British Pakistanis : Ask Biography

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British Pakistanis (also known as Pakistani Britons) are British citizens who were either born in Pakistan or whose ancestors came from there. The majority are from the Punjab and Kashmir regions, with a small number from the Pashtun provinces. The United Kingdom is home to the largest Pakistani diasporic community. British Pakistanis constitute a significant proportion of British Asians.

Immigration from the region which is now Pakistan began in the mid-seventeenth century. During the two world wars, people from this region served as soldiers and in defense plants. Following the Second World War and the break-up of the British Empire, Pakistani immigration to the United Kingdom increased, especially during the 1950s and 1960s. This was made easier by the fact that Pakistan was a member of the Commonwealth. Pakistani immigrants helped to resolve labour shortages in the British steel and textile industries. Doctors from Pakistan were recruited by the National Health Service in the 1960s.

The demographic of British Pakistanis has changed considerably since they first arrived in the UK. The population has grown from about 10,000 in 1951 to roughly 1.2 million today. The most diverse Pakistani population is in London and is made up of Punjabis, Pathans, Kashmiris, Sindhis and other Urdu Speakers. The majority of British Pakistanis are Muslims; around 90 per cent of those living in England and Wales at the time of the 2001 UK Census stated their religion was Islam. The majority are Sunni Muslims, with a significant minority of Shia Muslims. The UK also has one of the largest overseas Christian Pakistani communities; the 2001 census recorded around 8,000 Christian Pakistanis living in England and Wales.

British Pakistanis have the second highest relative poverty rate in Britain, ahead of only British Bangladeshis, though some have established highly successful businesses. A large number of British Pakistanis are self-employed, with a significant proportion working as taxi drivers or in family-run businesses in the retail sector. There has been ubiquitous media coverage since the War on Terror, both factual and satirical, associating British Pakistanis with extremism. However, such individuals represent only a radicalised minority who exist among several notable British Pakistanis.