Palestinians in Pakistan ( ar, فلسطينيو باكستان) once compromised a population of 8,000 during the 1970s. Now, however, the community has considerably grew to figures ranging between 40,000 and 50,000. Most
Palestinians
Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...
found in
Pakistan are most commonly students of
medicine and
engineering, seeking education in various universities and institutions across the country such as
Karachi,
Lahore,
Hyderabad,
Quetta and
Multan. Settled families on the other hand, are primarily based in
Islamabad and Karachi.
The recent years have shown an increase in the number of Palestinians migrating to the country, as students increasingly opt to complete undergraduate degrees in Universities in Islamabad and Karachi.
Pakistani government reserves 50 seats for Palestinian students in universities across the country: 13 are for medicine, 4 for
dentistry
Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions o ...
, 23 for
engineering, and 10 for pharmacy. Eight scholarships are also offered. Over 45,000 Palestinian students have graduated from universities and institutes in Pakistan.
History
From the post Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Zulfiqar Bhutto-era of the 1970s, Palestinian families settled across Pakistan in large numbers, as many seats and employment opportunities were offered to students and professionals. After the 1990s however, tougher-implemented foreign policies restricted the open mass-migration patterns and only a limited number of people entered the country. During the Afghan-Russian Cold War, there were numerous Palestinians who took aid and shelter in Pakistan while fighting alongside the United States, U.S.-backed guerillas against the Soviet Union. A particular incident citing the presence of these fighters was the November 24, 1989 Peshawar car bomb-explosion, which killed three Palestinians who had lived in Pakistan (including Abdullah Yusuf Azzam) for 15 months, embroiled in Afghanistan's decade-old war, fighting on the side of anti-Communist guerrillas.
There is an organisation of Palestinian students, called the General Union of Palestinian Students (Islamabad).
Notable people
* Abdullah Yusuf Azzam
* Embassy of Palestine, Islamabad
See also
* Arabs in Pakistan
* Pan Am Flight 73 -a scheduled Pan-Am flight through Karachi to New York hijacked by Palestinian militants.
References
External links
Palestine Foundation Pakistan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Palestinians In Pakistan
Pakistani people of Palestinian descent,
Palestinian diaspora
Immigration to Pakistan
Pakistan–State of Palestine relations