% | |
| Sukkur | 3.55% | |
| Kashmore | 3.22% | |
| Thatta | 3% | |
| Sujawal District | 2.91% | |
| Khairpur | 2.76% | |
| Jacobabad | 2.16% | |
| Malir | 1.77% | |
| Naushahro Feroze | 1.64% | |
| Larkana | 1.45% | |
| Shikarpur | 1.4% | |
| Karachi East | 1.38% | |
| Punjab | Rahim Yar Khan | 3.12% |
| Bahawalpur | 1.12% | |
| Balochistan | Sibi | 2.4% |
| Lasbela | 1.58% | |
| Jaffarabad | 1.34% | |
| Kacchi | 1.04% | |
| Mastung | 1% | |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | Kohat | 1% |
References change
- ↑ "Headcount finalised sans third-party audit". The Express Tribune. 2018-05-26. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
- ↑ "Hindu Population (PK) – Pakistan Hindu Council". web.archive.org. 2018-03-15. Archived from the original on 2018-03-15. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
- ↑ "Hinduism". home.csulb.edu. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ↑ Ahmed, Shoaib (2021-10-06). "'All Vedas of Hinduism were written in Lahore'". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ↑ mushtaq-soofi (2013-02-15). "Language: Sanskrit and Prakrits!". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ↑ Maclean, Derryl N. (1989). Religion and Society in Arab Sind. Brill. p. 52. ISBN 90-04-08551-3.
- ↑ "Hindu Population (PK) – Pakistan Hindu Council". Pakistan Hindu Council. 13 January 2017. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ↑ "Hindus of Pakistan reject CAA, do not want Indian Prime Minister Modi's offer of citizenship". Gulf News. 18 December 2019. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Pakistan: Hindu community pardons mob accused of vandalising temple". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
- ↑ "Two years after it counted population, Pakistan silent on minority numbers". The Indian Express. 2020-01-07. Archived from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
