Kashmiri Shawls in Pakistan: Pashmina and Where to Buy

A Kashmiri shawl is a fine wool shawl in the Kashmir tradition, either woven with a pattern (kani) or embroidered by hand (sozni, aari or tilla work). The finest are pure pashmina, but most shawls sold in Pakistan as "Kashmiri" are fine wool or blends with Kashmiri-style embroidery, which is fine as long as you pay a wool price for them. The best places to buy are Muzaffarabad's Medina Market, the Kashmiri Bazaar in Lahore's Walled City, and the craft shops of Islamabad.

This guide explains the fibres, the weaves and the embroidery, how to test what you are being sold, and where to shop.

What is a Kashmiri shawl?

Shawls have been made in Kashmir for centuries. The Mughals gave them as robes of honour, and from the late 18th century they reached Britain and France, where the curling buta motif was copied so widely in the Scottish town of Paisley that the pattern took its name. In the late 19th century Kashmiri weavers also migrated to Punjab and started an imitation trade in merino wool.

So "Kashmiri shawl" describes a style and a tradition more than one material. In Pakistan you will see three broad kinds:

• Pure pashmina, plain or embroidered. Rare and expensive.
• Fine wool shawls, often called raffal, with Kashmiri embroidery. These make up most of what is sold, and a good one is a fine shawl in its own right.
• Blends and synthetics, sold as "semi-pashmina", "cashmere silk" or simply "pashmina". Some are honest blends; many are viscose or acrylic.

What is pashmina, and how is it different?

Pashmina is the underwool of the Changthangi goat, herded by the Changpa nomads on the Changthang plateau of Ladakh and Tibet above about 4,100 metres, where winter temperatures fall to minus 40°C. The goats shed their undercoat each spring, and the fibre is combed out, not sheared, yielding only about 80 to 170 grams per goat.

The fibre is 12 to 16 microns thick, against 18 to 24 microns for the merino wool used in raffal shawls. That is why pashmina feels so light and warm. Traditionally every stage, from spinning to weaving and finishing, is done by hand, and a single plain stole can take around 180 hours. Pashmina is the reason for the price, so a cheap "pure pashmina" is a contradiction.

Shahtoosh is something else again. It comes from the Tibetan antelope, or chiru, which has to be killed for its wool. Export of shahtoosh is banned under CITES, and its sale is banned in India, China and Nepal. The old "ring shawl" test, pulling a whole shawl through a finger ring, was originally a test for shahtoosh. Don't buy it, and be suspicious of anyone offering it.

Kani, sozni, aari and tilla: what are you looking at?

Kani shawls are woven with the pattern built in, in a twill weave, with each colour carried on its own small wooden spool, named after the village of Kanihama in Kashmir. A full kani shawl takes months and is the most expensive kind.

Sozni is fine needle embroidery, usually in floral or paisley patterns along the border or covering the whole shawl, in silk or wool thread. Dense all-over work takes far longer than a border, and is priced accordingly.

Aari is chain-stitch embroidery done with a hooked needle. It is faster than sozni and gives bolder, thicker lines.

Tilla is embroidery in metallic thread, gold or silver in colour, often on wedding shawls.

In Muzaffarabad, reporting by The Express Tribune described demand for Kashmiri embroidery rising so far that the same stitching is now done in cheaper cotton thread on suits, shawls, bridal clothes and even bedsheets. That is good news for buyers on a budget, as long as the label is honest.

How can you spot a fake pashmina?

No single test is perfect. Use several.

1. Read the label and the price together. "100% pashmina" at the price of a wool shawl is not pashmina. A plain shawl in the Punjab government craft shop cost PKR 4,500 in October 2026; genuine pashmina costs many times more.
2. Feel it. Pashmina is very soft and warms quickly in your hands. Synthetic shawls feel slippery and stay cool.
3. Hold it up to the light. Handwoven cloth shows slight irregularities in the weave. A perfectly uniform weave suggests a machine.
4. Rub it. Synthetics often build up static and pill quickly.
5. The burn test. Ask the shopkeeper to burn a thread from the fringe. Wool and pashmina smell like burnt hair and leave a crumbly ash; synthetics melt into a hard bead and smell of plastic; viscose burns like paper. Most honest shops will do this.
6. Turn the embroidery over. Hand embroidery is slightly irregular on the back. Machine embroidery has a uniform bobbin thread running underneath.

Remember that "viscose pashmina" and "cashmere silk" are marketing names. Pashmina is an animal fibre only.

Where can you buy a Kashmiri shawl in Pakistan?

Muzaffarabad

Medina Market is the commercial heart of the city and its best-known market for Kashmiri clothes, embroidery and shawls, and it is busiest in the run-up to Eid. Prices are negotiable, quality varies from shop to shop, and machine-made and imported pieces sit alongside local work, so compare. Our guide to shopping in Muzaffarabad covers the rest of the bazaar.

Lahore

The Kashmiri Bazaar in the Walled City, near Wazir Khan Mosque, has long been where Lahoris buy shawls, rugs and other textiles. Lahore's malls and big textile brands also sell embroidered winter shawls at fixed prices, which are useful for comparison. See our guide to souvenirs from Lahore.

Islamabad

Islamabad's craft shops, including the Punjab government's Pakistan Handicrafts Shop at Rizwan Plaza on Jinnah Avenue and the craft shops of Super Market in F-6, sell shawls alongside crafts from across the country. Prices are higher than in Muzaffarabad, but fixed-price shops take the guesswork out of it. Our Islamabad souvenirs guide lists them.

Murree and the Neelum valley

Murree's bazaars have shawl shops, aimed squarely at tourists. In the Neelum valley you will find embroidered pieces and woollens, covered in our guide to what to buy in the Neelum valley.

Is it safe to shop in Azad Kashmir right now?

Pakistani visitors travel to Muzaffarabad and the Neelum valley, but 2026 has been difficult. The Joint Awami Action Committee protests from June 2026 were the deadliest unrest in AJK in years, with at least 24 dead in the first two weeks, and there were long internet and phone shutdowns. The AJK government asked tourists to stay away from 5 to 20 June. Check local news and current advice before you set out.

Overseas visitors should know that the UK advises against all travel within 10 miles of the Line of Control, which includes most of the Neelum valley, and against all but essential travel to the rest of AJK. Their own government's advice may say the same, and travelling against it can void travel insurance. You can buy a good Kashmiri shawl in Lahore or Islamabad without going.

How should you look after a Kashmiri shawl?

• Dry-clean it, or hand-wash plain wool gently in cold water with a mild wool wash, and dry it flat in the shade.
• Fold it, don't hang it, so it doesn't stretch.
• Store it with moth protection in a cotton bag, and air it once a season.
• Don't wear embroidered pieces under a handbag strap for long, which rubs and snags the thread.

Which shawl should you buy?

For most people, a fine wool shawl with hand sozni or aari embroidery is the best buy. It is warm, it lasts for years, and you can judge it in the shop. Buy pure pashmina only from a seller you trust, with a receipt that says so, and expect to pay properly for it. A kani shawl is a serious investment, best bought from an established dealer. If you just want a warm, pretty wrap for the north, a machine-woven wool shawl is perfectly sensible; just don't pay a pashmina price.

For other Kashmiri crafts, see our guide to Azad Kashmir handicrafts, and for other things to do on a trip see our experiences page.

Frequently asked questions