"Minorities in Pakistan: Communities, Rights and Sacred Sites"

Religious minorities in Pakistan make up about 3.6 per cent of the population, according to the 2023 census. Hindus are the largest group, at about 5.2 million, followed by about 3.3 million Christians, with much smaller Ahmadi, Sikh and Parsi communities. The Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to profess and practise their religion (Article 20) and directs the state to safeguard minorities' rights (Article 36). Their temples, gurdwaras and churches include some of the most rewarding heritage sites in the country.

This guide covers who each community is and where they live, what the Constitution and Quaid-e-Azam's 11 August 1947 speech actually say, and the sacred sites a Pakistani traveller can visit, with the etiquette for each.

Who are Pakistan's religious minorities?

The 2023 census counted about 241.5 million people. Of these, 96.35 per cent were recorded as Muslim. The rest belong to several communities with very different histories.

Hindus

Hindus are the largest minority. The census records two categories: "Hindu (Jati)", about 3.8 million people or 1.61 per cent, and "Scheduled Castes", about 0.6 per cent. Taken together they come to about 5.2 million. The vast majority, about 4.9 million, live in Sindh, where they make up 8.81 per cent of the province, with large communities in Tharparkar, Umerkot and Karachi. About 250,000 live in Punjab.

Christians

The census counted 3,300,788 Christians, 1.37 per cent of the population, up from 2.67 million in 2017. About 2.46 million of them live in Punjab, and Christians make up 4.26 per cent of the Islamabad Capital Territory. Lahore, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Karachi and Rawalpindi all have large Christian neighbourhoods, and both Catholic and Protestant churches have cathedrals in Lahore and Karachi. Some church leaders have argued the census undercounts them.

Sikhs

Only 15,998 Sikhs were counted. Their importance to Pakistan's heritage is far greater than their number, because the birthplace of Guru Nanak and several of Sikhism's holiest sites are in Pakistani Punjab. Thousands of pilgrims from India and abroad come for festivals every year.

Parsis

The Parsi (Zoroastrian) community numbered 2,348 in 2023, most of them in Karachi. It is tiny, but it shaped the city: schools, hospitals, the Jehangir Kothari Parade at Clifton and much of colonial Karachi's civic life were Parsi gifts.

Ahmadis

The census counted 162,684 Ahmadis. The Constitution has classified Ahmadis as non-Muslims since the Second Amendment of 1974, so they appear in the census as a minority.

Others

About 72,000 people were recorded under other religions. Pakistan also holds the homeland of the Kalash of Chitral, who follow their own ancient faith, and the Buddhist and Jain monuments of communities that no longer live in the country.

What does the Constitution of Pakistan say about minorities?

Islam is the state religion under Article 2. The fundamental rights chapter also gives every citizen, of any faith, a set of protections:

• Article 20, freedom of religion. Subject to law, public order and morality, every citizen has the right to profess, practise and propagate his religion, and every religious denomination has the right to establish, maintain and manage its religious institutions.
• Article 21. No one can be made to pay a special tax that funds a religion other than their own.
• Article 22. No student can be required to receive religious instruction, or take part in worship, of a religion other than their own. No citizen can be refused admission to a publicly funded institution on the ground only of race, religion, caste or place of birth.
• Article 25. All citizens are equal before law and entitled to equal protection of law.
• Articles 26 and 27. No discrimination on the ground only of religion in access to public places or in appointments to public service.
• Article 36, protection of minorities. "The State shall safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of minorities, including their due representation in the Federal and Provincial services."

In practice this includes seats reserved for non-Muslims in the National Assembly, the Senate and the provincial assemblies, and a 5 per cent quota for minorities in federal and provincial government jobs. You can read the full text on the Constitution of Pakistan site.

What did Jinnah say on 11 August 1947?

Three days before independence, Muhammad Ali Jinnah addressed the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan in Karachi. The speech is the one most often quoted on the place of minorities in the new state.

"You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan," he said. "You may belong to any religion or caste or creed," and that "has nothing to do with the business of the State." He went on: "We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one State."

Since 2009, 11 August has been observed as National Minorities Day, with ceremonies across the country. The white band on the national flag is generally explained as standing for Pakistan's minorities.

Minorities in Pakistan's public life

Members of minority communities have held some of the country's most senior posts:

• Jogendra Nath Mandal, a Hindu leader from Bengal, was Pakistan's first Minister of Law and Labour.
• Justice A. R. Cornelius, a Christian, was Chief Justice of Pakistan in the 1960s.
• Justice Rana Bhagwandas, a Hindu from Sindh, served as acting Chief Justice.
• Cecil Chaudhry, a Christian fighter pilot, was decorated for his part in the 1965 war and later worked as an educationist in Lahore.
• Jamshed Nusserwanjee Mehta, a Parsi, was Karachi's first elected mayor in the 1930s.

Which minority heritage sites can visitors see?

Most of these sites are open to respectful visitors of any faith, though some need permission or are run on pilgrim schedules.

Hindu temples

The Katas Raj temples in Chakwal district are the easiest major Hindu site to visit from Lahore or Islamabad, built around a sacred pond in the Salt Range. Karachi has several working temples, including the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir on M.A. Jinnah Road. In Sindh, the Shiv Mandir at Umerkot is the focus of a big Shivratri mela. Hinglaj Mata in Hingol National Park is the most important Hindu pilgrimage in Pakistan, but it is in Balochistan, where the UK government advises against all travel, so check current advice first. Our guide to Hindu temples in Pakistan covers each in detail.

Sikh gurdwaras

The main Sikh sites are in Punjab: Gurdwara Janam Asthan at Nankana Sahib, where Guru Nanak was born; Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur, where he died; Gurdwara Panja Sahib at Hasan Abdal; and Gurdwara Dera Sahib beside the Lahore Fort, alongside the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh. Kartarpur admits Pakistani visitors of any faith with a CNIC and an entry fee. At Nankana Sahib, Panja Sahib and Dera Sahib, entry for non-Sikh visitors, and Muslims in particular, is often restricted on security grounds, most strictly at festivals, so ask the Evacuee Trust Property Board or the gurdwara management before going. Our Sikh heritage guide explains the rules for each site and the pilgrim seasons.

Churches

Karachi has Holy Trinity Cathedral and St Patrick's Cathedral, both from the 19th century and both still in use; see our guide to historic churches in Karachi. Lahore has the Anglican Cathedral Church of the Resurrection on Mall Road and the Catholic Sacred Heart Cathedral. In the hills, Christ Church in Murree and St Matthew's in Nathia Gali are small colonial churches that many visitors pass without realising they can look inside. Churches are generally happy to have visitors outside service times; ask at the gate.

Parsi Karachi

Parsi fire temples are generally open only to Zoroastrians, so the Parsi heritage a visitor sees is civic: the Jehangir Kothari Parade at Clifton and the community's schools and buildings in Saddar. Our guide to Parsi Navroz in Karachi explains which landmarks you can see from outside.

Jain, Buddhist and Kalash heritage

The Jain temples around Nagarparkar in Tharparkar are no longer in worship but survive with much of their carved stone. Taxila and Takht-i-Bahi preserve the Buddhist past of Gandhara. The Kalash valleys of Chitral are home to a living non-Muslim community, but the UK government currently advises against all travel there, so read our Kalash culture guide and check advice before planning a visit.

Etiquette at minority places of worship

The rules are close to those at a mosque, with a few differences:

• Gurdwaras: everyone covers their head, men included. Shoes come off and feet are washed at the entrance. No tobacco or alcohol anywhere on the premises. Accept langar, the free meal, if offered, and sit on the floor to eat it.
• Hindu temples: shoes off before the inner area. Don't touch the idols or step into the sanctum unless invited.
• Churches: modest dress, quiet voices, phones on silent. Don't walk about during a service.
• Everywhere: ask before photographing worshippers. Many sites are guarded, so carry your CNIC and expect a bag check.

Our mosque etiquette guide covers the shared basics of dress and behaviour.

Is a minority heritage trip worth planning?

Yes, if you are interested in Pakistan's history. Katas Raj, Nankana Sahib, Kartarpur and Panja Sahib are among the best-kept and most moving religious buildings in the country, and they are all within a day's drive of Lahore or Islamabad. Karachi's cathedrals and temples can fill a morning in the old city.

It suits families, students and anyone who has already seen the Mughal sites and wants another layer of the country's past. It is less suited to a rushed trip, because security checks take time, festival days are reserved largely for pilgrims, and some gurdwaras need permission in advance. Visit outside the big festivals for the calmest experience. For more cultural trip ideas, see our experiences page.

Frequently asked questions