Shia Islam in Pakistan

The Shia population in Pakistan is estimated as being between 5-20% of the country's total population. The total number of Shias in Pakistan is estimated as 17-25 million in 2009 by the Pew Research Center to as high as 30 million in 2006 according to Vali Nasr.

Historical accounts on the conversion of local Indian people to the Shia Islam are not very clear and different opinions are present in this regard. However, what is most clear is that indian city of Lucknow has remained a center of Shia Islam in Indian subcontinent for quite a while. After the division of India in 1947, A great number of Shia Muslims residing in the Indian parts of subcontinent migrated to the newly formed state of Pakistan. While Shi'a Muslims have found a refuge in Pakistan, tensions between them and certain sections of Sunnis has resulted in the creation of Shi'a-specific organizations in recent years. In the past, shias in this region of Pakistan have also faced persecution by some Mughal Emperors which resulted in murder of Shia scholar Qazi Nurullah Shustari also known as Shaheed-e-Thaalis, which means the "Third Martyr". Many Nawabs were among the Shias who were rulers in present-day India or Pakistan.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Quaid-e-Azam ("the Great Leader"), the founder of the state of Pakistan, was born into a Shia family. However, his relatives and associates later testified in court that Jinnah became a firm Sunni Muslim by the end of his life.

While in past few decades, to address the legal needs and political support of the Shi'a population in Pakistan organizations like Tehrik-e-Jafaria Pakistan and Imamia Students Organisation were formed, while Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan, a Shia militant group, was formed to deter the militancy against Shias by Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan as well as Laskhar-e-Jhangvi, Deobandi militant groups. Although the Sunni and Shia Muslims usually coexist peacefully, sectarian violence is carried out sporadically by radical groups.

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