Demographics of Karachi - Migration

Migration

Whereas most megacities in the developing world have grown out of rural-urban migration from the countryside not too distant from them, Karachi's demographics are the largely contributed by long-distance immigration. Before the independence of Pakistan, Karachi already had a diverse mix of religions and ethnic groups. After independence, most of the Muslim refugees from South Asia settled in Karachi. Likewise, a large number of Hindus left the city for India. Predominantly Urdu speaking, the refugees known as Muhajirs formed the dominant ethnic group in Karachi. Muhajirs originated from different parts of India and brought with them their local cultures and cuisines, thus further adding to the already diverse mix of people that earlier inhabited Karachi. Currently, these older groups of people and continuing migration from different parts of Pakistan have contributed to a rich and diverse mix of people that live in Karachi. This has further been diversified with migration from other non-traditional countries such as by Arabs from different Middle Eastern countries, Persians from Iran, Afghans and more recently from the Central Asian Republics. The city is also home to Pakistan's largest Jewish, Nestorian and Armenian communities. This has given the city a very metropolitan character, and has earned it the title as the Melting Pot of Pakistan.