Pakistani diaspora

Overseas Pakistanis
Total population
	4,200,000; Approximately 2.4% of the Pakistani population
Regions with significant populations
Languages
	English, Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto, Sindhi, Saraiki, Balochi, other languages of Pakistan and the languages spoken in the respective country of residence.
Religion
	Predominantly Islam (Sunni & Shia) with small numbers of Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism and Sikhism.

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A map showing the distribution and population of Pakistan diaspora by country.
Legend:

> 1,000,000

100,000-999,999

10,000-99,999

1,000-9,999

100-999

0-99

no data

Location of Pakistan

An Overseas Pakistani (collectively known as the Pakistani Disapora) is Pakistani citizens who has migrated to another country or a person of Pakistani origin who is born outside Pakistan. There are approximately 4.2 million Pakistani people living abroad ^[1] with a vast majority of them residing in the Middle East and Europe. Pakistan ranks 11th in the world for remittances sent home in 2010 at $9.4 billion.^[2]

1 Overseas Pakistani
2 Overseas Pakistanis Foundation
- 2.1 OPF Schools
- 2.2 Foreign Community Welfare Attaches
3 National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP)
- 3.1 Pakistan Origin Card (POC)
4 Little Pakistan
5 Returning Overseas Pakistanis
6 Population by country
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

[edit] Overseas Pakistani

The term Overseas Pakistani is officially recognized by the Government of Pakistan. The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis was established in 2008 to exclusively deal with all the matters and affairs of the overseas Pakistanis such as attending to their needs and problems, intending schemes and projects for their welfare and working for resolution of their problems and issues. Overseas Pakistani workers are the second largest source of Foreign Exchange Remittances to Pakistan after exports and over the last several years, the foreign exchange remittances have maintained a steady rising trend, with a recorded increase of 21.8% from $6.4 million in 2007-08 to $7.8 million during 2008-09. In 2009-10, Pakistani sent home $9.4 billion, the 11th largest in the world.^[3] The Overseas Pakistani Division (OPD) was created in September 2004 within the Ministry of Labour and Manpower. Over the past 6 years, it has recognized the importance of overseas Pakistanis and their contribution to the economy. Together with Community Welfare Attaches (CWAs) and the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF), all three are improving the welfare of overseas Pakistanis. The division aims at providing better services to the overseas Pakistanis through improved facilities at airports, setting up suitable schemes in housing, education and health care. Its largest effort is facilitating the rehabilitation of returning overseas Pakistanis.

[edit] Overseas Pakistanis Foundation

The Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) was established July 1979, with its head office at 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 the 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 exchange remittance and education.^[4]

[edit] OPF Schools

The Overseas Pakistanis Foundation operates more than 150 schools in 43 cities 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 also has established international projects in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. The head office of the OFP school is located in Islamabad, administering the system through four main regional offices:

Southern Regional Office (SRO)- Karachi Metropolitan Area and Balochistan
Central Regional Office (CRO) - Punjab
Northern Regional Office (NRO) - Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Khyber Pakthunkhwa
Mehran Regional Office (MRO) - Sindh

[edit] Foreign Community Welfare Attaches

Community Welfare Attaches (CWA's) are located in 18 cities around the world. There primarily function is to establish and maintain close contacts with the foreign firms who are in need of manpower for their ventures in different countries, and to aid in the welfare of overseas Pakistanis. CWA's are currently located in:^[5]

[edit] National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP)

Main article: NADRA

The Computerized National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis, also called NICOP, was conceived by NADRA as a project by mutual resolve of the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF), the Ministry of Labour & Manpower, and the Interior Ministry. The scheme calls for the creation of a comprehensive database of Pakistanis who either work abroad or hold a dual nationality. The NADRA Ordinance envisages issuance of NICOPs to Pakistani workers, emigrants, citizens, or Pakistanis holding dual nationality, having been registered under the NADRA Ordinance. The ordinance entrusts NADRA with the task of registering the overseas Pakistanis. NICOP, in addition to providing the authenticity of the individual, allows the NICOP holder to visa-free entry to Pakistan.

[edit] Pakistan Origin Card (POC)

Like the NICOP, the Pakistan Origin Card (POC) is issued by NADRA to eligible overseas Pakistanis. However, the major difference between the two is that a POC is only issued to people of Pakistani origin, i.e., those who are citizens of other countries but have some Pakistani background including former nationals.^[6] It cannot be issued to those with dual nationalities, with one being Pakistani, as the NICOP is meant for those individuals.^[7]

[edit] Little Pakistan

Main article: Little Pakistan

"Little Pakistan" is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Pakistanis or people of Pakistani ancestry (overseas Pakistani), usually in an urban neighborhood.

[edit] Returning Overseas Pakistanis

Millions of Pakistanis immigrated to various countries abroad during the 1970s and 1980s. Unlike European immigrants who settled permanently in the new world, Pakistanis who immigrated abroad considered themselves to be sojourners, who left to earn money abroad but not to settle, or were students who intended to return to Pakistan when their degree programs were completed.

[edit] From The Middle East

Main article: Arabs in Pakistan

Since the inception 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 of them have opted for countries like the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait. Pakistanis who immigrated to these countries or who were born in these countries tended to stay close to Pakistani culture. Many "International Pakistan Schools" were opened to cater for the large population and for them to study under the same boards as Pakistani students at home. 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 and these people are usually fluent in Arabic, Urdu, English and their regional language. They are most likely involved in trading, media, telecommunications and banking.

[edit] From Europe

Main article: Britons in Pakistan

Since the 1990s, a large number of Pakistanis who settled in Europe have been returning to Pakistan. These Pakistanis tended to be less educated and in many cases had to apply for multiple jobs in order to help their children attain a decent education, which they could not provide for them in Pakistan. Those who were born in Europe have also maintained close links to Pakistani culture. However, there are some instances of children not learning Urdu while growing up or being accustomed to Pakistani culture. As a result, those who return from Europe do experience "culture shocks". Those returning from Norway can be mostly found in Kharian in the Punjab province, whereas those from northern England can be found in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (mainly Mirpur) and upper Punjab (Rawalpindi).

[edit] From America

Main article: Americans in Pakistan

Main article: Canadians in Pakistan

Very small numbers of Pakistanis from Canada and the United States have historically returned to Pakistan. Although they frequently visit Pakistan during the summer and winter vacations, permanent settlement had not been popular amongst them until 2001. Since the September 11 terrorist attacks and the recent Financial crisis of 2007–2010, a large number of Pakistani Americans and Pakistani Canadians have begun to return. The population of returning expatriates from the Americas, who tend to have excellent credentials, has increased significantly due to new job opportunities in Pakistan.^[8] Many from North America are found in the major cities of Pakistan, mainly Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Faisalabad and Peshawar. Large populations can also be found in smaller cities and towns, such as Sialkot. Those returning from North America have tended to find jobs easier in Pakistan and are involved in a wide scope of fields, primarily healthcare, engineering, law, banking, information technology, mass media and industry.

[edit] Population by country

Population of Pakistanis abroad, by country. ^[9]

Continent / Country	Articles	Overseas Pakistani Population
Asia		1,967,764
Saudi Arabia	Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia	1,500,000
United Arab Emirates	Pakistanis in the United Arab Emirates	1,200,000
Bangladesh	Stranded Pakistanis Pakistanis in Bangladesh	919,000 310
Kuwait	Pakistanis in Kuwait	100,000
Oman	Pakistanis in Oman	85,000
Qatar	Pakistanis in Qatar	52,000
Bahrain	Pakistanis in Bahrain	45,000
Hong Kong	Pakistanis in Hong Kong	20,000
Afghanistan	Pakistanis in Afghanistan	12,000
Japan	Pakistanis in Japan	12,500
Iran	Pakistanis in Iran	11,500
Malaysia	Pakistanis in Malaysia	10,000
Jordan	Pakistanis in Jordan	8,000^[10]
South Korea	Pakistanis in South Korea	7,000
Thailand	Pakistanis in Thailand	1,980
Singapore	Pakistanis in Singapore	1,600
Kyrgyzstan	Pakistanis in Kyrgyzstan	1,500
Philippines		1,000
Israel	Pakistanis in Israel	1,000
Lebanon	Pakistanis in Lebanon	700^[11]
Yemen	Pakistanis in Yemen	700
China	Pakistanis in China	653
Syria		600
Kazakhstan		500
Brunei	Pakistanis in Brunei	500^[12]
Iraq	Pakistanis in Iraq	456
Indonesia	Pakistanis in Indonesia	400
Sri Lanka	Pakistanis in Sri Lanka	369
Turkmenistan		243
Azerbaijan		200
Maldives		100
Uzbekistan		75
Myanmar		51
Nepal		46
Tajikistan		30
Vietnam		25
Mongolia		15^[13]
Palestine		10
India		0
Europe		2,200,000^[14]
United Kingdom	British Pakistanis, Pakistanis in London	1,200,000^[14] England: 1,100,000 (2010)^[15] Scotland: 90,000 (2010)^[16] Wales: 9,000 (2010)^[17] Northern Ireland: 1000 (2010)^[18]
Italy	Pakistanis in Italy	100,000
Greece	Pakistanis in Greece	80,000
France	Pakistanis in France	60,000
Spain	Pakistanis in Spain	47,000
Netherlands	Pakistanis in the Netherlands	40,000
Norway	Pakistani Norwegians	36,400^[19]
Germany	Pakistanis in Germany	35,081^[20]
Denmark	Pakistanis in Denmark	31,000^[14]^[21]
Belgium	Pakistanis in Belgium	14,500
Turkey	Pakistanis in Turkey	12,000
Ireland	Pakistanis in Ireland	5,000
Sweden	Pakistani Swedish	5,250
Portugal		5,000
Austria	Pakistanis in Austria	3,500
Switzerland	Pakistanis in Switzerland	2,415
Ukraine	Pakistanis in Ukraine	1,612
Russia	Pakistanis in Russia	1,500
Cyprus		1,100
Romania		710
Finland		525
Poland		180
Hungary		45
Bosnia and Herzegovina		16
Bulgaria		16
Moldova		10
Serbia		2
Croatia		1
Others		1620
Americas		851,385
United States	Pakistani American	210,245^[22]
Canada	Pakistani Canadian	124,730 ^[23]
Cuba	Pakistani Cuban	1000^[24]
Peru		250
Chile		200
Brazil		180
Mexico		150
Bolivia		50
Argentina		30
Paraguay		12
Colombia		10
Suriname		3
Africa		37,964
Libya	Pakistanis in Libya	30,000
South Africa	Pakistanis in South Africa	2,500
Kenya		1,862
Tanzania		950
Egypt	Pakistanis in Egypt	700 (2011)^[25]^[26]
Zimbabwe		400
Nigeria		292
Sudan		200
Botswana		160
Ghana		152
Niger		62
Mauritius		43
Morocco		38
Algeria		34
Djibouti		30
Senegal		26
Comoros		11
Madagascar		11
Seychelles		5
Others		773
Oceania		25,000
Australia	Pakistani Australian	20,000^[27]
New Zealand	Pakistani New Zealander	5,000^[28]
Total Overseas Pakistani Population		4,200,000