Turks in Pakistan ( tr, ) are ethnic
Turkish people
The Turkish people, or simply the Turks ( tr, Türkler), are the world's largest Turkic ethnic group; they speak various dialects of the Turkish language and form a majority in Turkey and Northern Cyprus. In addition, centuries-old ethnic ...
living in
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. These terms are also used to refer to Pakistani-born individuals who are of full or partial Turkish ancestry. Turkish educators in Pakistan are involved with the
PakTurk International Schools and Colleges, which has 25 branches in the country.
As of 2016, there were over 100 Turkish educators teaching at these schools, and including their families has a population of 400 Turks.
[Pakistan Orders 400 Turks to Leave Ahead of Erdogan's Visit](_blank)
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It is more probable, given that most Turkish villages were in the inaccessible mountainous regions at the time of the 1901 census, that the actual number could be as high as around 10,000.
History
Turkish people
The Turkish people, or simply the Turks ( tr, Türkler), are the world's largest Turkic ethnic group; they speak various dialects of the Turkish language and form a majority in Turkey and Northern Cyprus. In addition, centuries-old ethnic ...
started coming to post-colonial Pakistan in any given numbers when the two countries established diplomatic relations following Pakistan's independence, although a number had come even before that. By the late 70s, a number of Turks began to reside in Pakistan to escape the Political violence in Turkey (1976–1980)
Political violence in Turkey became a serious problem in the late 1970s and was even described as a "low-level war". The death squads of Turkish right-wing ultranationalist groups, sometimes allied with the state, against the resistance of the l ...
.
Snowar Khan's siblings from Oguz Khan ancestry settled in Indian continent on muslim land who till this day have roots in newly developed Pakistan linked to Rajput caste
Afghan War (2001-2021)
Numerous Turks in Pakistan were suspected of being affiliated with Afghan insurgent groups such as the Haqqani network
The Haqqani network is an Afghan Islamist group, built around the family of the same name, that has used asymmetric warfare in Afghanistan to fight against Soviet forces in the 1980s, and US-led NATO forces and the Islamic Republic of Afghanist ...
during the Afghan war and fought against NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
and Pakistani troops from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...
region.
The Turkish jihadist militant group identifying by the name of Taifatul Mansura ("Victorious Sect") were actively fighting in Waziristan, likely entering from Afghanistan, with a score of them killed by American predator drone strikes. Their commander, ''Abu Zarr'', was killed by the Taliban who described him as "dangerous" and "uncontrollable." Zarr had been previously involved in conflicts in the Caucuses before being killed in Afghanistan. He was described as the leader of Al-Queda's unit in Turkey.
A few of these were also Turks of German citizenship such as ''Mounir Chouka''. Some of these also brought native Germans converted to Islam and radicalized such as ''Eric Breininger'', who was brought to the Afghan-Pakistani border and was killed in a firefight with Pakistani forces. Another three German citizens, possibly of Turkish ethnicity, were killed in an airstrike launched by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in Northern Waziristan in early 2014, which also killed up to thirty-three Uzbek militants.
Pak-Turk schools
In April 1995, Pak-Turk Maarif schools and colleges were launched and Turkish teachers were hired.
Notable people
* Abul A'la Maududi
Abul A'la al-Maududi ( ur, , translit=Abū al-Aʿlā al-Mawdūdī; – ) was an Islamic scholar, Islamist ideologue, Muslim philosopher, jurist, historian, journalist, activist and scholar active in British India and later, following the parti ...
, Islamic scholar, Islamist ideologue, Muslim philosopher, jurist, historian, journalist
* Adil Murad, is a Pakistani film producer and actor
* Atif Bashir, German-born footballer with a Pakistani father and Turkish mother, playing for the Pakistan national football team
The Pakistan national football team represents Pakistan association football in FIFA-authorized events and is controlled by the Pakistan Football Federation, the governing body for football in Pakistan. Pakistan became a member of FIFA in 1948 ...
* Aleeze Nasser, actress and model
*Tipu Sharif
Yörgüç Tipu Sharif, better known as Tipu Sharif ( ur, ), is a Pakistan-based actor and singer-songwriter of Pakistani and Turkish descent. His mother is from Izmir, while his father is from Karachi, Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), offi ...
, actor and singer-songwriter
*Waheed Murad
Waheed Murad ( ur, ; 2 October 1938 – 23 November 1983), also known as Chocolate Hero, was a Pakistani film actor, producer and script writer. Famous for his charming expressions, attractive personality, tender voice and unusual talent for a ...
, was a Pakistani film actor, producer and script writer
See also
* Kurds in Pakistan
* Turk Jamat
The Turk Jamat are a Muslim community found in India. They claim they are descended from the various Turkic tribes that settled in the region. Many members of the community migrated to Pakistan after India's independence and subsequent part ...
* Tanoli
The Tanoli (Hindko/ ur, تنولی ,تناولی ,تنولي) are a tribe living mostly in the Hazara area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. They form the majority of the population of Lassan Nawab union council. The Tanoli describe themselves as ...
References
{{Turkish people by country
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
Ethnic groups in Pakistan