Pakistan is a multilingual country with over 70 languages spoken as first languages. The majority of Pakistan's languages belong to the Indo-Iranian group of the Indo-European language family.
English is the most widely spoken and de facto official language of the United Kingdom. A number of regional and migrant languages are also spoken. Regional English variant languages include Scots and Ulster Scots, and indigenous Celtic languages include Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Welsh. There are many non-native languages spoken by immigrants, including Polish, Hindi, and Urdu. British Sign Language is sometimes used as well as liturgical and hobby languages such as Latin and a revived form of Cornish.
The Brahui, Brahvi, or Brohi are an ethnolinguistic group of pastoralists principally found in Pakistan, and to a smaller extent in Afghanistan and Iran. They speak Brahui, which belongs to the Dravidian language family.
Swat District, also known as the Swat Valley, is a district in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Known for its stunning natural beauty, the district is a popular tourist destination. With a population of 2,687,384 per the 2023 national census, Swat is the 15th-largest district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Bishigram (بیشیگرام) valley is located in Swat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Torwali, also known as Bahrain Kohistani, is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Torwali people, and concentrated in the Bahrain and Chail areas in the Swat Kohistan region of the Swat District in northern Pakistan. The Torwali language is said to have originated from the pre-Muslim communities of Swat. It is the closest modern Indo-Aryan language still spoken today to Niya, a dialect of Gāndhārī, a Middle Indo-Aryan language spoken in the ancient region of Gandhara. Torwali and Gawri languages are collectively classified as "Swat Kohistani".
Gawri (ګاوری), also known as Kalami (کالامي), Kalam Kohistani and Bashkarik, is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in Swat Kohistan region in the upper Swat District and in the upper Panjkora river valley of Upper Dir District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Gawri and Torwali are collectively classified as "Swat Kohistani".
Dawoodi, also known as Domaakí, Ḍumāki, or Domaá, is an endangered Indo-Aryan language spoken by a few hundred people living in the Gilgit-Baltistan territory in northern Pakistan. It is historically related to the Central Indo-Aryan languages of the Indian Midlands, though it has been significantly influenced by its neighbours.
Katë, also known as Kamkata-vari or Kati, is the largest Nuristani language. It is a dialect continuum comprising three separate dialects spoken mostly in Afghanistan, with additional speakers in the Chitral District of Pakistan deriving from recent migrations a century ago. The Kata-vari and Kamviri dialects are sometimes erroneously reckoned as two separate languages, but according to linguist Richard Strand they form one language.
Rahim Shah is a Pakistani pop singer, composer and music producer, predominantly working in Pashto music industry.
Afghanistan is a linguistically diverse nation with upwards of 40 distinct languages spoken. Dari and Pashto serve as the two main official languages whereas English and Urdu also remain popular. Dari historically served as the lingua franca between different ethnic groups in the region.
The Kho, or Chitrali people, are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group native to the Chitral District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan and the Gupis-Yasin and Ghizer districts of Gilgit-Baltistan. They speak an Indo-Aryan language called Khowar.
Hazarewal or Hazarawals refer to the multi-ethnic community inhabitants of the Hazara region in Northern Pakistan. This region is known for its multi-ethnic population, comprising various ethnic groups with diverse origins.
Pakistan is an ethnically and linguistically diverse country. The major Pakistani ethnolinguistic groups include Punjabis, Pashtuns, Sindhis, Saraikis, Muhajirs, Balochs, Hindkowans/Hazarewals, Brahuis, and Kohistanis with significant numbers of Shina, Baltis, Kashmiris, Paharis, Chitralis, Torwalis, Hazaras, Burusho, Wakhis, Kalash, Siddis, Uzbeks, Nuristanis, Pamiris and various other smaller minorities.
In 2008, Pakistan saw 40 terrorist attacks, which caused 154 fatalities and 256 injuries.
Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani female education activist, film and television producer, and the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate at the age of 17. She is the youngest Nobel Prize laureate in history, the second Pakistani and the only Pashtun to receive a Nobel Prize. Yousafzai is a human rights advocate for the education of women and children in her native homeland, Swat, where the Pakistani Taliban had at times banned girls from attending school. Her advocacy has grown into an international movement, and according to former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, she has become Pakistan's "most prominent citizen."
Zubair Torwali is a community activist, linguist and educator based in Bahrain, Pakistan. Torwali has dedicated himself to preserving and promoting Pakistan's Dardic Dardic cultures and languages. He has authored and overseen numerous books about the Torwali people and their culture. In addition to being an author, he is also a researcher and public speaker.
Behrain, also known as Swat Kohistan, is a tehsil located in Swat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The population is 270,620, according to the 2023 census. Behrain has an area of 2,899 km2, and is part of the larger Kohistan region. It is known for alpine valleys such as Kalam and is home to a number of Indigenous Indo-Aryan peoples, including Gujar, Kho and Gawri.
The Torwali people are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group located in the Swat district of Pakistan. The Torwali people have a culture that values the telling of folktales and music that is played using the sitar. They speak an Indo-Aryan language called Torwali.
Kohistan is a mountainous region located in the northern Pakistan. It consists of Indus Kohistan, Swat Kohistan and Dir Kohistan in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, with a total area of 11,531 square kilometres (4,452 sq mi).
