British Pakistanis

Pre-Independence The earliest period of Asian migration to Britain has not been ascertained. It is known that Romani (Gypsy) groups such as the Romanichal and Kale arrived in the region during the Middle Ages, having originated from what is now North India and Pakistan and travelled westward to Europe via Southwest Asia around 1000 CE, intermingling with local populations over several centuries. Immigration from what is now Pakistan to the United Kingdom began long before Pakistan's independence in 1947. Muslim immigrants from Kashmir, Punjab, Sindh, the North-West Frontier and Balochistan and other parts of South Asia, arrived in the British Isles as early as the mid-seventeenth century as employees of the East India Company, typically as lashkars and sailors in British port cities. These immigrants were often the first Asians to be seen in British port cities and were initially perceived as indolent due to their reliance on Christian charities. Despite this, some of the early Pakistani immigrants married local white British women because there were few South Asian women in Britain. During the colonial era, Asians continued coming to Britain as seamen, traders, students, domestic workers, cricketers, political officials and visitors and some of them settled in the region. South Asian seamen sometimes settled after ill- treatment or being abandoned by ship masters. Many early Pakistanis came to the UK as scholars and studied at major British institutions, before later returning to British India. An example of such a person is Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah came to the UK in 1892 and began an apprenticeship at Graham's Shipping and Trading Company. After completing his apprenticeship, Jinnah joined Lincoln's Inn, where he trained as a barrister. At 19, he became the youngest person from South Asia to be called to the bar in Britain. British interwar period Most early Pakistani settlers (then part of the British Raj) and their families moved from port towns to the Midlands, as Britain declared war on Germany in 1939, many expatriates mainly hailing from the city of Mirpur worked in munitions factories in Birmingham. After the war, most of these early settlers stayed on in the region and took advantage of an increase in the number of jobs. These settlers were later joined by their families. In 1932, the Indian National Congress survey of 'all Indians outside India' (of which Pakistani regions were then a part) estimated that there were 7,128 Indians in the United Kingdom. There were 832,500 Muslim Indian soldiers in 1945; most of these recruits were from what is now Pakistan. These soldiers fought alongside the British Army during the First and Second World Wars, particularly in the former during the Western Front and in the latter, during the Battle of France, the North African Campaign and the Burma Campaign. Many contributed to the war effort as skilled labourers, including as assembly-line workers in the aircraft factory at Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, which produced Spitfire fighter aircraft. Migration was facilitated by Pakistan’s membership of the Commonwealth of Nations and active recruitment by British employers to address labour shortages in key industries. A significant proportion of migrants originated from Mirpur in Azad Kashmir following the construction of the Mangla Dam in the late 1950s, which displaced thousands of people. Around 5,000 displaced individuals migrated to Britain, supported in part by compensation schemes and assistance linked to the British contractors involved in the project. Migration also continued from other regions, particularly Punjab, contributing to the growth of settled communities across the Midlands and northern England, as well as areas of London such as Southall. During the 1960s, a growing number of educated Pakistanis, including teachers, doctors and engineers, migrated to the UK, often settling in London due to wider employment opportunities. By the late 1960s, labour migration began to decline. Immigration controls introduced through the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962 and the Immigration Act 1971 restricted primary migration, although family reunification remained permitted. Early Pakistani migrants often intended to return home, but this pattern shifted towards permanent settlement, particularly after immigration restrictions and changing economic and social circumstances encouraged family reunification and long-term residence in Britain. In response, increasing numbers turned to self-employment; by 2004, around one in seven British Pakistani men worked as taxi drivers or chauffeurs. While some studies have reported higher measured poverty rates within the community, ==Demographics==

Population According to the 2021 Census, Pakistanis in England and Wales enumerated 1,587,819 or 2.7% of the population. The ten local authorities with the largest proportion of people who identified as Pakistani were: Pendle (25.59%), Bradford (25.54%), Slough (21.65%), Luton (18.26%), Blackburn with Darwen (17.79%), Birmingham (17.04%), Redbridge (14.18%), Rochdale (13.64%), Oldham (13.55%) and Hyndburn (13.16%). In Scotland, the highest proportion was in East Renfrewshire at 5.25%; in Wales, the highest concentration was in Newport at 3.01%; and in Northern Ireland, the highest concentration was in Belfast at 0.14%. The Pakistan government's Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis estimates that 1.26 million Pakistanis eligible for dual nationality live in the UK, constituting well over half of the total number of Pakistanis in Europe. Up to 250,000 Pakistanis come to the UK each year, for work, to visit or other purposes. Likewise, up to 270,000 British citizens travel to Pakistan each year, mainly to visit family. Excluding British citizens of Pakistani descent, the number of individuals living in the UK with a Pakistani passport was estimated at 188,000 in 2017, making Pakistan the eighth most common non-British nationality in the UK. The majority of British Pakistanis originate from the Azad Kashmir and Punjab regions, with a smaller number from other parts of Pakistan including Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan. The cities or districts with the largest communities, by Pakistani ethnicity in the England and Wales 2021 census, are as follows: Birmingham (pop. 195,102), Bradford (139,553), Manchester (65,875), Kirklees (54,795), Redbridge (44,000) and Luton (41,143). Historic In the 2011 UK Census, 1,174,983 residents classified themselves as ethnically Pakistani (excluding people of mixed ethnicity), regardless of their birthplace; 1,112,212 of them lived in England. Demographer Ceri Peach has estimated the number of British Pakistanis in the 1951 to 1991 censuses. He back-projected the ethnic composition of the 2001 census to the estimated minority populations during previous census years. The results are as follows: Population distribution At the time of the 2021 Census, the local authorities with the largest proportion of British Pakistanis were Pendle (25.59%), Bradford (25.54%), Slough (21.65%), Luton (18.26%) and Blackburn with Darwen (17.79%). The distribution of people describing their ethnicity as Pakistani in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland was as follows: Greater London has the largest Pakistani community in the United Kingdom. The 2021 Census recorded 290,549 Pakistanis living in London. Birmingham Birmingham has the second-largest Pakistani community in the United Kingdom. The 2021 Census recorded that there were 195,102 Pakistanis living in Birmingham, making up 17% of the city's total population. Bradford , in the north of England, is considered to be a typical "mill and mosque town" due to its large Pakistani community. Bradford has the third-largest Pakistani community in the United Kingdom. The 2021 Census recorded 139,553 Pakistanis, making up 25.5% of the city's total population. The late Professor Pnina Werbner associated the suburban movement of Pakistani-origin Muslims in Manchester with the formation of "gilded ghettoes" in the sought-after commuter suburbs of Cheshire. Pakistanis also make up the largest 'visible' ethnic minority in Scotland, representing nearly one-third of the non-White ethnic minority population. Languages Most British Pakistanis speak English, and those who were born in the UK consider British English to be their first language. First-generation and recent immigrants speak Pakistani English. Urdu, the national language of Pakistan, is understood and spoken by many British Pakistanis at a native level, and is the fourth-most commonly spoken language in the UK. Some secondary schools and colleges teach Urdu for GCSEs and A Levels. Madrassas also offer it. According to Sajid Mansoor Qaisrani, Urdu language periodicals of the 1990s published in UK used to focus exclusively on South Asian issues, with no relevance to British society. Coverage of local British issues and problems of local Pakistanis in the UK used to be sparse. As a large proportion of Pakistanis in Britain are from Punjab, Punjabi is commonly spoken amongst Pakistanis in Britain. Other Punjabi dialects are spoken in Britain, making Punjabi the third-most commonly spoken language. Diaspora Many British Pakistanis have emigrated from the UK, establishing a diaspora of their own. There are around 80,000 Britons in Pakistan, a substantial number of whom are British Pakistanis who have resettled in Pakistan. The town of Mirpur in Azad Kashmir, where the majority of British Pakistanis hail from, has a large expatriate population of resettled British Pakistanis and is dubbed "Little England". Other British Pakistanis have migrated elsewhere to Europe, North America, Western Asia and Australia. Dubai, in the UAE, remains a popular destination for British Pakistani expatriates to live although there is no minimum wage and few anti-racism groups. Pakistanis in Hong Kong were given full British citizenship in 1997 during the handover of Hong Kong, when it ceased being a British colony to prevent them being made stateless. Previously, as Hong Kong residents, they held the status of British Overseas Territories citizens. ==Religion==

Over 90% of Pakistanis in the UK are Muslims. The largest proportion of these belong to the Sunni branch of Islam, mainly Deobandi (of the Tablighi Jamaat) and Sunni Barelvi, with a significant minority belonging to the Shia branch. ==Culture==

British Pakistanis maintain a range of cultural, religious and commercial practices shaped by both Pakistani heritage and British urban life. Public celebrations commonly include Pakistan Independence Day (14 August), alongside the Islamic month of Ramadan and the festivals of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Festivals and Melas British Pakistanis participate in large outdoor community festivals, also known as “melas”. Birmingham Mela and Bradford Mela are among the best-known examples, and have been reported as attracting tens of thousands of visitors; Birmingham Mela has drawn between about 45,000 and more than 120,000 attendees in different years, while Bradford Mela has been described as attracting crowds of up to 100,000 in its peak years.In London, Eid in the Square in Trafalgar Square has been described by the Greater London Authority as welcoming more than 20,000 people. Retail and high streets British Pakistani commercial life is often associated with distinctive high streets and retail clusters, including areas known for South Asian food, fashion and jewellery. In Newham, London, Green Street hosts the East Shopping Centre, described in press coverage as a “boutique Asian shopping centre”. Night-time food streets and cafés Across several UK cities, British Pakistanis have contributed to identifiable “late-night” food streets, dessert cafés and chai venues. Manchester’s “Curry Mile” on Wilmslow Road (Rusholme) is widely associated with the city’s evening economy and a dense concentration of South Asian restaurants and related businesses. In Bradford, Leeds Road (BD3) has been promoted as a food-and-drink corridor containing restaurants, cafés, dessert parlours and takeaways, including chai venues. In Birmingham, Ladypool Road and surrounding streets are strongly associated with balti restaurants and related dining culture in the area commonly referred to as the “Balti Triangle”. Other well-known South Asian commercial streets include Alum Rock Road in east Birmingham, noted for its concentration of Asian shops and restaurants. In Luton, Dunstable Road (Bury Park) is promoted as a “bustling shopping quarter” where visitors engage with South Asian culture through independent shops and food venues. Similar clusters of Pakistani and South Asian restaurants, dessert cafés and retail outlets are also found on high streets in towns with large British Pakistani populations, including Luton, Slough, High Wycombe, Pendle, Blackburn, Rochdale and Oldham. A recent example of youth-oriented evening socialising has been described in Birmingham around “A38 Last Exit”, a drive-in food court concept linked in reporting to alcohol-free late-night social spaces with mobile food vendors and café culture. File:Currymile by night.jpg|Night-time view of the Curry Mile on Wilmslow Road, Rusholme, Manchester, a major South Asian restaurant corridor. File:Sanam, Leeds Road, Bradford - geograph.org.uk - 6747912.jpg|Sanam restaurant on Leeds Road, Bradford, part of a South Asian dining and retail corridor. File:Shops on Stratford Rd, Sparkhill - geograph.org.uk - 2646779.jpg |Shops and restaurants on Stratford Road, Sparkhill, Birmingham, associated with the Balti Triangle area. Cuisine British Pakistani cuisine forms a major part of the wider British South Asian food sector and the UK restaurant economy. A widely cited estimate (often attributed to Food Standards Agency factfiles in secondary reporting) placed the UK South Asian “curry” eating-out sector at around £3.2 billion annually and serving about 2.5 million customers each week. Balti and the “Balti Triangle” Birmingham is strongly associated with the development of “balti” as a style of curry, and the city’s Balti Triangle has been promoted as a culinary destination linked to this tradition. The UK government has described “Birmingham balti” as the first curry in Europe to apply for protected name status under the Protected Food Name scheme. Chicken tikka masala Chicken tikka masala is widely regarded as an Indo-British dish and has long been among the most popular curry dishes in the United Kingdom. Its precise origin is disputed; however, it is widely attributed in press and culinary accounts to Ali Ahmed Aslam, a Pakistani-born chef and restaurateur in Glasgow, who is said to have created the dish at his Shish Mahal restaurant in the 1970s by adding a spiced tomato-cream sauce to chicken tikka to suit local customer preferences. A campaign reported in 2009 sought European protected-status recognition for a Glasgow origin claim, although alternative origin stories continue to be cited in food history sources. Sports Cricket in 2018 The expansion of the British Empire led to cricket being played overseas. Aftab Habib, Usman Afzaal, Kabir Ali, Owais Shah, Sajid Mahmood, Adil Rashid, Amjad Khan, Ajmal Shahzad, Moeen Ali, Zafar Ansari, Saqib Mahmood, Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir are Pakistani-origin sportspeople who have played cricket for England. Similarly, Asim Butt, Omer Hussain, Majid Haq, Qasim Sheikh and Moneeb Iqbal have represented Scotland. Imad Wasim became the first Welsh-born cricketer to represent Pakistan. A number of former Pakistani cricketers have pursued professional cricket in England, and in the course of doing so, attained British citizenship or residency; they include Azhar Mahmood, Mohammad Akram, Mushtaq Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq, Junaid Khan, Zafar Gohar, and Mohammad Amir. There are several other British Pakistanis, as well as cricketers from Pakistan, who play English county cricket. Many young British Pakistanis find it difficult to make their way to the highest level of playing for England, despite much talent around the country. Many concerns about this have been documented although the number of British Pakistanis making progress in representing England is on the rise. The Pakistan national cricket team enjoys a substantial following among British Pakistanis, with the level of support translating to the equivalent of a home advantage whenever the team tours the UK. The "Stani Army" is a group consisting of British Pakistanis who follow the team, especially when they play in the UK. The Stani Army is seen as the "rival" fan club to India's "Bharat Army". England and Pakistan share a long cricketing relationship, often characterised by rivalries. Football Football is also widely followed and played by many young British Pakistanis. Masood Fakhri was the first player from South Asia to play in England, where he played for Bradford City before retiring. Many players on the Pakistan national football team are British-born Pakistanis who became eligible to represent the country because of their Pakistani heritage. Zesh Rehman played briefly for Fulham, becoming the first British Asian to play in the Premier League, before also playing for the English youth national teams until eventually opting for Pakistan. Easah Suliman became the first player of Asian heritage to captain an England football side, having done so at Under-16, Under-17 and Under-19 levels, until eventually opting for Pakistan at senior level. Suliman played every game at centre back in the England Under-19s victorious UEFA European Under-19 Championship campaign in July 2017, scoring the opening goal in England's 2–1 final victory over Portugal. playing for Bradford City in 2009 Zidane Iqbal made his first-team debut for Manchester United on 8 December 2021 as an 89th-minute substitute in a Champions League match against Young Boys. Thus, he became the first British-born South Asian to play for the senior club, and the first ever British South Asian to play in the Champions League. Other notable British Pakistani footballers include Adnan Ahmed, Atif Bashir, Otis Khan, Adil Nabi, Rahis Nabi and Harun Hamid. Boxing in 2014 Boxing is commonly practised among British Pakistanis. Amir Khan is regarded as one of the most successful British boxers of all time, and is credited with popularising boxing amongst British Pakistanis, as well as inspiring South Asian involvement in all aspects of British boxing. Usman Ahmed, Jawaid Khaliq, Kash Farooq, Adam Azim, Hamzah Sheeraz and Shabaz Masoud are other notable British Pakistani boxers. Other sports Hockey and polo are commonly played in Pakistan, with the former being a national sport, but these sports are not as popular among British Pakistanis, possibly because of the urban lifestyles which the majority of them embrace. Imran Sherwani was a hockey player of Pakistani descent who played for the English and Great Britain national field hockey teams. Adam Khan is a race car driver from Bridlington, Yorkshire. He represents Pakistan in the A1 Grand Prix series. Khan is currently the demonstration driver for the Renault F1 racing team. Ikram Butt was the first South Asian to play international rugby for England in 1995. He is the founder of the British Asian Rugby Association and the British Pakistani rugby league team, and has also captained Pakistan. He is the current WBA World light welterweight champion and 2004 Summer Olympics silver medalist. Matthew Syed was a table tennis international, and the English number one for many years. Lianna Swan is a swimmer who has represented Pakistan in several events. Literature A number of British Pakistani writers are notable in the field of literature. They include Tariq Ali, Kamila Shamsie, Nadeem Aslam, Mohsin Hamid and others. Through their publications, diaspora writers have developed a body of work that has come to be known as Pakistani English literature. ==Ethnicity and cultural assimilation==

A report of a study conducted by The University of Essex found British Pakistanis identify with 'Britishness' more than any other Britons. The study is one of several recent studies that have found that Pakistanis in Britain express a strong sense of belonging in Britain. The report showed that 90% of Pakistanis feel a strong sense of belonging in Britain compared to 84% of white Britons. English Pakistanis tend to identify much more with the United Kingdom than with England, with 63% describing themselves in a Policy Exchange survey as exclusively "British" and not "English" in terms of nationality, and only 15% saying they were solely English. Azad Kashmiris is a Kashmir born MP and the first female Pakistani Conservative Party MP. Around 70% of all British Pakistanis trace their origins to the administrative territory of Azad Kashmir in northeastern Pakistan, mainly from the Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimber districts. Christopher Snedden writes that most of the native residents of Azad Kashmir are not of Kashmiri ethnicity; rather, they could be called "Jammuites" due to their historical and cultural links with that region, which is coterminous with neighbouring Punjab and Hazara. Because their region was formerly a part of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir and is named after it, many Azad Kashmiris have adopted the "Kashmiri" identity, whereas in an ethnolinguistic context, the term "Kashmiri" would ordinarily refer to natives of the Kashmir Valley region. The population of Azad Kashmir has strong historical, cultural and linguistic affinities with the neighbouring populations of upper Punjab and Potohar region of Pakistan. The first generation migrant from Azad Kashmir were not highly educated, and being from rural settlements, had little or no experience of urban living in Pakistan. The Azad Kashmiri expatriate community has made notable progress in UK politics and a sizeable number of MPs, councillors, lord mayors and deputy mayors are representing the community in different constituencies. Punjabis Punjabis make up the second-largest sub-group of British Pakistanis, estimated to make up to a third of all British Pakistanis. With an equally large number from Indian Punjab, two-thirds of all British Asians are of Punjabi descent, and they are the largest Punjabi community outside of South Asia, People who came from the Punjab area integrated much more easily into the British society as early Punjabi immigrants to Britain tended to have higher education credentials and found it easier to assimilate because many already had a basic knowledge of the English language (primarily Pakistani English). Most Pakistani Punjabis living in the UK trace their roots to villages of the Pothohar region (Jhelum, Gujar Khan, Attock) of northern Punjab, along with villages in the Central Punjab (Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Gujrat, and Sargodha) region, while more recent immigrants have also arrived from large cities such as Lahore and Multan. British Punjabis are commonly found in the south of England, the Midlands, and the major cities in the north (with smaller minorities in former mill towns in Lancashire and Yorkshire). Pashtuns Pakistani Pashtuns in the United Kingdom mainly originate from the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern Balochistan in Pakistan, though there are also smaller communities from other parts of Pakistan, such as Pashtuns of Punjab from Attock. Another report shows that there are over 100,000 Pashtuns in Britain, making them the largest Pashtun community in Europe. Major Pashtun settlement in the United Kingdom can be dated over the course of the past five decades. There is a British Pashtun Council which has been formed by the Pashtun community in the UK. British Pashtuns have continued to maintain ties with Pakistan over the years, taking keen interest in political and socioeconomic developments in Pakistan. There are many Baloch associations and groups active in the UK, including the Baloch Students and Youth Association (BSYA), Baloch Cultural Society, Baloch Human Rights Council (UK) and others. Some Baloch political leaders and workers are based in the UK, where they found exile. Muhajirs is a British Pakistani actor and rapper of Muhajir origin There is also a significant albeit smaller community Muhajirs in the UK. Another notable includes the 2016 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who is of Muhajir origin. Others There is also a Pakistani Hazara community in the UK, concentrated particularly in Milton Keynes, northeastern London, Southampton and Birmingham. They migrated to the UK from Quetta and its surroundings, which is historically home to the large Hazara population in Pakistan. == Health and social issues ==

British Pakistanis show distinctive health patterns compared with the general UK population, reflecting demographic structure, socioeconomic conditions, and South Asian–associated disease risk profiles. Large UK cohort, registry, and genomic studies conducted since the 2010s have expanded the evidence base on health outcomes in this population. Major recent population health research Several large UK research programmes include substantial British Pakistani participation. Genes & Health is a community-based genomic and health study of British Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage populations, with over 100,000 volunteers whose genetic data are linked to NHS health records. Publications from the programme report elevated levels of autozygosity and identify recessive genetic contributions to both rare disorders and common diseases, with implications for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and inherited conditions. The Born in Bradford longitudinal cohort studies have followed tens of thousands of children and families and have produced widely cited research on congenital anomalies, child health, diabetes risk, and changing marriage patterns among Pakistani-heritage families. Cohort analyses report measurable declines in parental cousin marriage across successive birth cohorts and identify both genetic and socioeconomic factors associated with health outcomes. Chronic disease patterns Health Survey for England ethnicity analyses report that people of Pakistani ethnicity have among the highest prevalence of diagnosed type 2 diabetes in England after age standardisation. Studies also report earlier average age of onset compared with the White British population. Medical literature attributes elevated diabetes risk in South Asian populations to a combination of genetic susceptibility, adiposity patterns, and early-life influences. Reviews describe developmental origins mechanisms — sometimes termed the “thrifty phenotype” hypothesis — in which fetal and early-childhood undernutrition is associated with higher later-life metabolic disease risk. Large cardiovascular datasets in England report higher coronary heart disease diagnosis rates and earlier onset among Pakistani and other South Asian groups compared with the White British population. Cancer patterns and screening Cancer incidence varies by ethnicity and age structure. Because the British Pakistani population is younger on average than the White British population, crude overall cancer incidence rates are lower. Registry-based studies of South Asian populations in England report lower rates of several smoking-related cancers and differing patterns in some gastrointestinal and liver cancers. Screening programme data have reported lower participation in some cancer screening programmes — including breast, cervical, and bowel screening — among certain South Asian groups, including Pakistani communities, with disparities associated with language, access, and deprivation. NHS programmes have introduced targeted outreach approaches to improve uptake. Disability and special educational needs UK disability prevalence increases substantially with age. Because the British Pakistani population has a younger age distribution than the White British population, direct comparison of crude all-age disability rates is affected by demographic structure. UK child cohort and education-linked studies report that Pakistani-heritage children are not consistently overrepresented in special educational needs and disability (SEND/SEN) categories after adjustment for socioeconomic factors. Some cohort analyses report similar or lower recorded rates compared with White British children in the same study populations. Consanguineous marriage and genetic risk Consanguineous marriage (marriage between biological relatives, most commonly first cousins) occurs in parts of the British Pakistani community, with substantial regional variation. Settlement studies show that Pakistani populations are geographically concentrated, and patterns observed in specific cities are not necessarily representative nationally. Bradford cohort research reports declining prevalence of first-cousin parentage across successive birth cohorts, with unrelated parents forming a growing majority in more recent cohorts. Qualitative studies in the same population describe changing attitudes among younger and UK-born participants regarding marriage within kinship networks. Medical cohort studies report that first-cousin parentage is associated with increased relative risk of autosomal recessive disorders and congenital anomalies, while also noting that absolute risk remains low and is modified by factors such as maternal education and access to healthcare. Sexual health and STIs UK sexual health surveillance reports that diagnosed sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates vary primarily by age, deprivation, and behavioural factors. National surveillance summaries generally report lower recorded STI diagnosis rates among South Asian ethnic groups, including Pakistani populations, compared with the White British population, while cautioning that testing patterns and healthcare access influence recorded rates. ==Education==

Data from the 2021 Census shows that 33% of British Pakistanis in England and Wales hold degree level qualifications, compared to 31% of White British people. This has increased since 1991, when the figures for both groups holding a degree were 7% and 13%, respectively. 25% of British Pakistanis in England and Wales did not have qualifications, compared to 18% of White British people, making them of one of the least qualified major groups. At GCSE level (Key Stage 4), Pakistani pupils performed slightly above the national average and ahead of White British pupils on headline attainment measures. Pakistani pupils achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 46.5, compared with a national average of 46.0 and 44.4 among White British pupils. Several Muslim schools also cater to British Pakistani pupils. Higher education There are 97,000 UK-domiciled British Pakistani students in the 2024–25 academic year, this represents 4.5% of all UK-domiciled students. In 2017, approximately 16,480 British Pakistani students were admitted to university, almost a two-fold increase from 8,460 in 2006. In 2021, 58.4% of British Pakistanis chose to continue their studies at the university level. This was a higher rate than average nationally (44%), and higher than the rate for White British (39%). Science and mathematics are the most popular subjects at A-Level and degree level among the youngest generation of British Pakistanis, as they begin to establish themselves within the field. In addition, there are over 10,000 Pakistani international students who enrol and study at British universities and educational institutions each year. There are numerous student and cultural associations formed by Pakistani pupils studying at British universities. Language education Urdu courses are available in the UK and can be studied at GCSE and A-Level. Urdu degrees are offered by several British universities and institutes, while several others are also hoping to offer courses in Urdu, open to established speakers as well as beginners, in the future. The Punjabi language is also offered at GCSE and A-Level, and taught as a course by two universities: SOAS, University of London (SOAS) and King's College London. Pashto is presently taught at SOAS and King's College London as well. ==Economics==

British Pakistanis participate in the UK economy through paid employment, self-employment, small business ownership and professional occupations. Labour market outcomes vary by region, age profile and household composition. Official statistics show lower overall employment rates and higher economic inactivity than the UK average, alongside comparatively high rates of self-employment and entrepreneurship. Household income surveys show greater concentration in lower income bands and higher measured poverty rates, partly associated with larger average household sizes and lower rates of dual-earner households. At the same time, major government housing surveys and Census-based reporting show that Pakistani home-ownership rates typically fall in the low-to-mid 60% range, clustering around roughly six in ten households depending on the dataset, year and geography. Employment, economic activity and unemployment House of Commons Library analysis of Office for National Statistics (ONS) labour market data reports that around 60% of people of Pakistani ethnicity aged 16–64 are in employment, with employment rates differing by gender (approximately 71% for men and 47% for women). The same analysis reports that around 66.8% of working-age Pakistanis are economically active (about 608,000 people), while 33.2% (about 303,000) are economically inactive; economic inactivity is higher among women, with roughly 46% of working-age Pakistani women recorded as inactive. The number of unemployed people of Pakistani ethnicity aged 16–64 is around 72,000. Self-employment and entrepreneurship Self-employment rates are higher than the UK average among Pakistani-origin workers. ONS Annual Population Survey-based analysis cited by the House of Commons Library indicates that the combined Pakistani and Bangladeshi category has among the highest self-employment rates of major ethnic group groupings (around 16% of those in work). ONS labour market datasets cited in the same briefing report approximately 79,000 self-employed people of Pakistani ethnicity aged 16 and over, of whom around 70,000 are men. Sectoral representation Pakistani-origin workers are represented in professional and public service occupations, including medicine, dentistry and pharmacy. According to General Medical Council statistics as of March 2024, there were 21,280 doctors from Pakistan registered in the UK, and 2,100 dentists of Pakistani ethnicity were registered with the General Dental Council as of 2017. In total, Pakistani-origin doctors make up 6.1% of all doctors in the UK and Pakistan is one of the largest source countries of foreign young doctors in the UK. As of 2021, Pakistanis represented 8% of the NHS in England's junior doctors, 4% of the consultants and 10% of the other specialists. Pakistani representation in selected UK public-sector workforces and professions In transport, government statistics show that taxi and private-hire driving is a predominantly male occupation and that Asian or Asian British drivers make up a substantial share of drivers in England (42% in 2022). In London, Transport for London licensing data for taxi drivers (black cabs) record Pakistani ethnicity at around 1% of licensed taxi drivers in published datasets. However, around 14% of all PHV taxi drivers in London are of Pakistani ethnicity. In private security, Security Industry Authority (SIA) data published monthly include a breakdown of licence holders by nationality and show that Pakistani nationals are among the largest non-UK nationality groups in the licensed workforce, constituting 16% of all licensed holders. Business ownership and notable firms British Pakistani entrepreneurs have established businesses across wholesale, retail and hospitality. The Bestway Group, founded by Sir Anwar Pervez, owns the Well Pharmacy chain and Bestway Wholesale, which operates retail brands including best-one and Bargain Booze. British Pakistani-founded restaurant businesses also operate as regional and national chains. For example, the BBC reported that restaurateur Shabir Hussain founded the Akbar's chain in Bradford in 1995 and later expanded to multiple UK cities. British Pakistani entrepreneurs have founded and scaled a number of prominent halal fast-food brands in the UK. For example, the fried-chicken chain Dixy Chicken was founded by British Pakistanis in 1986, while entrepreneur Mohammed Khalid is widely credited with founding Chicken Cottage, which grew into a major UK franchise. More recently, the UK and international expansion of German Doner Kebab has been led by the Glasgow-based Sarwar family, with Athif Sarwar (a British Pakistani businessman) serving as chairman of GDK International. Household income, poverty and state support Family Resources Survey data show Pakistani households are more concentrated in lower gross weekly household income bands than White households, though present across the distribution. Housing tenure, overcrowding and overseas property Government-commissioned qualitative research reports that overcrowding is more common among South Asian households, including Pakistani households, due to a combination of housing supply constraints, affordability pressures, larger family sizes and preferences for extended-family living; the research also notes that extended households can provide shared childcare and pooled financial resources alongside space pressures. Many first-generation British Pakistanis have maintained strong transnational ties through regular travel, remittances and investment in property in Pakistan. Media reporting has described remittance-funded construction and large “returnee” housing in Mirpur (Azad Kashmir), sometimes characterised as “Little Britain”, linked to long-standing migration from the area to the UK. A Migration Observatory briefing (using World Bank bilateral estimates for 2021) reported that Pakistan was among the top estimated destinations for remittances from the UK, while noting that remittance measurement can be incomplete and may exclude informal channels. Household wealth ONS analysis of the Wealth and Assets Survey (April 2016 to March 2018) reported substantial variation in median total household wealth by ethnicity. Median wealth for Pakistani-headed households was below the White British median but above several other minority ethnic groups in the same period. Community fundraising for overseas humanitarian and development projects has also been reported in UK regional media. For example, a Derby charity dinner supporting the Kashmir Orphan Relief Trust (KORT) reported raising £55,000 and described cumulative fundraising by the local community for the charity since 2005 at over £500,000. Over £300,000 was recently fundraised in Blackburn for Kashmir Orphan Relief Trust (KORT). == Media ==

Cinema Notable films that depict the lives of British Pakistanis include My Beautiful Laundrette, which received a BAFTA award nomination, and the popular East is East which won a BAFTA award, a British Independent Film Award and a London Film Critics' Circle Award. The Infidel looked at a British Pakistani family living in East London, and depicted religious issues and the identity crisis facing a young member of the family. The film Four Lions looked at issues of religion and extremism. It followed British Pakistanis living in Sheffield in the North of England. The sequel to East is East, called West is West, was released in the UK on 25 February 2011. Citizen Khan is a sitcom developed by Adil Ray which is based on a British Pakistani family in Sparkhill, Birmingham, dubbed the "capital of British Pakistan". The soap opera EastEnders also features many British Pakistani characters. Pakistani Lollywood films have been screened in British cinemas. Indian Bollywood films are also shown in British cinemas and are popular with many second generation British Pakistanis and British Asians. Television BBC has news services in Urdu and Pashto. In 2005, the BBC showed an evening of programmes under the title Pakistani, Actually, offering an insight into the lives of Pakistanis living in Britain and some of the issues faced by the community. The executive producer of the series said, "These documentaries provide just a snapshot of contemporary life among British Pakistanis—a community who are often misunderstood, neglected or stereotyped." Saira Khan hosts the BBC children's programme Beat the Boss. Martin Bashir is a Christian Pakistani who worked for ITV, then American Broadcasting Company, before becoming BBC News Religious Affairs correspondent in 2016. Radio The BBC Asian Network is a radio station available across the entire UK and is aimed at Britons of South Asian origin under 35 years of age. Apart from this popular station, there are many other national radio stations for or run by the British Pakistani community, including Sunrise and Kismat Radio of London. Regional British Pakistani stations include Asian Sound of Manchester, Radio XL and Apni Awaz of Bradford and Sunrise Radio Yorkshire which based in Bradford. These radio stations generally run programmes in a variety of South Asian languages. Print The Pakistani newspaper the Daily Jang has the largest circulation of any daily Urdu-language newspaper in the world. It is sold at several Pakistani newsagents and grocery stores across the UK. Urdu newspapers, books and other periodical publications are available in libraries which have a dedicated Asian languages service. Examples of British-based newspapers written in English include the Asian News (published by Trinity Mirror) and the Eastern Eye. These are free weekly newspapers aimed at all British Asians. British Pakistanis involved in print media include Sarfraz Manzoor, who is a regular columnist for The Guardian, one of the largest and most popular newspaper groups in the UK. Anila Baig is a feature writer at The Sun, the biggest-selling newspaper in the UK. == Politics ==

is the current Mayor of London since 2016. British Pakistanis are represented in politics at all levels. In 2019, there were fifteen British Pakistani MPs in the House of Commons. Notable members have included Shadow Secretary of State for Justice Sadiq Khan and Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, described by The Guardian as a 'rising star' in the Tory party. The Guardian stated that, "The treasury minister is highly regarded on the right and would be the Tories' first Muslim leader", whereas The Independent said he could become the next Chancellor of the Exchequer, which he did in July 2019. The 2019 United Kingdom general election saw a record number of British Pakistani candidates. Notable British Pakistanis in the House of Lords includes Minister for Faith and Communities and former chairman of the Conservative Party Sayeeda Warsi, Tariq Ahmad, Nazir Ahmed, and Qurban Hussain. Mohammad Sarwar of the Labour Party was the first Muslim Member of Parliament, being elected in Glasgow Central in 1997 and serving until 2010. In 2013, Sarwar quit British politics and returned to Pakistan, where he joined the government and briefly served as the Governor of Punjab. Other politicians in Pakistan known to have held dual British citizenship include Rehman Malik, Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan, and some members of the Pakistani national and provincial legislative assemblies. In 2007, 257 British Pakistanis were serving as elected councillors or mayors in Britain. British Pakistanis make up a sizeable proportion of British voters and are known to make a difference in elections, both local and national. They are much more active in the voting process, with 67% voting in the last general elections of 2005, compared to just over 60% for the country. Apart from their involvement in domestic politics, the British Pakistani community also maintains keen focus on the politics of Pakistan and has served as an important soft power prerogative in historical, cultural, economic and bilateral relations between Pakistan and the United Kingdom. Major Pakistani political parties such as the Pakistan Muslim League (N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the Pakistan Peoples Party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and others have political chapters and support in the UK. Some of the most influential names in Pakistani politics are known to have studied, lived or exiled in the UK. London, in particular, has long served as a hub of Pakistani political activities overseas. The British Azad Kashmiri community has a strong culture of diaspora politics, playing a significant role in advocating the settlement of the Kashmir conflict and raising awareness of human rights abuses in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. Much of Pakistani lobbying and intelligence operations in the UK are focused on this key diaspora issue. Labour Party The Labour Party has traditionally been the natural choice for many British Pakistanis. The Labour Party are said to be more dependent on votes from British Pakistanis than the Conservative Party. British Pakistani support for Labour reportedly fell because of party's decision to take part in the Iraq War, when a substantial minority of Muslim voters switched from Labour to the Liberal Democrats. However, according to survey research, 60% of Pakistani voters voted Labour in the subsequent general election in 2010. and this figure rose to more than 90% in the 2017 general election. High-profile British Pakistani politicians within the Labour Party include Shahid Malik and Lord Nazir Ahmed, who became the first Muslim life peer in 1998. Sadiq Khan became the first Muslim cabinet minister in June 2009, after being invited to accept the post by then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Anas Sarwar served as an MP for Glasgow Central between 2010-15, and was elected as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party in February 2021. He first stood at the 2017 Scottish Labour leadership election, where he finished in second place to Richard Leonard. Shabana Mahmood is the current Labour Home Secretary. Conservative Party , is the former Chancellor of the Exchequer.|left Some commentators have argued the Conservative Party has become increasingly popular with some British Pakistanis, as they become more affluent. However, analysis of a representative sample of ethnic Pakistani voters in the 2010 general election from the Ethnic Minority British Election Study shows that 13% of them voted Conservative, compared to 60% Labour and 25% Liberal Democrat. The Conservative Friends of Pakistan aims to develop and promote the relationship between the Conservative Party, the British Pakistani community and Pakistan. David Cameron opened a new gym aimed at British Pakistanis in Bolton after being invited by Olympic gold medallist Amir Khan in 2009. Cameron also appointed Tariq Ahmad, Baron Ahmad of Wimbledon, a Mirpuri-born politician, a life peerage. Multi-millionaire Sir Anwar Pervez, who claims to have been born Conservative, has donated large sums to the party. Sir Anwar's donations have entitled him to become a member of the influential Conservative Leader's Group. Shortly after becoming the Conservative Party leader, Cameron spent two days living with a British Pakistani family in Birmingham. He said the experience taught him about the challenges of cohesion and integration. Rehman Chishti became the new Conservative Party MP for Gillingham and Rainham in 2010. Sayeeda Warsi was promoted to chairman of the Conservative Party by the prime minister shortly after the 2010 UK general election. Warsi was the shadow minister for community cohesion when the Conservatives were in opposition before the 2010 election. She was the first Muslim and first Asian woman to serve in a British cabinet. Both of Warsi's grandfathers served with the British Army in the Second World War. Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party and Others , former First Minister of Scotland At the 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Scottish Pakistani voters supported the Scottish National Party more than the average Scottish voter. The SNP is a centre-left, nationalist party that campaigns for the independence of Scotland from the United Kingdom. SNP candidate Bashir Ahmad was elected to the Scottish Parliament to represent Glasgow at the 2007 election, becoming the first member of the Scottish Parliament to be elected with a Scottish Asian background. On 29 March 2023, Humza Yousaf was elected First Minister of Scotland, becoming the first British Pakistani to hold this position, and simultaneously the first Muslim leader of a European country. He also served as Leader of the Scottish National Party between 2023-24. Salma Yaqoob is the former leader of the left-wing, anti-Zionist Respect Party. The small party has seen success in areas such as Sparkbrook in Birmingham and Newham in London, where there are large Pakistani populations. Qassim Afzal is a senior Liberal Democrat politician of Pakistani origin. In 2009, he accompanied the then Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to meetings with Pakistan's president, Asif Ali Zardari. There has never been a Pakistani MP from the Liberal Democrats. ==Contemporary issues==

Racism and discrimination The chance of a Pakistani being racially attacked in a year is greater than 4%—the highest rate in the country, along with British Bangladeshis—though this has come down from 8% a year in 1996. Police recorded figures also showed that in 2018–19, the highest proportion of victims (18%) of racially aggravated hate crimes were of Pakistani ethnicity. Between 2005 and 2012, just over half of the victims of Islamophobic incidents in London were Pakistani in ethnic appearance. The term "Paki" is often used as a racist slur to describe Pakistanis and can also be directed towards other non-Pakistani South Asians. There have been some attempts by the youngest generation of British Pakistanis to reclaim the word and use it in a non-offensive way to refer to themselves, though this remains controversial. In 2001, riots occurred in Bradford. Two reasons given for the riots were social deprivation and the actions of extreme right wing groups such as the National Front (NF). The Anti-Nazi League held a counter protest to a proposed march by the NF leading to clashes between police and the local South Asian population, with the majority of those being involved being of Pakistani descent. "Paki-bashing" Starting in the late 1960s, and peaking in the 1970s and 1980s, violent gangs opposed to immigration took part in frequent attacks known as "Paki-bashing", which targeted and assaulted Pakistanis and other South Asians. "Paki-bashing" was unleashed after Enoch Powell's inflammatory Rivers of Blood speech in 1968, These attacks were usually referred to as either "Paki-bashing" or "skinhead terror", with the attackers usually called "Paki-bashers" or "skinheads". ==Notable people==