Christianity in Pakistan

{{Short description|none}}{{pp-protected|small=yes}}  {{Infobox religious group |group = Pakistani Christians |image = File:PK Karachi asv2020-02 img43 StPatrick Cathedral.jpg |caption=Interior of Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Karachi |pop = {{increase}} 3,300,788 – 1.37% {{increase}} (2023) | region1 = Punjab | pop1 = 2,458,924 – 1.93% | ref1 = | region2 = Sindh | pop2 = 546,968 – 0.98% | ref2 = | region3 = Islamabad Capital Territory | pop3 = 97,281 – 4.26% | ref3 = |langs = {{hlist|Punjabi|Urdu|English}} |rels = }}

Christianity is the third-largest religion in Pakistan, with the 2023 Census recording over three million Christians, or 1.37% of the total population in Pakistan.<ref name="2023 Census">{{cite web | url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/national/table_9.pdf|title=2023 Census Table 9: Religious, Sex, Rural, and Urban Populations}}</ref> About 90 to 95% of Pakistani Christians are Dalits from the Chuhra caste who converted from Hinduism.<ref name="Phan2011"/> The province of Punjab has the largest population of Christians in the country. The majority of Pakistan's Christians are members of the Catholic Church or the Church of Pakistan, with the remainder belonging to other Protestant groups.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Church of Pakistan |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Church-of-Pakistan |access-date=25 December 2024 |website=www.britannica.com |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pakistan-country-policy-and-information-notes/country-policy-and-information-note-christians-and-christian-converts-pakistan-april-2024-accessible |title=Country Policy and Information Note Pakistan: Christians and Christian converts |publisher=Home Office |year=2024 |pages=56 |access-date=25 December 2024}}</ref>

Around 75 percent of Pakistan's Christians are rural Punjabi Christians, while some speak Sindhi and Gujarati, with the remainder being the upper and middle class Goan Christians and Anglo-Indians.<ref name="Jacobsen2011">{{cite book |last=Jacobsen |first=Douglas |author-link=Douglas Jacobsen |title=The World's Christians: Who they are, Where they are, and How they got there |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6bivgXYZbuoC&pg=PT112 |date=21 March 2011 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-4443-9729-1 |pages=112–}}</ref><ref name="Coren2014">{{cite book |last1=Coren |first1=Michael |title=Hatred |date=21 October 2014 |publisher=McClelland & Stewart |isbn=978-0-7710-2385-9 |language=en |quote=At [Pakistan's] inception in 1947, Pakistani Christians could be divided in three categories. a) Punjabi rural working-class Anglicans, (b) Catholic urban middle-class Goans in Karachi, and c) White Anglo-Indians who lived in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Quetta and this included both Irish Catholic and English Protestants.}}</ref>

== Punjabi Christians == Punjabi Christians are mainly Dalit Christians, descendants of lower-caste Hindus who converted during the colonial era in India. Their socio-economic conditions facilitate religious discrimination.<ref name="Phan2011">{{cite book |last1=Phan |first1=Peter C. |title=Christianities in Asia |date=2011 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-4443-9260-9 |page=25 |language=en |quote=For example, 90 to 95% of Pakistani Christians are Punjabi of the chura (dalit) group converted from Hinduism rather than from Islam or local religious systems.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Sara |first1=Singha |last2=Ariel |first2=Glucklich |date=23 April 2015 |title=Dalit Christians and Caste Consciousness in Pakistan |url=https://repository.library.georgetown.edu/handle/10822/761014 |access-date=22 September 2020 |language=en |quote=This study explores caste discrimination in Pakistan against untouchable (Dalit) converts to Christianity. During the nineteenth century in India, many Dalits converted to Christianity to escape caste persecution. In the 1870s in Punjab, a mass movement to Protestant Christianity flourished among the Dalit Chuhra caste. The Chuhras were the largest menial caste in Punjab and engaged in degrading occupations including sweeping and sanitation work. By the 1930s, almost the entire Chuhra caste converted to Protestant Christianity. In 1947, during the partition of India, the majority of Chuhra converts in Punjab became part of the Protestant community in Pakistan. After Partition, many uneducated Chuhras were confined to menial jobs in the sanitation industry. Today, the stigma of Dalit ancestry is a distinct feature of social discrimination against Chuhra Christians in Pakistan.}}</ref> Blasphemy allegations have led to several cases of mob violence against Christian households and churches.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hussain |first=Abid |title='I don't feel safe anymore': Pakistan Christians in fear after mob violence |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/23/pakistan-christians-in-fear-after-blasphemy-allegations-trigger-violence |access-date=2023-08-29 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}</ref>

==History== thumb|St Patrick's Cathedral Karachi {{Christianity in Pakistan}} Thomas the Apostle is credited with the arrival of Christianity to the Indian subcontinent, establishing the community of Saint Thomas Christians on the Malabar Coast; Saint Thomas Christian crosses (Mar Thoma Sleeva) have been found all over the Indian subcontinent, including one near the city of Taxila in what is now Pakistan.<ref name="Kurikilamkatt2005">{{cite book |last1=Kurikilamkatt |first1=James |title=First Voyage of the Apostle Thomas to India: Ancient Christianity in Bharuch and Taxila |date=2005 |publisher=ATF Press |isbn=978-1-925612-64-6 |page=140 |language=en}}</ref>

In 1745, the Bettiah Christians, the northern Indian subcontinent's oldest surviving Christian community, were established by the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin under the patronage of King Dhurup Singh; the Hindustan Prefecture was raised in 1769 at Patna and later shifted to Agra, which was elevated to the status of a Vicariate in 1820.<ref name="Kalapura">{{cite journal |author=Jose Kalapura, SJ |title=Centenary History of Patna Jesuit Mission |journal=Patna Ganga Lahar |date=April 2020 |publisher=Jesuit Conference of South Asia|pages=9–10}}</ref> The Capuchins, through their Agra Diocese and Allahabad Diocese, expanded their ministry and established in the 1800s Catholic churches in colonial India's northern provinces including Rajasthan, UP, CP, Bihar and Punjab, the latter of which now includes Pakistan.<ref name="Kalapura"/>

In 1877, on Saint Thomas' Day at Westminster Abbey, London, Rev. Thomas Valpy French was appointed the first Anglican Bishop of Lahore, a large diocese of the Church of India, Burma and Ceylon, which included all of the Punjab, then under British rule in colonial India, and remained so until 1887; during this period he also opened the Divinity College, Lahore in 1870.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1878/01/13/archives/churches-and-ministers-home-and-foreign-events.html |title=Churches and Ministers: Home and Foreign Events |work=The New York Times |date=January 13, 1878}}</ref><ref>[http://anglicanhistory.org/india/pk/stock_french/06.html An Heroic Bishop] Chapter VI. His Fourth Pioneer Work: The Lahore Bishopric.</ref><ref>[http://anglicanhistory.org/india/stock_beginnings/11.html Beginnings in India] By Eugene Stock, D.C.L., London: Central Board of Missions and SPCK, 1917.</ref> Rev. Thomas Patrick Hughes served as a Church Missionary Society missionary at Peshawar (1864–84), and became an oriental scholar, and compiled a 'Dictionary of Islam' (1885).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mundus.ac.uk/cats/13/1027.htm |title=British Library |publisher=Mundus.ac.uk |date=2002-07-18 |access-date=2013-02-18}}</ref>

The Christians of colonial India were active in the Indian National Congress and the wider Indian independence movement, being collectively represented by the All India Conference of Indian Christians, which advocated for swaraj and opposed the partition of India.<ref name="Thomas1974">{{cite book |last1=Thomas |first1=Abraham Vazhayil |title=Christians in Secular India |date=1974 |publisher=Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press |isbn=978-0-8386-1021-3 |pages=106–110 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Oddie2001">{{cite journal |last1=Oddie |first1=Geoffrey A. |title=Indian Christians and National Identity 1870-1947 |journal=The Journal of Religious History |date=2001 |volume=25 |issue=3 |pages=357, 361|doi=10.1111/1467-9809.00138 }}</ref><ref name="Pinto2017">{{cite journal |last1=Pinto |first1=Ambrose |title=Christian Contribution to the Freedom Struggle |journal=Mainstream |date=19 August 2017 |volume=LV |issue=35 |language=en}}</ref> The meeting of the All India Conference of Indian Christians in Lahore in December 1922, which had a large attendance of Punjabis, resolved that clergymen of the Church in India should be drawn from the ranks of Indians, rather than foreigners.<ref name="Webster2018">{{cite book |last1=Webster |first1=John C. B. |title=A Social History of Christianity: North-west India since 1800 |date=2018 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-909757-9 |language=en |quote=In December 1921, the Punjabi-dominated meetings of the All India Conference of Indian Christians in Lahore was more cautious in their proposals but less cautious in the rationale they offered. They passed resolutions, first indicating that the Protestant missions 'should be completely merged in the Indian Church and that in future all Foreign Missionaries should be related to it,' and then urging the missions in the meantime to 'appoint Indians of ability and character on an increasing scale.' Among their supporting arguments were that 'Indian Christians are not going to put up with colour and racial distinctions', that foreign missionaries could not solve the community's problems 'because of lack of sympathy', that the missions were too divided by denominational differences to bring about a united Indian Church, and that 'In these days Indians look up to Indians and do not pay much attention to foreigners.'}}</ref> The AICIC also stated that Indian Christians would not tolerate any discrimination based on race or skin colour.<ref name="Webster2018"/>

Following the death of K. T. Paul of Salem, the principal of Forman Christian College in Lahore S. K. Datta became the president of the All India Conference of Indian Christians, representing the Indian Christian community at the Second Round Table Conference, where he agreed with Mahatma Gandhi's views on minorities and Depressed Classes.<ref name="BlackHymanSmith2014">{{cite book |last1=Black |first1=Brian |last2=Hyman |first2=Gavin |last3=Smith |first3=Graham M. |title=Confronting Secularism in Europe and India: Legitimacy and Disenchantment in Contemporary Times |date=2014 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-1-78093-607-9 |pages=88–91 |language=en}}</ref> On 30 October 1945, the All India Conference of Indian Christians formed a joint committee with the Catholic Union of India that passed a resolution stating: "In the future constitution of India, the profession, practice and propagation of religion should be guaranteed and that a change of religion should not involve any civil or political disability."<ref name="Thomas1974" />

This joint committee enabled the Christians in colonial India to stand united, and in front of the British Parliamentary Delegation "the committee members unanimously supported the move for independence and expressed complete confidence in the future of the community in India."<ref name="Thomas1974" /> The office for this joint committee was opened in Delhi, Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University M. Rahnasamy served as president and B.L. Rallia Ram of Lahore served as General Secretary.<ref name="Thomas1974" /> Six members of the joint committee were elected to the Minorities Committee of the Constituent Assembly.<ref name="Thomas1974" /> In its meeting on 16 April 1947 and 17 April 1947, the joint committee of the All India Conference of Indian Christians and Catholic Union of India prepared a 13-point memorandum that was sent to the Constituent Assembly of India, asking for religious freedom for both organisations and individuals.<ref name="Thomas1974" />

When Pakistan was created on 14 August 1947, the organization and activities of the Christian community changed drastically; the Catholic Union of India granted independence to its branches in Sindh and Balochistan in its Second Annual General Meeting in Bangalore in October 1947.<ref>{{cite news |title=Partition Affects Catholic Union Of India |publisher=Indian Daily Mail |date=21 November 1947 |location=Bangalore |language=en |quote=A resolution that, in view of the partition of India into two separate Dominions and the result of the Catholic Associations of Sind and Baluchistan--the only associations, in Pakistan affiliated to the Catholic Union--to sever its connection with the Union, the jurisdiction and activities of the Union be confined to the Dominion of India and necessary amendments be made in the Constitution was passed at the Second Annual General Meeting of the Catholic Union of India held at St. Joseph's College Hall, Civil Area, last week. Mr Ruthnasamy, President of the Union was in the chair.}}</ref> Some Christians in Punjab and Sindh had been quite active after 1945 in their support for Muhammad Ali Jinnah's Muslim League. A few Indian Christians like Pothan Joseph had rendered valuable services as journalists and supporters of the All India Muslim League.{{citation needed|date=December 2013}}

Jinnah had repeatedly promised all citizens of Pakistan complete equality of citizenship, but this promise was not kept by his successors. Pakistan became an Islamic Republic in 1956, making Islam the source of legislation and cornerstone of the national identity, while guaranteeing freedom of religion and equal citizenship to all citizens. In the mass population exchanges that occurred between Pakistan and India upon independence due to conflict between Muslims and followers of Indian religions, most Hindus and nearly all Sikhs fled the country. Pakistani Punjab is now over 2% Christian, with very few Hindus and Sikhs left.

Christians have made contributions to the Pakistani national life. Pakistan's first non-Muslim Chief Justice of the Pakistan Supreme Court was Justice A. R. Cornelius. Pakistani Christians also distinguished themselves as great fighter pilots in the Pakistan Air Force. Notable other Christians are Cecil Chaudhry, Peter O'Reilly and Mervyn L Middlecoat. Christians have also contributed as educators, doctors, lawyers and businessmen. One of Pakistan's well-known cricketers, Yousuf Youhana, was born Christian but later converted to Islam, taking the Islamic name Mohammad Yousuf. In Britain, the Bishop Emeritus of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali, is a Pakistani Christian.

In 2016, it was reported that Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) had banned all of the Christian television stations. PEMRA doesn't allow broadcasting rights for religious content, allowing airing of Christian messages only on Easter and Christmas.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/pakistan-bans-all-11-christian-tv-stations-arrests-cable-operators-in-crackdown-171582/ |title=Pakistan Bans All 11 Christian TV Stations, Arrests Cable Operators in Crackdown |author=Anugrah Kumar |date=November 2016 |work=The Christian Post}}</ref>

Since 1996, the small community of Eastern Orthodox Christians in Pakistan was placed under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the newly formed Orthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia that was set up by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.<ref>[http://www.omhksea.org/about Official page of the Eastern Orthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia]</ref> In 2008, the Diocese was divided, and Pakistan came under the jurisdiction of newly formed Eastern Orthodox Metropolitanate of Singapore and South Asia.<ref>[http://www.omhksea.org/metropolis-of-singapore/ Eastern Orthodox Metropolitanate of Singapore and South Asia]</ref>

Since 2020, a community of The Old Catholic Church is also serving the Christians in Pakistan. On November 20, 2020, first Pakistani Bishop of The Old Catholic Church, was consecrated and elevated to the Archbishop of the first Archdiocese of The Old Catholic Church in Pakistan.{{CN|date=May 2026}}

===Deterioration of relations=== thumb|Holy Trinity Church Murree [[File:Church Sacred Heart.jpg|thumb|Sacred Heart Cathedral, Lahore]] According to journalist Pamela Constable, in the 1980s and 1990s tensions between Christians and Muslims in Pakistan began to "fester". Constable credits the Soviet war in Afghanistan, the rise of military dictator General Mohammed Zia ul-Haq and the influence of stricter religious teachings from the Gulf states as catalysts for the change. After the 9/11 attacks on the US, things grew worse, with many Pakistani Muslims seeing the American response to the attacks "as a foreign plot to defame their faith."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/03/28/the-plight-of-pakistans-christian-minority/ |title=An Easter Sunday suicide bombing shows plight of Pakistan's Christians |last=Taylor |first=Adam |date=2016-03-28 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286 |access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-dam-of-self-restraint-breaks-for-pakistans-christians/2015/03/20/13f8c7d6-cdb5-11e4-8a46-b1dc9be5a8ff_story.html?tid=a_inl |title=The dam of self-restraint bursts for Pakistan's Christians |last=Constable |first=Pamela |author-link=Pamela Constable |date=2015-03-20 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286 |access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref>

Pakistan's Christian community developed a "growing sense of concern", particularly over the strict blasphemy laws, that prohibit any insults against Muhammad and make the crime punishable by death. In the 1990s, some Christians were arrested on charges of blasphemy, and for protesting that appeared to insult Islam. John Joseph, the Catholic Bishop of Faisalabad, committed suicide to protest the execution of a Christian man on blasphemy charges.<ref>{{cite web|title=Blasphemy Law in Pakistan|url=http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/blasphem.htm}}</ref><ref name = "Jones 2003, p. 19">Jones, Owen Bennett (2003). ''Pakistan: Eye of the Storm''. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. p. 19. {{ISBN|0-300-10147-3}}.</ref>

In 2009, a series of attacks killed eight Christians in Gojra,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/08/01/pakistan.sectarian.violence/ |title=6 killed in Pakistan as Muslims burn Christian homes - CNN.com |website=CNN |access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref> four women, three men and a child.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8179823.stm |title=Pakistan Christians die in unrest |date=2009-08-02 |newspaper=BBC |access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref> In 2013, a suicide bombing at a church in Peshawar left more than 100 people dead, and a series of attacks at churches in Lahore in 2015 left 14 dead.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geo.tv/article-178233-Two-blasts-at-Lahore-churches-claim-15-lives-|title=Two blasts at Lahore churches claim 15 lives |website=www.geo.tv |access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref> On 27 March 2016, over seventy people, mostly Muslims, were killed when a suicide bomber targeting Christians celebrating Easter attacked a playground in Lahore.<ref name="death-toll">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/death-toll-in-pakistan-easter-suicide-attack-rises-to-72-authorities-vow-to-hunt-down-perpetrators/2016/03/28/037a2e18-f46a-11e5-958d-d038dac6e718_story.html?hpid=hp_rhp-top-table-main_no-name%253Ahomepage%252Fstory&tid=a_inl|title=Death toll in Pakistan bombing climbs past 70 |first1=Annie |last1=Gowen |first2=Shaiq |last2=Hussain |date=2016-03-28|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref>

On 16 August 2023, rumours began to spread in the Punjabi city of Jaranwala, Faisalabad, that a Christian had desecrated pages of the Quran. The resulting riot led to the destruction of 26 churches in the Christian quarter of the city, and thousands of Christians fled, with some spending the next few nights in open fields, afraid of returning to their homes.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=ACN |date=2023-08-18 |title=Pakistan: 1,000 frightened and homeless Christians forced to sleep rough |url=https://acninternational.org/pakistan-1000-frightened-and-homeless-christians-forced-to-sleep-rough/ |access-date=2023-10-25 |website=ACN International |language=en-US}}</ref> Local Christians complained of inaction by security forces in Jaranwala, but eventually reinforcements were called in<ref name=":0" /> and around 100 Muslims were arrested for participating in the violence.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-08-17 |title=Pakistan: More than 100 arrested after churches burned |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66517901 |access-date=2023-10-25}}</ref> No Christians were killed in the riots, as most managed to flee due to warnings from Muslim neighbours.

On the Sunday after the riots, Mass was celebrated in the street outside the burned-out St. Paul's Catholic Church.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ACN |date=2023-08-23 |title=Pakistan. Parishioners gather for Mass outside their torched church |url=https://acninternational.org/pakistan-parishioners-gather-for-mass-outside-their-torched-church/ |access-date=2023-10-25 |website=ACN International |language=en-US}}</ref> The Pakistani Catholic Bishops' Conference denounced the act and asked that the Government bring the culprits to justice, regretting that "the Christian community has been terrorized and frightened by a small group of miscreants to make them believe that Christians are in fact second-class citizens of Pakistan and will remain so".<ref>{{Cite web |last=ACN |date=2023-08-23 |title=Pakistan. Parishioners gather for Mass outside their torched church |url=https://acninternational.org/pakistan-parishioners-gather-for-mass-outside-their-torched-church/ |access-date=2023-10-25 |website=ACN International |language=en-US}}</ref> Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need helped address the emergency needs of those whose livelihoods was destroyed, providing a support package for 464 families, including replacement rickshaws and motorcycles for drivers who had lost their vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ACN |date=2023-09-26 |title=Pakistan: ACN to provide emergency relief for victims of Jaranwala riots |url=https://acninternational.org/pakistan-acn-to-provide-emergency-relief-for-victims-of-jaranwala-riots/ |access-date=2023-10-25 |website=ACN International |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Demographics == {{Historical populations |title = Christian population in Pakistan |type = |align = right |width = |state = |shading = |pop_name = |percentages = pagr |source =<ref>{{cite web |title=Religious Minorities in Pakistan|url=https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/469cbfc30.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjdnbSQwLTuAhV97XMBHX65D38QFjATegQIEBAB&usg=AOvVaw1Uqem-Qrs9BEylljAYl6hm|author=Dr Iftikhar H. Malik|format=PDF|access-date=12 February 2020}}</ref><ref name=1998censusdata>{{cite web |url=http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/other/yearbook2011/Population/16-16.pdf |title=Population distribution by religion, 1998-Census |year=2011 |work=Pakistan Statistical Year Book 2011 |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |access-date=2020-05-20}}</ref><ref name="2017 Census">{{Cite news|url=https://www.tribune.com.pk/story/1719994/headcount-finalised-sans-third-party-audit%3famp=1|title=Headcount finalised sans third-party audit|author=Riazul Haq and Shahbaz Rana|date=27 May 2018|access-date=23 January 2021}}</ref><ref name="2023 Census"/> |1901 | 59,387 |1911 | 167,178 |1921 | 276,107 |1931 | 360,371 |1941 | 432,724 |1951 | 432,978 |1961 | 583,884 |1972 | 907,861 |1981 | 1,310,426 |1990 | 1,769,582 |1998 | 2,092,902 |2017 | 2,642,048 |2023 | 3,300,788 }} <!--- This duplicates the sidebar ''' Christianity (%) in Pakistan by decades'''<ref name="2017 Census2">{{cite news |author1=Riazul Haq |author2=Shahbaz Rana |date=27 May 2018 |title=Headcount finalised sans third-party audit |url=https://www.tribune.com.pk/story/1719994/headcount-finalised-sans-third-party-audit%3famp=1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406004222/https://tribune.com.pk/story/1719994/headcount-finalised-sans-third-party-audit?amp=1 |archive-date=6 April 2023 |access-date=23 January 2021}}</ref><ref name=PopByReligion1998Census>{{cite web |url=http://www.statpak.gov.pk/depts/pco/statistics/other_tables/pop_by_religion.pdf |archive-date=7 August 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030807000413/http://www.statpak.gov.pk/depts/pco/statistics/other_tables/pop_by_religion.pdf |title=Population by Religion |work=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics }} {{cite web |title=Population by religion |url=http://www.census.gov.pk/Religion.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140402081116/http://www.census.gov.pk/Religion.htm |archive-date=2 April 2014 |work=Population Census Organization, Government of Pakistan }} {{cite web |url=http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//tables/POPULATION%20BY%20RELIGION.pdf |title=Population by Religion |work=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |access-date=13 June 2020 |archive-date=29 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200329204115/http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/tables/POPULATION%20BY%20RELIGION.pdf |url-status=dead }} Also reproduced at [https://www.scribd.com/document/400843609/Pakisatn-Bearu-of-Statistics-Population-by-Religion-pdf scribd.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107023143/https://www.scribd.com/document/400843609/Pakisatn-Bearu-of-Statistics-Population-by-Religion-pdf |date=7 November 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=10 February 2020|title=Has Pak's Hindu population dropped sharply|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/has-paks-hindu-population-dropped-sharply/articleshow/72686351.cms|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109231255/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/has-paks-hindu-population-dropped-sharply/articleshow/72686351.cms|archive-date=2021-01-09|access-date=2021-02-06|website=The Times of India}}</ref><ref name="Dr Iftikhar H. Malik">{{cite web|title=Religious Minorities in Pakistan|url=https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/mrgi/2002/en/46104|author=Dr Iftikhar H. Malik|format=PDF|access-date=12 February 2020|archive-date=1 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201143205/https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/469cbfc30.pdf%26ved%3D2ahUKEwjdnbSQwLTuAhV97XMBHX65D38QFjATegQIEBAB%26usg%3DAOvVaw1Uqem-Qrs9BEylljAYl6hm|url-status=live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" |- ! '''Year''' ! '''Number''' ! '''Percent''' ! '''Increase''' ! '''Growth''' |- | '''1901''' | '''59,387''' | '''0.34%''' | '''-''' | '''-''' |- | '''1911''' |'''167,178''' | '''0,89%''' | style="background: lightgreen" | '''+0.55%''' | style="background: lightgreen" | '''+181,5%''' |- | '''1921''' |'''276,107''' | '''1.42%''' | style="background: lightgreen" | '''+0.53%''' | style="background: lightgreen" | '''+65,16%''' |- | '''1931''' |'''360,371''' | '''1.6%''' | style="background: lightgreen" | '''+0.18%''' | style="background: lightgreen" | '''+30,51%''' |- | '''1941''' |'''432,724''' | '''1.59%''' | style="background: red" | '''-0.01%''' | style="background: lightgreen" | '''+20,07%''' |- | '''1951''' |'''432,978''' | '''1.28%''' | style="background: red" | '''-0.31%''' | style="background: lightgreen" | '''+0,058%''' |- | '''1961''' |'''583,884''' | '''1.36%''' | style="background: lightgreen" | '''+0.08%''' | style="background: lightgreen" | '''+34,85%''' |- | '''1972''' |'''907,861''' | '''1.45%''' | style="background: lightgreen" | '''+0.09%''' | style="background: lightgreen" | '''+55,48%''' |- | '''1981''' |'''1,310,426''' | '''1.56%''' | style="background: lightgreen" | '''+0.11%''' | style="background: lightgreen" | '''+44,34%''' |- | '''1998''' |'''2,092,902''' | '''1.58%''' | style="background: lightgreen" | '''+0.02%''' | style="background: lightgreen" | '''+59,71%''' |- | '''2017''' |'''2,642,048''' | '''1.27%''' | style="background: red" | '''-0.31%''' | style="background: lightgreen" | '''+26,23%''' |- | '''2023''' |'''3,300,788''' | '''1.37%''' | style="background: lightgreen" | '''+0.1%''' | style="background: lightgreen" | '''+24,93%''' |} -->

Christianity in Pakistan is growing fast, going from 1.27% in 2017 to 1.37% in 2023, making it one of the religions in Pakistan growing faster than Islam, alongside Hinduism.<ref name="Census">{{cite web |title=Pakistan Population By Religion, 2023 Census |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/national/table_9.pdf |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics}}</ref> Today, most Pakistani Christians live in Northern Punjab.

Apart from Catholics, Christians of other denominations re-organized themselves, in India, into the Churches of North and South India respectively, and as the Church of Pakistan in 1970. Politically, groups like the Pakistan Christian Congress have arisen. The New Apostolic Church also has followers in Pakistan.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) reports over 4,000 members in 13 congregations throughout Pakistan. LDS members are most prevalent in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.<ref>{{cite web|title = Promise, potential define LDS Church in India, Pakistan|url = http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865642953/Promise-potential-define-Church-in-India-Pakistan.html?pg=all|website = DeseretNews.com|access-date = 2016-01-29|first = Jason|last = Swensen|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160202105154/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865642953/Promise-potential-define-Church-in-India-Pakistan.html?pg=all|archive-date = 2016-02-02|url-status = dead}}</ref>

According to a Minority Rights Group International report published in 2002, the average literacy rate among Christians in Pakistan was 34 percent compared to the national average of 46.56 percent.<ref>{{cite web |title=Religious Minorities in Pakistan By Dr Iftikhar H.Malik|url=https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/469cbfc30.pdf|access-date=9 April 2020}}</ref>

=== 1901 census === {{further|West Punjab#Religion|North-West Frontier Province#Religion|Baluchistan Agency#Religion|Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)#Religion}} According to the 1901 census, the Christian population in Pakistan comprised roughly 59,387 persons or 0.3 percent of the total population.{{efn|name=Pakistan1901}} With the exception of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, all administrative divisions in the region that composes contemporary Pakistan collected religious data, with a combined population of 17,633,258, for an overall response rate of 99.6 percent out of the total population of 17,708,014, as detailed in the table below.{{efn|name=Pakistan1901}}

{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Christianity in Pakistan by administrative division in 1901{{efn|name=Pakistan1901|1901 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all administrative divisions that compose the region of contemporary Pakistan, including Punjab,<ref name="punjab1901"/>{{efn|name=WestPunjab1901}} Sindh,<ref name="sindh1901"/>{{efn|name=Sindh1901}} Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,<ref name="NWFP1901"/> Balochistan,<ref name="baluchistan1901"/> Azad Jammu and Kashmir,<ref name="JammuKashmir1901"/>{{efn|name=AJK1901}} and Gilgit–Baltistan.<ref name="JammuKashmir1901"/>{{efn|name=GilgitBaltistan1901}}}} ! rowspan="2" |Administrative division ! colspan="4" |1901 census |- !Christian Population !Christian Percentage !Total Responses !Total Population |- | Punjab<ref name="punjab1901">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25363739 |jstor=saoa.crl.25363739 |access-date=10 March 2024 |title=Census of India 1901. [Vol. 17A]. Imperial tables, I-VIII, X-XV, XVII and XVIII for the Punjab, with the native states under the political control of the Punjab Government, and for the North-west Frontier Province. |year=1901 |pages=34}}</ref><ref name="Shakargarh1901">{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.105602 |access-date=10 March 2024 |title=Punjab District Gazetteers Gurdaspur District Vol.21 Statistical Tables |year=1913 |pages=62}}</ref>{{efn|name=WestPunjab1901|1901 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Lahore, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Shahpur, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Mianwali, Montgomery, Lyallpur (inscribed as the ''Chenab Colony'' on the 1901 census), Jhang, Multan, Muzaffargargh, Dera Ghazi Khan), one tehsil (Shakargarh – then part of Gurdaspur District), one princely state (Bahawalpur), and one tract (Biloch Trans–Frontier) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the western side of the Radcliffe Line. See 1901 census data here:<ref name="punjab1901" /> Immediately following the partition of India in 1947, these districts and tract would ultimately make up the subdivision of West Punjab, which also later included Bahawalpur. The state that makes up this region in the contemporary era is Punjab, Pakistan.}} | 42,371 | {{Percentage | 42371 | 10427765 | 2 }} | 10,427,765 | 10,427,765 |- | Sindh<ref name="sindh1901">{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25366895 |jstor=saoa.crl.25366895 |access-date=12 May 2024 |title=Census of India 1901. Vols. 9-11, Bombay. |author1=India Census Commissioner |year=1901 |volume=9}}</ref>{{efn|name=Sindh1901|1901 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Karachi, Hyderabad, Shikarpur, Tharparkar, Upper Sind Frontier), and one princely state (Khairpur), in Sindh Province, British India. See 1901 census data here:<ref name="sindh1901"/>}} | 7,825 | {{Percentage | 7825 | 3410223 | 2 }} | 3,410,223 | 3,410,223 |- | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa<ref name="NWFP1901">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25363739 |jstor=saoa.crl.25363739 |access-date=25 February 2024 |title=Census of India 1901. [Vol. 17A]. Imperial tables, I-VIII, X-XV, XVII and XVIII for the Punjab, with the native states under the political control of the Punjab Government, and for the North-west Frontier Province. |year=1901 |pages=34–36}}</ref> | 5,119 | {{Percentage | 5119 | 2050724 | 2 }} | 2,050,724{{efn|name=KPKPop}} | 2,125,480{{efn|name=KPKPop}} |- | Balochistan<ref name="baluchistan1901">{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25352844 |jstor=saoa.crl.25352844 |access-date=9 November 2024 |title=Census of India 1901. Vol. 5A, Baluchistan. Pt. 2, Imperial tables. |author1=India Census Commissioner |year=1901 |volume=5A |pages=5}}</ref> | 4,026 | {{Percentage | 4026 | 810746 | 2 }} | 810,746 | 810,746 |- | Gilgit–Baltistan<ref name="JammuKashmir1901"/>{{efn|name=GilgitBaltistan1901|1901 figure taken from census data using the total population of Gilgit District in the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir that ultimately would be administered by Pakistan, in the contemporary administrative territory of Gilgit–Baltistan. See 1901 census data here:<ref name="JammuKashmir1901"/>}} | 28 | {{Percentage | 28 | 60885 | 2 }} | 60,885 | 60,885 |- | AJK<ref name="JammuKashmir1901">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25366883 |jstor=saoa.crl.25366883 |access-date=3 November 2024 |title=Census of India 1901. Vol. 23A, Kashmir. Pt. 2, Tables. |year=1901 |pages=20}}</ref>{{efn|name=AJK1901|1901 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of two districts (Bhimber and Muzaffarabad) and one Jagir (Poonch) in the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir that ultimately would be administered by Pakistan, in the contemporary self-administrative territory of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. See 1901 census data here:<ref name="JammuKashmir1901"/>}} | 18 | {{Percentage | 18 | 872915 | 2 }} | 872,915 | 872,915 |- ! Pakistan ! 59,387 ! {{Percentage | 59387 | 17633258 | 2 }} ! 17,633,258 ! 17,708,014 |}

=== 1911 census === {{further|West Punjab#Religion|North-West Frontier Province#Religion|Baluchistan Agency#Religion|Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)#Religion}} According to the 1911 census, the Christian population in Pakistan comprised roughly 167,178 persons or 0.9 percent of the total population.{{efn|name=Pakistan1911}} With the exception of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, all administrative divisions in the region that composes contemporary Pakistan collected religious data, with a combined population of 18,806,379, for an overall response rate of 92.1 percent out of the total population of 20,428,473, as detailed in the table below.{{efn|name=Pakistan1911}}

{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Christianity in Pakistan by administrative division in 1911{{efn|name=Pakistan1911|1911 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all administrative divisions that compose the region of contemporary Pakistan, including Punjab,<ref name="punjab1911"/>{{efn|name=WestPunjab1911}} Sindh,<ref name="sindh1911"/>{{efn|name=Sindh1911}} Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,<ref name="NWFP1911"/> Balochistan,<ref name="baluchistan1911"/> Azad Jammu and Kashmir,<ref name="JammuKashmir1911"/>{{efn|name=AJK1911}} and Gilgit–Baltistan.<ref name="JammuKashmir1911"/>{{efn|name=GilgitBaltistan1911}}}} ! rowspan="2" |Administrative division ! colspan="4" |1911 census |- !Christian Population !Christian Percentage !Total Responses !Total Population |- | Punjab<ref name="punjab1911">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25393788 |jstor=saoa.crl.25393788 |access-date=3 March 2024 |title=Census of India 1911. Vol. 14, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables. |year=1911 |pages=27}}</ref><ref name="punjab1911B">{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.62718 |access-date=3 March 2024 |title=Census Of India 1911 Punjab Vol XIV Part II |year=1911 |author=Kaul, Harikishan |pages=27}}</ref>{{efn|name=WestPunjab1911|1911 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Lahore, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Shahpur, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Attock, Mianwali, Montgomery, Lyallpur, Jhang, Multan, Muzaffargargh, Dera Ghazi Khan), one tehsil (Shakargarh – then part of Gurdaspur District), one princely state (Bahawalpur), and one tract (Biloch Trans–Frontier) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the western side of the Radcliffe Line. See 1911 census data here:<ref name="punjab1911"/><ref name="punjab1911B"/> Immediately following the partition of India in 1947, these districts and tract would ultimately make up the subdivision of West Punjab, which also later included Bahawalpur. The state that makes up this region in the contemporary era is Punjab, Pakistan.}} | 144,514 | {{Percentage | 144514 | 11104585 | 2 }} | 11,104,585 | 11,104,585 |- | Sindh<ref name="sindh1911">{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25393770 |jstor=saoa.crl.25393770 |access-date=12 May 2024 |title=Census of India 1911. Vol. 7, Bombay. Pt. 2, Imperial tables. |author1=India Census Commissioner |year=1911 |volume=7}}</ref>{{efn|name=Sindh1911|1911 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Hyderabad, Karachi, Larkana, Sukkur, Tharparkar, Upper Sind Frontier), and one princely state (Khairpur), in Sindh Province, British India. See 1911 census data here:<ref name="sindh1911"/>}} | 10,917 | {{Percentage | 10917 | 3737223 | 2 }} | 3,737,223 | 3,737,223 |- | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa<ref name="NWFP1911">{{cite web|url=http://piketty.pse.ens.fr/files/ideologie/data/CensusIndia/CensusIndia1911/1911%20-%20North%20West%20Frontier%20Province%20-%20Vol%20I%20and%20II.pdf|title=Census of India, 1911 Volume XII North-West Frontier Province|access-date=21 August 2022 |pages=307–308}}</ref> | 6,585 | {{Percentage | 6585 | 2196933 | 2 }} | 2,196,933{{efn|name=KPKPop}} | 3,819,027{{efn|name=KPKPop}} |- | Balochistan<ref name="baluchistan1911">{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25393764 |jstor=saoa.crl.25393764 |access-date=9 November 2024 |title=Census of India 1911. Vol. 4, Baluchistan : pt. 1, Report; pt. 2, Tables. |author1=India Census Commissioner |year=1911 |volume=4 |pages=9–13}}</ref> | 5,085 | {{Percentage | 5085 | 834703 | 2 }} | 834,703 | 834,703 |- | AJK<ref name="JammuKashmir1911">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25394111 |jstor=saoa.crl.25394111 |access-date=3 November 2024 |title=Census of India 1911. Vol. 20, Kashmir. Pt. 2, Tables. |year=1911 |pages=17}}</ref>{{efn|name=AJK1911|1911 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of two districts (Mirpur and Muzaffarabad) and one Jagir (Poonch) in the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir that ultimately would be administered by Pakistan, in the contemporary self-administrative territory of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. See 1911 census data here:<ref name="JammuKashmir1911"/>}} | 55 | {{Percentage | 55 | 854531 | 2 }} | 854,531 | 854,531 |- | Gilgit–Baltistan<ref name="JammuKashmir1911"/>{{efn|name=GilgitBaltistan1911|1911 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of Gilgit District and the ''Frontier Ilaqas'' in the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir that ultimately would be administered by Pakistan, in the contemporary administrative territory of Gilgit–Baltistan. See 1911 census data here:<ref name="JammuKashmir1911"/>}} | 22 | {{Percentage | 22 | 78404 | 2 }} | 78,404 | 78,404 |- ! Pakistan ! 167,178 ! {{Percentage | 167178 | 18806379 | 2 }} ! 18,806,379 ! 20,428,473 |}

=== 1921 census === {{further|West Punjab#Religion|North-West Frontier Province#Religion|Baluchistan Agency#Religion|Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)#Religion}} According to the 1921 census, the Christian population in Pakistan comprised roughly 276,107 persons or 1.4 percent of the total population.{{efn|name=Pakistan1921}} With the exception of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, all administrative divisions in the region that composes contemporary Pakistan collected religious data, with a combined population of 19,389,016, for an overall response rate of 87.3 percent out of the total population of 22,214,152, as detailed in the table below.{{efn|name=Pakistan1921}}

{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Christianity in Pakistan by administrative division in 1921{{efn|name=Pakistan1921|1921 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all administrative divisions that compose the region of contemporary Pakistan, including Punjab,<ref name="punjab1921"/>{{efn|name=WestPunjab1921}} Sindh,<ref name="sindh1921"/>{{efn|name=Sindh1921}} Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,<ref name="NWFP1921"/> Balochistan,<ref name="baluchistan1921"/> Azad Jammu and Kashmir,<ref name="JammuKashmir1921"/>{{efn|name=AJK1921}} and Gilgit–Baltistan.<ref name="JammuKashmir1921"/>{{efn|name=GilgitBaltistan1921}}}} ! rowspan="2" |Administrative division ! colspan="4" |1921 census |- !Christian Population !Christian Percentage !Total Responses !Total Population |- | Punjab<ref name="punjab1921">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25430165 |jstor=saoa.crl.25430165 |access-date=17 February 2024 |title=Census of India 1921. Vol. 15, Punjab and Delhi. Pt. 2, Tables. |year=1921 |pages=29}}</ref>{{efn|name=WestPunjab1921|1921 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Lahore, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Gujrat, Shahpur, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Attock, Mianwali, Montgomery, Lyallpur, Jhang, Multan, Muzaffargargh, Dera Ghazi Khan), one tehsil (Shakargarh – then part of Gurdaspur District), one princely state (Bahawalpur), and one tract (Biloch Trans–Frontier) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the western side of the Radcliffe Line. See 1921 census data here:<ref name="punjab1921"/> Immediately following the partition of India in 1947, these districts and tract would ultimately make up the subdivision of West Punjab, which also later included Bahawalpur. The state that makes up this region in the contemporary era is Punjab, Pakistan.}} | 247,030 | {{Percentage | 247030 | 11888985 | 2 }} | 11,888,985 | 11,888,985 |- | Sindh<ref name="sindh1921">{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25394131 |jstor=saoa.crl.25394131 |access-date=6 May 2024 |title=Census of India 1921. Vol. 8, Bombay Presidency. Pt. 2, Tables : imperial and provincial. |author1=India Census Commissioner |year=1921 |volume=8}}</ref>{{efn|name=Sindh1921|1921 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Hyderabad, Karachi, Larkana, Nawabshah, Sukkur, Tharparkar, Upper Sind Frontier), and one princely state (Khairpur), in Sindh Province, British India. See 1921 census data here:<ref name="sindh1921"/>}} | 11,734 | {{Percentage | 11734 | 3472508 | 2 }} | 3,472,508 | 3,472,508 |- | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa<ref name="NWFP1921">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25430163|jstor=saoa.crl.25430163 |access-date=13 February 2023|title=Census of India 1921. Vol. 14, North-west Frontier Province : Part I, Report; part II, Tables |year=1922 |pages=345–346}}</ref> | 10,610 | {{Percentage | 10610 | 2251340 | 2 }} | 2,251,340{{efn|name=KPKPop}} | 5,076,476{{efn|name=KPKPop}} |- | Balochistan<ref name="baluchistan1921">{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25394124 |jstor=saoa.crl.25394124 |access-date=9 November 2024 |title=Census of India 1921. Vol. 4, Baluchistan : part I, Report; part II, Tables. |author1=India Census Commissioner |year=1921 |volume=4 |pages=47–52}}</ref> | 6,693 | {{Percentage | 6693 | 799625 | 2 }} | 799,625 | 799,625 |- | AJK<ref name="JammuKashmir1921">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25430177 |jstor=saoa.crl.25430177 |access-date=3 November 2024 |title=Census of India 1921. Vol. 22, Kashmir. Pt. 2, Tables. |year=1921 |pages=15}}</ref>{{efn|name=AJK1921|1921 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of two districts (Mirpur and Muzaffarabad) and one Jagir (Poonch) in the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir that ultimately would be administered by Pakistan, in the contemporary self-administrative territory of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. See 1921 census data here:<ref name="JammuKashmir1921"/>}} | 24 | {{Percentage | 24 | 886861 | 2 }} | 886,861 | 886,861 |- | Gilgit–Baltistan<ref name="JammuKashmir1921"/>{{efn|name=GilgitBaltistan1921|1921 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of Gilgit District and the ''Frontier Ilaqas'' in the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir that ultimately would be administered by Pakistan, in the contemporary administrative territory of Gilgit–Baltistan. See 1921 census data here:<ref name="JammuKashmir1921"/>}} | 16 | {{Percentage | 16 | 89697 | 2 }} | 89,697 | 89,697 |- ! Pakistan ! 276,107 ! {{Percentage | 276107 | 19389016 | 2 }} ! 19,389,016 ! 22,214,152 |}

=== 1931 census === {{further|West Punjab#Religion|North-West Frontier Province#Religion|Baluchistan Agency#Religion|Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)#Religion}} According to the 1931 census, the Christian population in Pakistan comprised roughly 360,371 persons or 1.6 percent of the total population.{{efn|name=Pakistan1931}} With the exception of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, all administrative divisions in the region that composes contemporary Pakistan collected religious data, with a combined population of 22,514,768, for an overall response rate of 90.9 percent out of the total population of 24,774,056, as detailed in the table below.{{efn|name=Pakistan1931}}

{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Christianity in Pakistan by administrative division in 1931{{efn|name=Pakistan1931|1931 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all administrative divisions that compose the region of contemporary Pakistan, including Punjab,<ref name="punjab1931"/>{{efn|name=WestPunjab1931}} Sindh,<ref name="sindh1931"/>{{efn|name=Sindh1931}} Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,<ref name="NWFP1931"/> Balochistan,<ref name="baluchistan1931"/> Azad Jammu and Kashmir,<ref name="JammuKashmir1931"/>{{efn|name=AJK1941}} and Gilgit–Baltistan.<ref name="JammuKashmir1931"/>{{efn|name=GilgitBaltistan1931}}}} ! rowspan="2" |Administrative division ! colspan="4" |1931 census |- !Christian Population !Christian Percentage !Total Responses !Total Population |- | Punjab<ref name="punjab1931">{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25793242 |jstor=saoa.crl.25793242 |access-date=3 November 2024 |title=Census of India 1931. Vol. 17, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables. |year=1931 |pages=277 |archive-date=31 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031110212/https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25793242 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{efn|name=WestPunjab1931|1931 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Lahore, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Gujrat, Shahpur, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Attock, Mianwali, Montgomery, Lyallpur, Jhang, Multan, Muzaffargargh, Dera Ghazi Khan), one tehsil (Shakargarh – then part of Gurdaspur District), one princely state (Bahawalpur), and one tract (Biloch Trans–Frontier) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the western side of the Radcliffe Line. See 1931 census data here:<ref name="punjab1931"/> Immediately following the partition of India in 1947, these districts and tract would ultimately make up the subdivision of West Punjab, which also later included Bahawalpur. The state that makes up this region in the contemporary era is Punjab, Pakistan.}} | 324,730 | {{Percentage | 324730 | 14040798 | 2 }} | 14,040,798 | 14,040,798 |- | Sindh<ref name="sindh1931">{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25797128 |jstor=saoa.crl.25797128 |access-date=3 November 2024 |title=Census of India 1931. Vol. 8, Bombay. Pt. 2, Statistical tables. |author1=India Census Commissioner |year=1931 |volume=8 |archive-date=6 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506002440/https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25797128 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{efn|name=Sindh1931|1931 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Hyderabad, Karachi, Larkana, Nawabshah, Sukkur, Tharparkar, Upper Sind Frontier), and one princely state (Khairpur), in Sindh Province, British India. See 1931 census data here:<ref name="sindh1931"/>}} | 15,152 | {{Percentage | 15152 | 4114253 | 2 }} | 4,114,253 | 4,114,253 |- | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa<ref name="NWFP1931">{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25793233 |jstor=saoa.crl.25793233 |access-date=4 November 2024 |title=Census of India, 1931, vol. XV. North-west frontier province. Part I-Report. Part II-Tables |last1=Mallam |first1=G. L. |last2=Dundas |first2=A. D. F. |year=1933 |publisher=Peshawar, Printed by the manager, Government stationery and printing, 1933. |pages=373–375 |archive-date=8 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208000202/https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25793233 |url-status=live }}</ref> | 12,213 | {{Percentage | 12213 | 2425076 | 2 }} | 2,425,076{{efn|name=KPKPop}} | 4,684,364{{efn|name=KPKPop}} |- | Balochistan<ref name="baluchistan1931">{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25797115 |jstor=saoa.crl.25797115 |access-date=8 September 2024 |title=Census of India 1931. Vol. 4, Baluchistan. Pts. 1 & 2, Report [and] Imperial and provincial tables. |year=1931 |pages=390 |archive-date=7 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007090941/https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25797115 |url-status=live }}</ref> | 8,059 | {{Percentage | 8059 | 868617 | 2 }} | 868,617 | 868,617 |- | AJK<ref name="JammuKashmir1931">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25797120 |jstor=saoa.crl.25797120 |access-date=3 November 2024 |title=Census of India 1931. Vol. 24, Jammu & Kashmir State. Pt. 2, Imperial & state tables. |year=1931 |pages=267}}</ref>{{efn|name=AJK1931|1931 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of two districts (Mirpur and Muzaffarabad) and one Jagir (Poonch) in the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir that ultimately would be administered by Pakistan, in the contemporary self-administrative territory of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. See 1931 census data here:<ref name="JammuKashmir1931"/>}} | 168 | {{Percentage | 168 | 969578 | 2 }} | 969,578 | 969,578 |- | Gilgit–Baltistan<ref name="JammuKashmir1931"/>{{efn|name=GilgitBaltistan1931|1931 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of Gilgit District and the ''Frontier Ilaqas'' in the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir that ultimately would be administered by Pakistan, in the contemporary administrative territory of Gilgit–Baltistan. See 1931 census data here:<ref name="JammuKashmir1931"/>}} | 49 | {{Percentage | 49 | 96446 | 2 }} | 96,446 | 96,446 |- ! Pakistan ! 360,371 ! {{Percentage | 360371 | 22514768 | 2 }} ! 22,514,768 ! 24,774,056 |}

=== 1941 census === {{further|Religion in Pakistan#1941 census|West Punjab#Religion|North-West Frontier Province#Religion|Baluchistan Agency#Religion}} According to the 1941 census, the Christian population in Pakistan comprised roughly 432,724 persons or 1.6 percent of the total population.{{efn|name=Pakistan1941}} With the exception of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, all administrative divisions in the region that compose contemporary Pakistan collected religious data, with a combined population of 27,266,001, for an overall response rate of 92.0 percent out of the total population of 29,643,600, as detailed in the table below.{{efn|name=Pakistan1941}}

{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Christianity in Pakistan by administrative division in 1941{{efn|name=Pakistan1941|1941 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all administrative divisions that compose the region of contemporary Pakistan, including Punjab,<ref name="punjab1941"/>{{rp|42}}{{efn|name=WestPunjab1941}} Sindh,<ref name="sindh1941"/>{{rp|28}}{{efn|name=Sindh1941}} Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,<ref name="NWFP1941"/>{{rp|22}}{{efn|name=KPKPop}} Balochistan,<ref name="baluchistan1941"/>{{rp|13–18}} Azad Jammu and Kashmir,<ref name="JammuKashmir1941"/>{{rp|337–352}}{{efn|name=AJK1941}} and Gilgit–Baltistan.<ref name="JammuKashmir1941"/>{{rp|337–352}}{{efn|name=GilgitBaltistan1941}}}} ! rowspan="2" |Administrative division ! colspan="4" |1941 Census |- !Christian Population !Christian Percentage !Total Responses !Total Population |- | Punjab<ref name="punjab1941">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.28215541|jstor=saoa.crl.28215541 |access-date=4 February 2023|title=Census of India, 1941. Vol. 6, Punjab |year=1941 |volume=6 |author1=India Census Commissioner }}</ref>{{rp|42}}{{efn|name=WestPunjab1941|1941 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Lahore, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Gujrat, Shahpur, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Attock, Mianwali, Montgomery, Lyallpur, Jhang, Multan, Muzaffargargh, Dera Ghazi Khan), one tehsil (Shakargarh – then part of Gurdaspur District), one princely state (Bahawalpur), and one tract (Biloch Trans–Frontier) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the western side of the Radcliffe Line. See 1941 census data here:<ref name="punjab1941"/>{{rp|42}} Immediately following the partition of India in 1947, these districts and tract would ultimately make up the subdivision of West Punjab, which also later included Bahawalpur. The state that makes up this region in the contemporary era is Punjab, Pakistan.}} | 395,311 | {{Percentage | 395311 | 17350103 | 2 }} | 17,350,103 | 17,350,103 |- | Sindh<ref name="sindh1941">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.28215545|jstor=saoa.crl.28215545 |access-date=4 February 2023|title=Census of India, 1941. Vol. 12, Sind |year=1941 |volume=12 |author1=India Census Commissioner }}</ref>{{rp|28}}{{efn|name=Sindh1941|1941 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Dadu, Hyderabad, Karachi, Larkana, Nawabshah, Sukkur, Tharparkar, Upper Sind Frontier), and one princely state (Khairpur), in Sindh Province, British India. See 1941 census data here:<ref name="sindh1941"/>}} | 20,304 | {{Percentage | 20304 | 4840795 | 2 }} | 4,840,795 | 4,840,795 |- | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa<ref name="NWFP1941">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.28215543|jstor=saoa.crl.28215543 |access-date=4 February 2023|title=Census of India, 1941. Vol. 10, North-West Frontier Province |year=1941 |volume=10 |author1=India Census Commissioner }}</ref>{{rp|22}} | 10,889 | {{Percentage | 10889 | 3038067 | 2 }} | 3,038,067{{efn|name=KPKPop|Religious data only collected in North West Frontier Province, and not in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. Total responses to religion includes North West Frontier Province, and total population includes both North West Frontier Province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, both administrative divisions which later amalgamated to become Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.}} | 5,415,666{{efn|name=KPKPop}} |- | Balochistan<ref name="baluchistan1941">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.28215993|jstor=saoa.crl.28215993 |access-date=4 February 2023|title=Census of India, 1941. Vol. 14, Baluchistan |year=1942 |volume=14 |author1=India Census Commissioner }}</ref>{{rp|13–18}} | 6,056 | {{Percentage | 6056 | 857835 | 2 }} | 857,835 | 857,835 |- | AJK<ref name="JammuKashmir1941">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.28215644|jstor=saoa.crl.28215644 |access-date=4 February 2023|title=Census of India, 1941. Vol. 22, Jammu & Kashmir |year=1941 |volume=22 |author1=India Census Commissioner }}</ref>{{rp|337–352}}{{efn|name=AJK1941|1941 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of two districts (Mirpur and Muzaffarabad) and one Jagir (Poonch) in the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir that ultimately would be administered by Pakistan, in the contemporary self-administrative territory of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. See 1941 census data here:<ref name="JammuKashmir1941"/>{{rp|337–352}}}} | 136 | {{Percentage | 136 | 1073154 | 2 }} | 1,073,154 | 1,073,154 |- | Gilgit–Baltistan<ref name="JammuKashmir1941"/>{{rp|337–352}}{{efn|name=GilgitBaltistan1941|1941 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of one district (Astore) and one agency (Gilgit) in the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir that ultimately would be administered by Pakistan, in the contemporary administrative territory of Gilgit–Baltistan. See 1941 census data here:<ref name="JammuKashmir1941"/>{{rp|337–352}}}} | 28 | {{Percentage | 28 | 116047 | 2 }} | 116,047 | 116,047 |- ! Pakistan ! 432,724 ! {{Percentage | 432724 | 27266001 | 2 }} ! 27,266,001 ! 29,643,600 |}

=== 2023 census === According to the 2023 census, the Christian population in Pakistan comprised 3,300,788 persons or 1.4 percent of the total population.

{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Christianity in Pakistan by administrative division in 2023<ref name="2023CensusB">{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/digital-census/detailed-results|title=7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results Table-9 Population by sex, religion and rural/urban|website=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics|access-date=16 November 2024}}</ref><ref name="2023CensusC">{{Cite web |title=Religious Demographics of Pakistan 2023 |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/national/table_9.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240721073727/https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/national/table_9.pdf |archive-date=21 July 2024 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ! rowspan="2" |Administrative division ! colspan="4" |2023 Pakistani census |- !Christian Population !Christian Percentage !Total Responses !Total Population |- | Punjab | 2,458,924 | {{Percentage | 2458924 | 127333305 | 2 }} | 127,333,305 | 127,688,922 |- | Sindh | 546,968 | {{Percentage | 546968 | 55638409 | 2 }} | 55,638,409 | 55,696,147 |- | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 134,884 | {{Percentage | 134884 | 40641120 | 2 }} | 40,641,120 | 40,856,097 |- | Islamabad Capital Territory | 97,281 | {{Percentage | 97281 | 2283244 | 2 }} | 2,283,244 | 2,363,863 |- | Balochistan | 62,731 | {{Percentage | 62731 | 14562011 | 2 }} | 14,562,011 | 14,894,402 |- ! Pakistan ! 3,300,788 ! {{Percentage | 3300788 | 240458089 | 2 }} ! 240,458,089 ! 241,499,431 |}

==Persecution== {{Main|Persecution of Christians in Pakistan}} {{See also|Blasphemy law in Pakistan|Forced conversion of minority girls in Pakistan|Religious discrimination in Pakistan}} [[File:Church in Islamabad.JPG|thumb|Church in Islamabad]] thumb|Outside of the Sialkot Cathedral [[File:Farhan Wilayat (Philanthropist) with Protestant Community.jpg|thumb|Easter Celebrations at Cathedral Church of the Resurrection, Lahore]]

After the partition of India and the formation of Pakistan in 1947, many Sikhs were forced to migrate to an independent India.<ref name="Aqeel"/> Many Christians worked under Sikh landlords and when they departed the western parts of the Punjab region, the Government of Pakistan appropriated Sikh property to Muslims arriving from East Punjab.<ref name="Aqeel"/> This caused over 300,000 Christians in Pakistan to become homeless.<ref name="Aqeel"/> Christians faced judgement living in Pakistan, with local Muslims even stating that they had to live a life of servitude and perform sanitation work.<ref name="Aqeel"/> Some Christians were therefore murdered for refusing to pick up garbage.<ref name="Aqeel"/> In 1951, seventy-two Muslims were charged with the murder of eleven Christians after communal riots over agricultural land erupted.<ref name="Aqeel">{{cite web |last1=Aqeel |first1=Asif |title=Humiliated and betrayed Christians |url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/209483/humiliated-betrayed-christians/ |website=Daily Times |date=March 2, 2018}}</ref>

Many churches built during the colonial Indian period, prior to the partition, remain locked, with the Pakistani government refusing to hand them over to the Christian community.<ref name="Fair">{{cite book |author1=C. Christine Fair |author2=Shaun Gregory |title=Pakistan in National and Regional Change: State and Society in Flux |date=April 8, 2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-92465-3}}</ref> Others have been victims of church arsons or demolitions.<ref name="Fair"/> In 1971, East Pakistan became independent as Bangladesh, and the majority of Pakistan's Hindus, who lived in Bangladesh, were severed from Pakistan. Pakistan became a culturally monolithic, increasingly Islamic state, with smaller religious minorities than ever.

With the governments of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Zia ul-Haq, more stringently Islamic laws transformed Pakistan. Conversion to faiths other than Islam is not prohibited by law. Extremely controversial were the blasphemy laws, which made it treacherous for non-Muslims to express themselves without being accused of being un-Islamic. Zia also introduced the Sharia as a basis for lawmaking, reinforced by Nawaz Sharif in 1991. Coerced conversions to Islam from Christianity are a major source of concern for Pakistani Christians, and the minority faces threats, harassment and intimidation tactics from extremists.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/04/28/wpak28.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/04/28/ixworld.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060602190414/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2006%2F04%2F28%2Fwpak28.xml&sSheet=%2Fnews%2F2006%2F04%2F28%2Fixworld.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2006-06-02 |title=Where Christianity faces a fight to survive |work=The Daily Telegraph |last=Wilkinson |first=Isambard |access-date=2021-07-11 }}</ref> The Christian community in Pakistan encounters significant challenges, discrimination, and persecution solely based on their religious identity. The law enforcement and justice system, as well as the presence of "blasphemy" laws and bonded labor, are often exploited to target, trap, and imprison religious minorities, with a particular focus on Christians.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-03-28 |title=Why are Pakistan's Christians targeted? |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35910331 |access-date=2023-07-27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-01 |title=Christians in Pakistan are victims of rape, forced marriages, and violent mobs using blasphemy laws against them |url=https://aleteia.org/2022/07/01/christians-in-pakistan-are-victims-of-rape-forced-marriages-and-violent-mobs-using-blasphemy-laws-against-them/ |access-date=2023-07-27 |website=Aleteia — Catholic Spirituality, Lifestyle, World News, and Culture |language=en}}</ref>

==Gallery== [[File:Taxila Cross, Lahore (photo by Salman Rashid).jpg|thumb|The Taxila Cross, discovered in 1935 at Sirkap near Taxila, is said to be one of the Saint Thomas Christian crosses (Mar Thoma Sleeva) that corresponds in shape to the one in Mylapore; it has been placed at Lahore Cathedral.<ref name="Kurikilamkatt2005"/>]] [[File:St Andrew Church stained glass window.jpg|thumb|St Andrew Church Stained glass, Lahore]] [[File:Church Sacred Heart.jpg|thumb|Sacred Heart Cathedral, Lahore]] Missionaries accompanied colonizing forces from Portugal, France, and Great Britain. Jesuit missionaries sent from Portuguese-held Goa built a Catholic church in Lahore, the first in Punjab, around 1597, two years after being granted permission by emperor Akbar, who had called them to his court in Fatehpur Sikri for religious discussions. This church was later demolished, perhaps during Aurangzeb times. Later on, Christianity was mainly brought by the British rulers of India in the later 18th and 19th century. This is evidenced in cities established by the British, such as the port city of Karachi, where the majestic St. Patrick's Cathedral, one of Pakistan's largest churches, stands, and the churches in the city of Rawalpindi, where the British established a major military cantonment. thumb|Holy Trinity Cathedral, Karachi The Europeans won{{how|date=June 2014}} small numbers of converts to Anglicanism, Methodism, Lutheranism and Catholicism from the native populations. Islam was very strong in the provinces of Punjab, Balochistan and the North West Frontier Province, but small native communities of converts to Christianity were formed. The largest numbers came from resident officers of the British Army and the government. European and wealthy native Christians established colleges, churches, hospitals and schools in cities like Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Peshawar. There is a large Catholic Goan community in Karachi that was established when Karachi's infrastructure was developed by the British before World War II, and the Irish (who were subjects of the British Empire and formed a large part of the British Army) were an important factor in the establishment of then the Catholic community of northwestern colonial India.

==Notable Pakistani Christians== {{More citations needed section|date=August 2016}}

===Christians in Pakistani military services===  The Christians in Pakistan have long been active in various fields of public service. Many Christians have served in the Pakistan Armed Forces, civilian services and other organizations. Some have received high civilian and military awards.

====Pakistan Air Force====   *Air Commodore Patrick Desmond Callaghan (1945–1971)<ref name=PAF/> *Group Captain Cecil Chaudhry<ref name=PAF/> *Squadron Leader Peter Christy<ref name=PAF/> *Air Vice Marshal Eric Gordon Hall (1947–1977)<ref name=PAF>{{cite web |url=http://www.defencejournal.com/dec98/christian.htm |title=PAF'S Gallant Christian Heroes Carry Quaid's Message |access-date=2011-02-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110307003637/http://www.defencejournal.com/dec98/christian.htm |archive-date=2011-03-07 }}</ref> *Air Commodore Nazir Latif<ref name=PAF/> *Wing Commander Mervyn L. Middlecoat<ref name=PAF/> *Air Vice Marshal Michael John O'Brian

====Pakistan Army====   * Brigadier Daniel Austin * Brigadier Mervyn Cardoza * Lieutenant Colonel Derek Joseph * Major General Julian Moazzam James * Major General Noel Israel Khokhar * Major General Julian Peter * Brigadier Samson Simon Sharaf

====Pakistan Navy==== *Rear-Admiral Leslie Mungavin

===Religious ministers===   thumb|Night view of St Mary's Cathedral & Bishop's House Multan *Rt. Rev. Samuel Robert Azariah<ref>{{cite web|author=Anglican Communion Office |url=http://www.anglicancommunion.org/structures/member-churches/member-church.aspx?church=pakistan |title=Member Church - Pakistan |publisher=Anglicancommunion.org |access-date=2020-04-04}}</ref> * Bishop Andrew Francis, former Bishop of Multan * Anthony Theodore Lobo, awarded the Presidential Pride of Performance Award in 1990 for services to the cause of literature and education<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thefrontierpost.com/news-corp-and-facebook-have-reached-pay-deals-for-news-in-australia/|title=News Corp and Facebook have reached pay deals for news in Australia|date=March 16, 2021|website=The Frontier Post}}</ref> * Bishop Azad Marshall Moderator of the Church of Pakistan and Bishop in Raiwind, President of the National Council of Churches of Pakistan<ref>{{cite web |title=Contact Us |url=http://nccpakistan.org.pk/index.php/contact/ |access-date=2020-04-04 |publisher=NCC-Pakistan}}</ref> * Francis Nadeem, awarded Tamgha-e-Imtiaz for Public Service<ref>{{cite web|title =Pakistan Civil Awards|url =http://www.pakistan.gov.pk/cabinet-test/news/current/PressReleaseMarch2007.pdf}}{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===Civil services and police===   * Shahbaz Bhatti, member of the National Assembly and a member of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)<ref>{{cite web |date=3 March 2011 |title=Pakistani minister, a Christian, assassinated |url=http://story.albuquerqueexpress.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/89d96798a39564bd/id/750615/cs/1/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110308082655/http://story.albuquerqueexpress.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/89d96798a39564bd/id/750615/cs/1/ |archive-date=8 March 2011 |access-date=3 March 2011 |work=Albuquerque Express}}</ref> and Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs from 2008 - 2011<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 4, 2012 |title=Pakistan minorities minister shot dead in Islamabad - Times Of India |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-02/pakistan/28646082_1_blasphemy-liberal-pakistanis-and-rights-minorities |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104232227/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-02/pakistan/28646082_1_blasphemy-liberal-pakistanis-and-rights-minorities |archive-date=November 4, 2012}}</ref> * Cincinnatus Fabian D'Abreo, administrator and politician * Kamran Michael, senator who served as Minister for Statistics and a member of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) * Manuel Misquita, former mayor of Karachi<ref name="kga">[http://karachigoans.com/kga/photo-gallery-presidents.html Presidents] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110206093346/http://karachigoans.com/kga/photo-gallery-presidents.html |date=2011-02-06 }} KGA Retrieved 1 October 2010.</ref> * Dilshad Najmuddin former IG Police and former ambassador

===Education===   *Riffat Arif, teacher, women's activist and philanthropist from Gujranwala.<ref name=dawn1>{{cite web|url=https://images.dawn.com/news/1175427|title=How Sister Zeph's one-room school in Gujranwala became a global sensation|date=26 May 2016|publisher=dawn.com}}</ref> *Bernadette Louise Dean, academic and educator. *Jacqueline Maria Dias, professor of nursing at the Aga Khan University. *Norma Fernandes, teacher awarded the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz for her services to education.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/590036/honouring-the-distinguished-president-approves-national-civil-awards|title=Honouring the distinguished: President approves national civil awards|date=August 13, 2013|website=The Express Tribune}}</ref> *Mary Emily Gonsalves, awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz in recognition of her services to education.<ref>{{cite web|title = Daily Times 24 March 2009|url = http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009%5C03%5C24%5Cstory_24-3-2009_pg12_7|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110607022203/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009%5C03%5C24%5Cstory_24-3-2009_pg12_7|archive-date = 7 June 2011}}</ref> *Yolande Henderson, veteran high school teacher.<ref name=Dawn>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/666673/educationist-with-a-heart-of-gold|title=Educationist: With a heart of gold|first=From|last=InpaperMagazine|date=October 16, 2011|website=DAWN.COM}}</ref> *Oswald Bruno Nazareth, high school teacher for 50 years.

===Politicians===   *Naveed Aamir, Member of National Assembly (2018–2023) *Clement Shahbaz Bhatti, Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs *Kamran Michael, Federal Minister and Senator *Aasiya Nasir, Member of National Assembly (2002–2018) *Shunila Ruth, Member of National Assembly (2013–2018) *Khalil Tahir Sandhu, Minister for Human Rights and Minorities Affairs (2008–2018)

===Human rights defenders===   *Romana Bashir, Member, Punjab Commission on the Status of Women (2014–2018) *Dr. Rubina Feroze Bhatti, Member, National Commission on the Rights of the Child

=== Entertainment ===   * Bohemia, Pakistani-American rapper * The Benjamin Sisters, band consisting of three sisters Nerrisa, Beena and Shabana Benjamin * Alycia Dias, playback singer * Sara Loren, actress and model * Azekah Daniel, actress * Shae Gill, Pakistani singer and cover-artist, mostly known for her Punjabi duet song "Pasoori" * Sunita Marshall, television actress and model * A. Nayyar, playback singer * Irene Perveen, playback singer * Nirmal Roy, musician and singer from Lahore<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.christiansinpakistan.com/burgeoning-songster-nirmal-roy-hits-a-home-run-with-her-exquisite-coke-studio-debut/|title=Burgeoning songster Nirmal Roy hits a home run with her exquisite Coke Studio debut|last=Bakhsh|first=Madeeha|website=www.christiansinpakistan.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-19|archive-date=2020-11-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126102020/http://www.christiansinpakistan.com/burgeoning-songster-nirmal-roy-hits-a-home-run-with-her-exquisite-coke-studio-debut/|url-status=usurped}}</ref> * Leo Twins, Haroon and Sharoon Leo, talented multi-instrumentalists and musicians * Zoe Viccaji, singer and songwriter

===Sports===  *Norman Brinkworth, athlete *Jack Britto, Olympic field hockey player *Milton D'Mello, Olympic field hockey player *Antao D'Souza, cricketer *Sohail Fazal, cricketer *Ian Fyfe, cricketer, coach and a sports journalist from Karachi<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theoldpatricians.org/illustrious.htm|title= The Old Patricians|author=Syed Osman Naeem - Development Technology Professionals|work=theoldpatricians.org|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129092734/http://www.theoldpatricians.org/illustrious.htm|archive-date=2014-11-29}}</ref> *Rony Gardener, Olympic field hockey player *Samuel Gill, footballer *Sydney Greve, boxer *Jacob Harris, first class cricketer and sports coach from Karachi *Shazia Hidayat, track and field athlete. Only female athlete on the Pakistan team competing at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia *Samuel Harris, boxer *Stephen John, cricketer *Gulfam Joseph, sport shooter *Wallis Mathias, cricketer *Allan Monteiro, boxer *John Permal, sprinter, once known as fastest man in Pakistan *Sidra Sadaf, woman cyclist who won a silver medal at the 11th South Asian Games in Dhaka, Bangladesh in January 2010 *Duncan Sharpe, cricketer *Joyann Thomas, women's footballer *Yousaf Youhana, first class test cricketer who used to openly use the sign of the cross before starting his innings. He was one of the most successful batsmen of the Pakistan cricket team. He later converted to Islam, changing his name to Mohammad Yousuf *Maurice White, boxer

=== Writers ===  *Cyril Almeida, journalist and an assistant editor for the daily newspaper ''Dawn''.<ref name=News18>{{cite web|author=D. P. Satish |title=Grounded Pakistani Journalist Cyril Almeida Has Goan Roots |url=http://www.news18.com/news/india/grounded-pakistani-journalist-cyril-almeida-has-goan-roots-1300632.html |newspaper=News18 |date=11 October 2016 |access-date=11 October 2016}}</ref> *Kanwal Feroze, scholar, poet, writer and journalist. *Nabeel Qureshi, former Ahmadi who converted to Christianity, wrote three books. ''Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity'', ''Answering Jihad: A Better Way Forward'' and ''No God BUT One: Allah or Jesus''. *Late Begum Bilquis Sheikh was an aristocratic Pakistani lady who converted from Islam to Christianity and wrote memoirs about this.

===Other===  *Quentin D'Silva, former Chairman & Chief Executive of Shell Pakistan Limited.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SHELL PAKISTAN LIMITED-Year Ended 30-06-2006 |url=http://old.paktribune.com/business/news/SHELL-PAKISTAN-LIMITED-Year-Ended-30-06-2006-1325.html |website=Paktribune}}</ref> *Sunny Benjamin John, singer from Karachi.<ref>[http://www.dharkan.ca/archive/fall2006/DharkanFall2006.pdf ''Dharkan'' Fall 2006] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414164651/http://www.dharkan.ca/archive/fall2006/DharkanFall2006.pdf |date=2010-04-14 }}</ref> *Erica Robin, model and first ever winner of Miss Universe Pakistan, Top 20 at Miss Universe 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dunyanews.tv/en/Entertainment/755211-Erica-Robin-crowned-Miss-Universe-Pakistan-2023|title=Erica Robin crowned Miss Universe Pakistan 2023|date=September 15, 2023|website=Dunya News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/509935-in-a-first-karachis-erica-robin-crowned-miss-universe-pakistan-2023|title=In a first, Karachi's Erica Robin crowned Miss Universe Pakistan 2023|website=www.geo.tv}}</ref>

===Candidates to sainthood ===  * Akash Bashir, former student of the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Lahore, security guard and martyr. On 31 January 2022 Pope Francis declared him a Servant of God. He is the first native Pakistani candidate for sainthood in the history of the Catholic Church in Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Akash Bashir, Who Died Protecting Catholic Worshippers in Pakistan, Named a Servant of God |url=https://www.ncregister.com/cna/akash-bashir-who-died-protecting-catholic-worshippers-in-pakistan-named-a-servant-of-god |access-date=2022-06-01 |website=NCR |date=2 February 2022 |language=en}}</ref> * Shahbaz Bhatti, former politician, assassinated because of his opposition to Pakistan's blasphemy law.

==Notes== {{notelist}}

==References== {{reflist}}

===Works cited=== *{{cite book|title=Christian Citizens in an Islamic State: The Pakistan Experience|first=Theodore|last=Gabriel|publisher=Taylor & Francis|year=2021}}

==Further reading== * {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OV9CAAAAIAAJ|title=Urdu version of the Book of Common Prayer, and administration of the sacraments and other rites and ceremonies of the church, according to the use of the Church of England: together with the Psalter or Psalms of David ... and the form and manner of making, ordaining, and consecrating of bishops ...|author=Church of England|year=1908|publisher=Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge|page=274|access-date=2011-07-06}} * {{cite web|url=https://www.ucanews.com/story-archive/?post_name=/2010/12/22/christmas-sweetens-religious-ties-in-pakistan&post_id=54208|title=Christmas sweetens religious ties in Pakistan|work=ucanews.com reporter, Lahore|publisher=Union of Catholic Asian News}}

==External links== {{Christianity by country}} * {{commons category-inline}} * [http://www.britishpakistanichristians.org/ British Pakistani Christian Association] * [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6663305.stm Pakistan Christians demand help] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20130429021827/http://www.opendoorsusa.org/searchresults?q=pakistan Open Doors USA's information about Pakistan] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20130429021827/http://www.opendoorsusa.org/searchresults?q=pakistan Open Doors USA's information about Pakistan] * [http://www.worldwatchlist.us/world-watch-list-countries/pakistan/ World Watch List - Pakistan] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20130129003340/http://www.christiannewspk.com/ Pakistan Christian News - Christians in Pakistan] * [http://www.claas.org.uk/ Centre for legal aid assistance and settlement] * [http://dailytimes.com.pk/opinion/10-Aug-16/forced-conversions-in-pakistan-a-dark-reality Forced conversions in Pakistan: A dark reality]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christianity In Pakistan}} Category:Christianity in Pakistan Category:History of Christianity in Pakistan