Turkmen in Pakistan

Last updated
Turkmen in Pakistan
Total population
c.6000 (2005)[ citation needed ]
Regions with significant populations
Languages
Religion
Islam
Related ethnic groups

Estimates there are over 6,000 people of Turkmen ethnicity living in Pakistan , as per the United Nations. [1] They are predominantly refugees who fled from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan in the aftermath of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and then from Afghanistan to neighbouring Pakistan following the instability during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. [2] Consequently, a large number have been in Pakistan for decades and many are part of second and third generations.

Contents

Carpet industry

Turkmen in Pakistan are pioneers of a largely successful and reputable carpet industry. In order to make a living, many have taken on the role of producing Turkmen rugs which are in great demand both inside and outside the country. In Turkmen culture, carpet-weaving is a tradition tracing back to nomadic roots; today, the trade is the primary source of sustenance and economic opportunities for the community. [2] Those in the industry are consigned by Pakistani wholesalers who provide designs and patterns, with a pay of 2,000 to 3,000 rupees per square meter. By working each day from early in the morning until late in the evening, one person is usually able produce a square meter within a month. [2] The business has transformed Turkmen villages into giant sweatshops. Many Turkmen have claimed to be better off economically than the million or so Afghan refugees in Pakistan. [2]

Society

Most of the Turkmen are based in the northern parts of the country; the town of Babu, near Peshawar, is the largest settlement camp. [2] The land they live on is courtesy of the Pakistani government and years ago they received international assistance to build their homes; however, living conditions have sometimes been described as inadequate with few electric lines and difficulties in access to water. Many refugees also do not have the resources to rent fields and grow crops in surrounding farmlands.

A considerable portion of Turkmen immigrants in Pakistan are originally Afghan nationals who migrated into the country less than two decades ago. A 2005 census showed there were over 6,000 Afghan Turkmen living in the province of Balochistan alone and they formed an overall 0.8% of the local Afghan population. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

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A Turkmen rug is a type of handmade floor-covering textile traditionally originating in Central Asia. It is useful to distinguish between the original Turkmen tribal rugs and the rugs produced in large numbers for export mainly in Pakistan and Iran today. The original Turkmen rugs were produced by the Turkmen tribes who are the main ethnic group in Turkmenistan and are also found in Afghanistan and Iran. They are used for various purposes, including tent rugs, door hangings and bags of various sizes.

Tajiks in Pakistan are residents of Pakistan who are of Tajik ancestry. The Tajiks are a Persian-speaking Iranian ethnic group native to Central Asia, living primarily in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

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Chobi rugs CHOBI is a widely used commercial term used for hand made carpets from Afghanistan and to a diminished extent in the NWFP region of Afghanistan/Pakistan border. This term has been used since the displacement and return of refugees during and after the Soviet Afghan war in the 1980s. The uprooting of weaving populations effected traditional all wool weaving which had previously been almost exclusively based on Turkmen designs with an all wool structure in red tones as expressed by Afghan carpets. Strong demand for furnishing concepts from the west to produce Persian style patterns most notably the concept of Ziegler carpets proved a good commercial success and a well made robust product using increasingly cotton as a foundation resulted. Following a western lead in tase since late 1980s the business has since 2000 fallen to a considerable degree to being administered via Pakistan merchants given the ease of export from Pakistan. Afghan weavers had largely returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan refugee camps during late 20th cent however since the Taliban/ Pashtuns take over of Afghanistan in 2021 disruption to weaving has again occurred.

Teke is a major and politically influential tribe of Turkmens in Turkmenistan.

Central Asians in the United Kingdom are Central Asians living in the United Kingdom. They have been present in the country since the 21st century and primarily originate from the countries Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghan Turkmens</span> Turkmen diaspora living mostly in the north-west of Afghanistan

Afghan Turkmens or Turkmens of Afghanistan live in the north-west of Afghanistan along the border with Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, surrounded by a larger group of Afghan Uzbeks. The number of Turkmens in Afghanistan is estimated at 1 million people or roughly 2-3% of the population of Afghanistan.

Saleema Rehman is an Afghan refugee medical doctor living in Pakistan. She is the first female Afghan Turkmen physician.

References

  1. "UNHCR - the UN Refugee Agency" (PDF).
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Turkmenistan: President Shows No Sign of Welcoming Refugee Kinsmen".
  3. Afghans in Quetta: Settlements, Livelihoods, Support Net works and Cross-Border Linkages