Pakistani diaspora#Pakistan Origin Card

The term Overseas Pakistani is officially recognised by the Government of Pakistan. It refers to Pakistani citizens who have not resided in Pakistan for a specified period (for the purpose of income tax) and to people born abroad who are of Pakistani descent.

{{Main|NADRA}}

The National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis, or NICOP, is a Computerised National Identity Card issued to workers, emigrants, citizens, or Pakistanis holding dual nationality. NICOP was conceived by NADRA in 2002 as a project of mutual resolve between the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, the Ministry of Labour & Manpower, and the Ministry of Interior. All NICOP holders are registered in the NADRA database to provide authenticity of the individual and visa-free entry into Pakistan. Proof of family relationships is necessary for various legal and administrative purposes involving NICOP.{{cite web |last1=NCCs |first1=NADRA card |title=How to Get an FRC Certificate NADRA Online? |url=https://nadracardcentres.online/how-to-get-frc-certificate-nadra-online/ |website=NADRA Card Centres (NCCs) |date=15 April 2023 |access-date=2023-04-15}}

The Pakistan Origin Card, or POC, is issued by Pakistani embassies or high commissions to people of Pakistani origin living abroad.[http://www.nadra.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8&Itemid=11 POC] NADRA Retrieved 23 January 2010. POC are not issued to those with dual nationalities.[http://www.pakmission-uk.gov.pk/HC/nicop.asp NICOP] Pakistan High Commission, UK Retrieved 23 January 2010.

Emigration from the territories that now constitute Pakistan began as early as 3000 BC.

{{see also | Indian_maritime_history#Prehistory | l1=Maritime prehistory of India | Greater India | Indianisation }}

The presence of Harappan merchants in Mesopotamia from the Indus Valley civilisation is suggested by various forms of glyptic evidence. A recently discovered Mesopotamian cylinder seal inscription reveals that an interpreter from "Meluhha" (Harappa) was present. Several Indus-scripted seals have also been discovered in excavations.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8l9X_3rHFdEC&q=Indus+immigration+to+mesopotamia&pg=PA246|title=Art of the First Cities: The Third Millennium B.C. from the Mediterranean to the Indus|first=Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York|last=N.Y.)|date=25 November 2017|publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art|isbn=9781588390431|access-date=25 November 2017|via=Google Books}}

{{see also | Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent | l1= Muslim invasions of the Indian subcontinent }}

During the 10th century, Arabic chronicles mention tribes coming into contact with Baloch settlers.{{cite book|last1=Etheredge|first1=Laura|title=Persian Gulf States: Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates|date=2011|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group|isbn=9781615303274|page=66|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IM6J4sgCU28C&pg=PA66}} The majority of Baloch settlers originated from the Makran coast and settled in what is today Oman, forming part of the Bedoon community.{{cite news|url=http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/tourism/sharjah-balochistan-flights-to-start-in-may-1.234248|title=Sharjah-Balochistan flights to start in May|work=Gulf News|date=25 April 2006|access-date=23 July 2016|first=Nissar|last=Hoath}} Many of them worked in various trades, including barbers, fan operators, and shopkeepers. Some were even drafted as soldiers for the army of the Iman of Oman.{{cite web|url=http://www.thenational.ae/uae/heritage/bidoon-celebrate-uae-national-day-as-emiratis |title=Bidoon celebrate UAE National Day as Emiratis |work=The National |date=24 November 2013 |access-date=10 June 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131126150126/http://www.thenational.ae/uae/heritage/bidoon-celebrate-uae-national-day-as-emiratis |archive-date=26 November 2013 }} A small population of Muslim clergy from Punjab, Kashmir, and Sindh settled in Mecca by the 14th century to aid travellers from the region making the journey for Hajj and to help expand Islam throughout the Indus Valley and its tributaries. Bankers and merchants from southern Punjab (Multan) and northern Sindh (Shikarpur) were present in Safavid Persia during the 15th century, living alongside Jews and Armenians.{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/india-vii-relations-the-afsharid-and-zand-periods |title=INDIA vii. RELATIONS: THE AFSHARID AND ZAND PERIODS|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Iranica |volume=XIII |date=15 December 2004 |pages=21–26 }}{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/bazar-ii |title=BĀZĀR ii. Organization and Function|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Iranica |volume=IV |date=15 December 1989 |pages=25–30 }} Pashtun traders arrived by boat in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, as early as the 15th century.{{cite book|title=Refugees and the Transformation of Societies: Agency, Policies, Ethics, and Politics|publisher=Berghahn Books|date=2004|isbn=9781571818669|pages=50–51|first1=Philomena|last1=Essed|first2=Georg|last2=Frerks|first3=Joke|last3= Schrijvers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ixn_D2mhxyAC&pg=PA50}}{{cite book|title=Crucible of Conflict: Tamil and Muslim Society on the East Coast of Sri Lanka|pages=73–77, 375|first=Dennis B.|last=McGilvray|publisher=Duke University Press|date=2008|isbn=9780822389187|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MgHIiEtdVFAC&pg=PA75}} The Mukkuvar locals established an alliance with the Pashtun traders, enlisting their help to fend off incursions from rivals in the north. The traders were rewarded through marriages and settled in Eravur. Their settlement may have been deliberate, forming a buffer against future invasions from the north. When Arab and Persian merchants expanded maritime trade routes in the 16th century, Sindh became fully integrated into the inter-Asian trade network. This led to increased trade and navigational interactions between Sindhi merchants and Arab/Persian merchants. Sindh also maintained independent commercial relations with East Asia and Southeast Asia, particularly with the Kedah Sultanate on the Malay Peninsula.{{cite web|url=http://en.unesco.org/silkroad/knowledge-bank/science-and-technology/boats-indus-delta-and-coastline-sindh-development-historical|title=Boats in the Indus Delta and on the coastline of Sindh. Development in historical perspective - SILK ROAD|website=en.unesco.org|access-date=25 November 2017}}

{{see also | Colonial India | l1= Colonial history of India }}

After the fall of Sindh in 1842 and Punjab in 1849, a large part of the territory of today's Pakistan came under rule of the British Empire. From 1842 to 1857, a small number of immigrants from Punjab, Sindh, and Kashmir began arriving in the British Isles as employees of the British East India Company, typically as lashkars and sailors in British port cities.{{cite web|url=http://www.fathom.com/course/21701766/index.html |title=The First Asians in Britain |publisher=Fathom |access-date=29 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040411034742/http://www.fathom.com/course/21701766/index.html |archive-date=11 April 2004 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/uk_1.shtml|title=History of Islam in the UK|work=BBC - Religions|date=7 September 2009|access-date=15 October 2015}}{{cite web |url=http://www.fathom.com/course/21701766/session3.html |title=British Attitudes towards the Immigrant Community |author=Fathom archive |publisher=Columbia University |access-date=4 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110103132528/http://fathom.com/course/21701766/session3.html |archive-date=3 January 2011 }} After the establishment of the British Empire in 1857, Baloch and Pashtuns, along with Punjabis, Sindhis, and Kashmiris, continued coming to Britain as seamen, traders, students, domestic workers, cricketers, political officials, and visitors. A small number of them settled in the region.{{cite web|url=http://www.historytoday.com/bhikhu-parekh/south-asians-britain|title=South Asians in Britain|work=History Today|first=Bhikhu|last=Parekh|date=9 September 1997|access-date=30 July 2015}} Many influential members of the Pakistan Movement, including Muhammad Iqbal and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, spent a considerable amount of time in Britain and Europe, studying at major British institutions.D. N. Panigrahi, India's Partition: The Story Of Imperialism In Retreat, 2004; Routledge, p. 16. Between 1860 and 1930, camel caravans worked in Outback Australia, which included Pashtun, Punjabi, Baloch, and Sindhi menWestrip, J. & Holroyde, P. (2010): Colonial Cousins: a surprising history of connections between India and Australia. Wakefield Press. {{ISBN|1862548412}}, p. 175. as well as others from Kashmir.[http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/afghan-cameleers australia.gov.au > About Australia > Australian Stories > Afghan cameleers in Australia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140815171331/http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/afghan-cameleers |date=15 August 2014 }} Accessed 8 May 2014. By 1900, Punjabis and Pashtuns began migrating to other parts of the British Empire. Many were veterans of the British Army, but also included a small migrant population who were legally considered British subjects. Pashtun migrants opted for the British Trucial States, where the British used their subjects as a valuable human resource in running the administration.Jonathan S. Addelton, Undermining The Centre; The Gulf Migration and Pakistan, Oxford University Press,1992. British Columbia became a destination for many Punjabi migrants as agents of the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Hudson's Bay Company guaranteed jobs for them between 1902 and 1905. However, many Punjabi migrants returned due to racism and the curtailing of migration of non-whites by the Canadian government.Pg. 79. White Canada Forever. By W. Peter Ward. 2002. McGill, Quebec, Canada. {{ISBN|978-07735-2322-7}}. Others sought opportunities by moving to the United States, particularly Yuba City, California. Poor wages and working conditions convinced Punjabi workers to pool their resources, lease land, and grow their own crops, thereby establishing themselves in the newly budding farming economy of northern California.{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/rootsinthesand/|title=Roots in the sand|author=Jayasri Majumdar Hart|publisher=PBS}}

Many people from modern Pakistan migrated and settled in Malaysia, which was also part of the British Empire. The Malays and Pakistanis share a strong Muslim identity. At the time of Malaysia's independence under the Federation of Malaya Independence Act 1957, there were more than two hundred thousand Pakistanis residing in Malaysia. Rather than forming a separate group under the categorized system, at the suggestion of the Malays themselves, Pakistanis immersed themselves into the Malay group. Thus, they became part of the Bumiputra elite, enriched by social ties, intermarriage, and shared economic and political aspirations. They also took positions in the civil service administration and gradually rose to the upper echelons of government, becoming inextricably intermixed with the Malay majority.{{cite web|url=https://www.mcgill.ca/channels/news/total-assimilation-outcomes-migration-studies-253532|title=Total Assimilation Outcomes in Migration Studies|website=Channels}} Many elite Malay families have at least one grandparent who was Pakistani. Diplomats, judges, legislators, and other government cadres include people with recognized Pakistani-Malay bloodlines.

{{see also | Partition of India }}

Emigration from Pakistan was relatively small between 1947 and 1970. The rapid industrialization of Pakistan during the 1950s and 1960s, coupled with the introduction of modern agricultural practices, pushed out surplus labor, leading to mass rural-to-urban migration, primarily to Karachi.Sir Rupert Hay, the Persian Gulf States, Middle East Institute, Washington DC, 1959; International Labour Organization, 1945-1957, Geneva, 1959; Quoted in Addleton, 1992. During this period, the majority of Pakistanis who went abroad considered themselves "sojourners", who left to earn money but did not intend to settle, or were students who planned to return to Pakistan after completing their degree programs. By 1971, no more than 900,000 Pakistanis lived abroad, with most residing in the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. In 1959, small numbers of Pakistanis were found working in Bahrain, Kuwait, and elsewhere in the Persian Gulf. By 1960, the Pakistani community in Bahrain numbered 2,200, while almost half of the population in Kuwait comprised non-nationals, including a small number from Pakistan. Pakistan was already the single most important source of non-Arab expatriate labor in the Kuwait Oil Company (representing about 19% of the workforce) and trailed only Americans among those working for Saudi Aramco in Saudi Arabia, representing 6% of the workforce.Albert Y. Badre and Simon G Siksek, Manpower and Oil in the Arab Countries, Economic Research Institute,

American University of Beirut, 1960.

The first mass migration of Pakistanis began in 1965 during the construction of the Mangla Dam in Azad Jammu & Kashmir. Over 280 villages around Mirpur and Dadyal were submerged, which led to the displacement of over 110,000 people from the region. Pakistanis also emigrated from these areas and the regions of Attock and Nowshera due to high levels of unemployment and harsh terrain that made farming difficult.{{Cite book |last=Shaw |first=Alison |url=https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=fqHKAgAAQBAJ&pg=GBS.PA30&hl=en |title=Kinship and Continuity: Pakistani Families in Britain |date=2014-02-04 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-43430-5 |pages=13–29 |language=en}} During the same period, the British government actively sought workers from abroad for industrial towns in north-west England, which were suffering from labor shortages. Many Pakistani emigrants relocated to work in towns like Rochdale, Newcastle, Bristol, High Wycombe, Birmingham, Dewsbury, Huddersfield, and Bradford. Consequently, many work permits for Britain were awarded to the displaced population of Mirpur.Terminski, Bogumil "Development-Induced Displacement and Resettlement: Theoretical Frameworks and Current Challenges", Indiana University, 2013, available at: http://dlc.dlib.indiana.edu/dlc/handle/10535/8833?show=full. Close to 50,000 Pakistanis from Mirpur emigrated to northern England between 1965 and 1970.{{cite web |title=The Pakistani Muslim Community in England |url=http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/1170952.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120919132719/http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/1170952.pdf |archive-date=19 September 2012}}{{cite web |title=2011 Census Branding Approval Form |url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/census/2011/the-2011-census/2011-census-questionnaire-content/question-and-content-recommendations/kashmiri-research-project-2011---final-report.pdf}} Those who emigrated during this time were aided by the 1948 British Nationality Act, which allowed people from British Commonwealth countries, such as Pakistan, to travel and settle in Britain as they were considered British citizens.

{{see also | Liberation of Bangladesh }}

The availability of a large-scale labor force from Pakistan resulted from a combination of economic, social, and institutional factors at home. By 1970, Pakistan was passing through a serious economic and political crisis, which eventually led to the secession of East Pakistan in 1971. The rapid economic development of the 1950s and 1960s could not be sustained by 1970, and a wave of nationalization of business and industry was unfolding under Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. This led to slower large-scale industrialization due to a new wave of industrial unrest and disaffection between industrialists and Bhutto's government, which favored the nationalization of banking, large-scale trading, and industry.

Rural-to-urban migration into Karachi slowed during the 1970s and 80s and was replaced by a rising wave of international migration to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, or Libya. The profile of the workforce and their places of origin followed the established patterns of internal migration routes. These included people from NWFP, northern Punjab (Potohar Plateau), the Seraiki belt in southern Punjab, and the hill tracts of Azad Jammu & Kashmir. Institutionally, a network of information chains to seek work and the channels for remitting money to families back in Pakistan already existed. The majority of migrants were young males who sought work abroad while families remained in Pakistan. These channels soon expanded and adapted to new requirements and conditions.Roger Owen, Migrant Workers in the Gulf, London; Minority Rights Group Report Number 68, September 1985. During the 1960s and 1970s, the remaining Pakistani Jewish community of 2000 began emigrating to Israel and settled in Ramla.{{cite web |last=Jay |first=Philip |title=A Jewish presence in Pakistan – Karachi in another time |url=http://www.jewishtimesasia.org/community-spotlight-topmenu-43/pakistan/544-pakistan-communities/2806-a-jewish-presence-in-pakistan-karachi-in-another-time |access-date=25 November 2017 |website=www.jewishtimesasia.org}}

Today's Pakistani diaspora is substantial, with over 9 million Pakistanis residing abroad, including an estimated 4 million in the Persian Gulf region. This represents a significant portion of the population seeking opportunities beyond their homeland. Emigration trends indicate a continued outflow, with 325,142 individuals departing in the first half of 2024 alone. The year 2015 witnessed a peak in outbound migration, as 946,571 Pakistanis left the country primarily in pursuit of employment and enhanced career prospects.{{Cite web |title=Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment - Government of Pakistan |url=https://beoe.gov.pk/#:~:text=During%20the%20year%202015,%20highest,for%20the%20purpose%20of%20employment. |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=beoe.gov.pk}}

The expatriate labor force in the Persian Gulf has followed a "circulating work force" pattern. Workers come in, work for a few years, periodically visit Pakistan for short or long breaks, and then return permanently.

{{Main|Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development}}

{{Further|Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment}}

The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development is a ministry of the Government of Pakistan that oversees matters concerning Overseas Pakistanis and human resource development in Pakistan. Aun Chaudhry is the current minister.{{Cite web |title=National Assembly of Pakistan, Ministers of State |url=https://na.gov.pk/en/smins_list.php |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250323013441/https://www.na.gov.pk/en/smins_list.php |archive-date=2025-03-23 |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=na.gov.pk |language=en}} The ministry was created in June 2013 from a merger of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis{{cite web |title=Introduction |url=http://www.moops.gov.pk/gop/index.php?q=aHR0cDovLzE5Mi4xNjguNzAuMTM2L21vb3BzbS8%3D |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130819042402/http://www.moops.gov.pk/gop/index.php?q=aHR0cDovLzE5Mi4xNjguNzAuMTM2L21vb3BzbS8%3D |archive-date=19 August 2013 |access-date=10 August 2013 |work=Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis}}{{cite web |date=20 February 2013 |title=First ever National Policy for Overseas Pakistanis |url=http://www.ilo.org/islamabad/info/public/pr/WCMS_205280/lang--en/index.htm |access-date=10 August 2013 |work=International Labour Organization}} and the Ministry of Human Resource Development,{{cite news |date=16 July 2013 |title=Ministries of Overseas Pakistanis, HR development merged |url=http://dawn.com/news/1029291/ministries-of-overseas-pakistanis-hr-development-merged |access-date=10 August 2013 |work=Dawn}} which was established in 2008. The Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment appoints Community Welfare Attachés (CWA) around the world to establish and maintain close contacts with foreign firms in need of manpower for their ventures in different countries, and to aid in the welfare of overseas Pakistanis. CWAs are currently located in:{{cite web |title=Community Welfare Attaché (CWA) Offices - Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment |url=http://www.beoe.gov.pk/community-welfare-attache-offices |access-date=25 November 2017 |website=www.beoe.gov.pk}}

• Bahrain (Manama)
• Canada (Toronto, Vancouver)
• Germany (Frankfurt)
• Greece (Athens)
• Italy (Milan)
• Kuwait (Kuwait City)
• Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)
• Norway (Oslo)
• Oman (Muscat)
• Qatar (Doha)
• Saudi Arabia (Jeddah, Riyadh)
• Spain (Barcelona)
• United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah)
• United Kingdom (London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow)
• United States (New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles)

The Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) was established in July 1979, with its head office in Islamabad and regional offices in all provincial capitals as well as Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The objective of the OPF is to advance the welfare of Pakistanis working or settled abroad and their families in Pakistan by identifying their problems and contributing to their solutions. These include health care, financial aid, foreign exchange remittance, and education.{{cite web |title=Overseas Pakistanis Foundation |url=http://www.opf.org.pk/ |access-date=18 March 2015}} The Overseas Pakistanis Foundation operates more than 24 schools in and across Pakistan, offering preschool, primary, secondary, and preparation for local SSC and the international GCE education. Most of its students opt to take the GCE O and AS/A Levels organized by the CIE of UCLES. It has also established international projects in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. The head office of the OPF schools is located in Islamabad, administering the system through six main regional offices:

• Regional Office Karachi, Sindh (ROK)- Karachi Metropolitan Area and Sindh
• Regional Office Lahore, Punjab (ROL) - Punjab
• Regional Office Multan, Punjab (ROM) - some divisions of Punjab under ROM like Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan
• Regional Office Northern Areas, Mirpur (AJK) - Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir
• Regional Office Peshawar, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (ROP) - Khyber Pakthunkhwa
• Regional Office Quetta, Balochistan (ROQ) - Balochistan

{{main|Foreign relations of Pakistan}}

Millions of Pakistanis emigrated to various countries during the 1970s and 1980s. Unlike European immigrants who settled permanently in the new world, many Pakistanis who emigrated considered themselves "sojourners", who left to earn money abroad but not to settle, or were students who intended to return to Pakistan upon completing their degree programs.

{{Main|Little Pakistan}}

File:Top of Rock Cropped.jpg, including New York City, Central New Jersey, as well as Long Island in New York, is home to the largest Pakistani American population.]]

Little Pakistan is a general name for an ethnic enclave primarily populated by Pakistanis or people of Pakistani ancestry abroad, usually in an urban neighborhood all over the world

{{Main|Pakistan International School}}

Pakistan International Schools are schools based outside Pakistan that promote the national curriculum. These schools fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education and mainly cater to students who are not nationals of the host country, such as children of the staff of international businesses, organizations, embassies, missions, or missionary programs.{{cite web |title=pisj-es.com |url=http://pisj-es.com/npisj/pages/about/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216095444/http://pisj-es.com/npisj/pages/about/ |archive-date=16 February 2017 |access-date=23 January 2018 |website=pisj-es.com}} For overseas Pakistani families, these schools provide continuity in education from Pakistan, as most prefer to stay within the same curriculum, especially for older children.{{cite web |title=Official Website of Pakistan International School Al-Jubail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |url=http://www.pisjubail.com/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121013756/http://pisjubail.com/ |archive-date=21 January 2018 |access-date=23 January 2018 |website=www.pisjubail.com}} Pakistan International Schools typically use curricula based on the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education and offer both Urdu and English language classes. There are notable Pakistani International Schools in Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar

{{Main|Arabs in Pakistan}}

Since the independence of Pakistan in 1947, there has been a large population of Pakistanis in the Middle East, mainly in Saudi Arabia. However, since the 1990s, many have opted for countries like the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Pakistanis who immigrated to these countries or were born there tended to stay close to Pakistani culture. Many "Pakistan International Schools" were opened to cater to the large population and allow them to study under the same boards as students in Pakistan. As a result, those returning to Pakistan from the Middle East have found it much easier to adjust. Pakistanis from the Middle East can be found throughout the country today, usually fluent in Urdu, English, and their regional language. They are mostly involved in trading, media, telecommunications, banking, and aviation.

{{Main|British people in Pakistan}}

Since the 1990s, a large number of Pakistanis who settled in Europe have been returning to Pakistan. Those born in Europe have also maintained close links to Pakistani culture. However, there are instances where children did not learn Urdu while growing up or were not accustomed to Pakistani culture. As a result, those returning from Europe experience "culture shocks". Returnees from Norway and Denmark are mostly settled around Kharian in Punjab province, whereas those from northern England (Bradford) can be found in Azad Kashmir (mainly Mirpur), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and upper Punjab (Jhelum, Chakwal, Attock, and Rawalpindi).

{{Main|Americans in Pakistan|Canadians in Pakistan}}

Historically, only a small number of Pakistanis from Canada and the United States have returned to Pakistan. While they frequently visit during the summer and winter vacations, permanent settlement was not popular among them until 2001. However, since the September 11 attacks and the 2008 financial crisis, many Pakistani Americans and Pakistani Canadians have begun to return. The population of returning expatriates from the Americas, who often have excellent credentials, has increased significantly due to new job opportunities in Pakistan.{{cite news |last=Vaswani |first=Karishma |date=6 July 2008 |title=Returning Pakistanis praise new lives |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7490555.stm |access-date=21 May 2010 |work=BBC News}} Many of these returnees can be found in major cities such as Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, and Peshawar, as well as in smaller cities and towns like Sialkot. Those returning from North America generally find it easier to secure jobs in Pakistan and are involved in a wide range of fields, including healthcare, engineering, law, banking, information technology, mass media, and industry.

{{Bar chart

| title = Remittances sent by year ($US billion){{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Workers' Remittances|url=http://www.sbp.org.pk/ecodata/Homeremit.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041208220022/http://sbp.org.pk:80/ecodata/Homeremit.pdf |archive-date=8 December 2004 |access-date=2021-06-12|website=SBP}}{{cite news|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/920286/pakistan-pockets-remittances-amounting-to-18-4b/|title=Pakistanis remittances|date=14 July 2015|newspaper=The Express Tribune|access-date=19 March 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.overseaspakistanis.net/category/op-news/page/2/|title=OP News Discussions - Voice of Overseas Pakistanis - Page 2|author=Mohammad|access-date=18 March 2015}}{{Cite web|url=http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPROSPECTS/Resources/334934-1199807908806/Top10.pdf|title = Welcome to World Bank Intranet}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1201344|title=ECP says it stands by its plan to give overseas Pakistanis right to vote|first=Iftikhar A.|last=Khan|date=19 August 2015|access-date=25 November 2017}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.sbp.org.pk/press/2005/Workers_Remittances-Jul04-Jun05.pdf |title=Pakistan Receives $4.169 Billion as Workers' Remittances During the Last Fiscal Year |access-date=23 January 2018 |archive-date=6 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106011339/http://sbp.org.pk/press/2005/Workers_Remittances-Jul04-Jun05.pdf |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.sbp.org.pk/press/2006/wrk-remitt-15-Jul-06.pdf |title=Pakistan Receives Record Workers' Remittances of Over $4.6 Billion During the Last Fiscal Year |access-date=23 January 2018 |archive-date=6 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106014828/http://sbp.org.pk/press/2006/wrk-remitt-15-Jul-06.pdf |url-status=dead }}

| label_type = Year

| data_type = Remittance ($ billion)

| label1 = 2003

| data1 = 4.23

| label2 = 2004

| data2 = 3.87

| label3 = 2005

| data3 = 4.17

| label4 = 2006

| data4 = 4.61

| label5 = 2007

| data5 = 6.51

| label6 = 2008

| data6 = 7.81

| label7 = 2009

| data7 = 8.91

| label8 = 2010

| data8 = 9.32

| label9 = 2011

| data9 = 11.21

| label10 = 2012

| data10 = 13.19

| label11 = 2013

| data11 = 13.90

| label12 = 2014

| data12 = 15.80

| label13 = 2015

| data13 = 18.72

| label14 = 2016

| data14 = 19.92

| label15 = 2017

| data15 = 22.30

| label16 = 2018

| data16 = 19.9

| label17 = 2019

| data17 =21.7

| label18 = 2020

| data18 =23.1

| label19 = 2021

| data19 =29.4

| label20 = 2022

| data20 = 31.2

| label21 = 2023

| data21 = 27

| label22 = 2024

| data22 =

| label23 = 2025

| data23 =

| label24 = 2026

| data24 =

| label25 = 2027

| data25 =

| label26 = 2028

| data26 =

| label27 = 2029

| data27 =

| label28 = 2030

| data28 =

|data_max=50}}

[[File:Map of the Pakistani Diaspora in the World.svg|thumb|400px|right|A map showing the distribution and population of Pakistan diaspora by country.

{{col-begin}}

{{col-break}}

{{Legend|#000000|Pakistan}}

{{Legend|#01411c|+ 1,000,000}}

{{Legend|#018438|+ 100,000}}

{{col-break}}

{{Legend|#01d059|+ 10,000}}

{{Legend|#a9fec1|+ 1,000}}

{{legend|#a0a0a0|No data}}

{{col-end}}

]]

Population of Pakistanis abroad, by country, according to the 2019-20 Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Yearbook,{{cite web| title =Year Book, 2019–20| url =https://ophrd.gov.pk/SiteImage/Misc/files/Year%20Book%202019-20.pdf| pages =61| website =ophrd.gov.pk/| location =Islamabad| publisher =Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development| access-date =7 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230511040026/https://ophrd.gov.pk/SiteImage/Misc/files/Year%20Book%202019-20.pdf| archive-date =11 May 2023}} or other estimates (if indicated).

{{static row numbers}}

• Baloch diaspora
• Kashmiri diaspora
• Hazara diaspora
• Muhajir diaspora
• Pashtun diaspora
• Punjabi diaspora
• Sindhi diaspora
• Saraiki diaspora

• NADRA
• Demographics of Pakistan
• Pakistani students abroad
• Little Pakistan
• Pakistan International Schools

{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}} http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7174294.stm

• {{cite journal|doi=10.3390/rel12050356|doi-access=free |title=Mapping Muslim Moral Provinces: Framing Feminized Piety of Pakistani Diaspora |date=2021 |last1=Mehmood |first1=Maryyum |journal=Religions |volume=12 |issue=5 |page=356 }}

{{Commons category|Pakistani diaspora}}

• [http://www.mofa.gov.pk Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs Division]
• [https://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/c2kbr01-16.pdf The Asian Population Census report 2010]
• [http://www.urdu.org.au Pakistan Cultural Association -Australia]

{{Pakistani Diaspora}}

{{Overseas Asians}}

{{Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development}}

{{Pakistan topics}}

{{Authority control}}