Pakistanis in Somalia

Pakistanis in Somalia

Total population
8,200 Baloch (1989); <1,000 Indo-Pakistanis (2001) [1]
Regions with significant populations
Mogadishu, Kismayo
Languages
Balochi, Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Somali
Religion
Islam mostly Sunni
Related ethnic groups
Pakistani Diaspora, Asian Africans

Pakistanis in Somalia are residents of Somalia who are of Pakistani ancestry. They were historically a small community of retail traders and businesspeople.

Demographics

No official data exists on the current number or ethnic subdivisions of Pakistanis in Somalia. ^[2] Under 1,000 Shia Indo-Pakistanis were reported to reside in the country in 2001. ^[1]

As of 1989, a group of ethnic Baloch also lived in Somalia. An Iranic community, they were estimated at 8,200 residents. ^[3]

Community

There has been a small community of Pakistanis in Somalia since at least the 1960s. ^[4] Historically, they were mainly shopkeepers, ^[5] concentrated in Mogadishu and other southern urban areas. ^[6] Pakistanis were among the main expatriate communities in the country, which also included Indians, Yemenis and Italians. ^{[7] [ self-published source ]}

After the civil war broke out in Somalia in the early 1990s, most of the resident Pakistanis left the country. ^[8] Around 5,700 Pakistani troops contributed to the ensuing UN peacekeeping operation in southern Somalia. ^[9]

In the 2000s, some Pakistanis were reported to be among the ranks of foreign fighters involved in the Al-Shabaab-led Islamist insurgency in Somalia. ^[10] Pakistani missionaries from the Tablighi Jamaat also frequently journeyed to the country, where they would engage in missionary work and dawah. ^[11]

Organizations

The Pakistani community in Somalia was diplomatically represented by the Pakistani embassy in Mogadishu. Established in 1973, it provided services to the resident Pakistanis. ^[12]

See also

• Pakistan portal
• Somalia portal

• Somalis in Pakistan
• Pakistan–Somalia relations

References

1. David B. Barrett, George Thomas Kurian, Todd M. Johnson (2001). World Christian Encyclopedia: The world by segments : religions, peoples, languages, cities, topics. Oxford University Press. p. 672. ISBN   019510319X.
2. Cheema, Umar (12 July 2012). "Where expatriates who reach the top come from". The News International. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
3. Carina, Jahani (1989). Standardization and Orthography in the Balochi Language. Almqvist & Wiksell International. ISBN   9789155424879.
4. Ummah: Voice of the Community, Volume 1. Central Institute of Islamic Research. 1964. Minister for Commerce and Industry, Mr. Osman Mohammad Adde has assured the Pakistani community in Somalia that it shall not be prevented from doing retail business.
5. Sachs, Moshe Y. (1988). Worldmark encyclopedia of the nations, Volume 2. Worldmark Press. p. 284. ISBN   0471624063.
6. Touval, Saadia (1963). Somali nationalism: international politics and the drive for unity in the Horn of Africa. Harvard University Press. p. 13. ISBN   9780674818255.
7. Conflict resolution and Nation-Building in Somalia. Xlibris Corporation. 27 February 2012. ISBN   9781469166070. Other minority population in Somalia include Indians, Pakistanis, and Yemenis who are in the retail business
8. Prendergast, John (1994). The Gun Talks Louder Than the Voice. Center of Concern. p. 2.
9. Berdal, Mats (Spring 1994). "Fateful Encounter: The United States and UN Peacekeeping". Survival. 36 (1): 43. doi:10.1080/00396339408442722.
10. "Somalia's al Shabaab executes three of its own for treason". Reuters. 22 July 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
11. Jonathan D. Hutzley, Jamestown Foundation (Washington, D.C.) (2005). Unmasking Terror: A Global Review of Terrorist Activities, Volume 3. Jamestown Foundation. p. 221. ISBN   9780967500966.
12. British Broadcasting Corporation (1973). Summary of World Broadcasts: Non-Arab Africa, Issues 4335-4411. A Pakistani embassy was opened here last night at a special ceremony attended by the Pakistani community in Somalia and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.