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The official religion of Pakistan is Islam, as enshrined by Article 2 of the Constitution, and is practised by an overwhelming majority of 96.35% of the country's population.[1][7] The remaining 3.65% practice Hinduism, Christianity, Ahmadiyya(considered non-Muslims by the Pakistani constitution),[8] Sikhism and other religions.[9][10]
A few aspects of secularism have also been adopted by Pakistani constitution from British colonial concept.[9][11][12][13][14] However, religious minorities in Pakistan often face significant discrimination, subject to issues such as violence and the blasphemy laws.[15][16]
Muslims comprise a number of sects: the majority practice Sunni Islam (estimated at 90%), while a minority practice Shia Islam (estimated at 10%).[17][18][19] Most Pakistani Sunni Muslims belong to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence,[9] which is represented by the Barelvi and Deobandi traditions. However, the Hanbali school is gaining popularity recently due to Wahhabi influence from the Middle East.[20] The majority of Pakistani Shia Muslims belong to the Twelver Islamic law school, with significant minority groups who practice Ismailism, which is composed of Nizari (Aga Khanis), Mustaali, Dawoodi Bohra, Sulaymani, and others.
Before the arrival of Islam beginning in the 8th century, the region comprising Pakistan was home to a diverse plethora of faiths, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Zoroastrianism.[21][22]
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was invoked but never defined (see the help page).Approximately 97 percent of Pakistanis are Muslim. The majority are Sunnis following the Hanafi school of Islamic law. Between 10 and 15 percent are Shiis, mostly Twelvers.
Religion: About 97% of Pakistanis are Muslim, 64% of whom are Sunni and 33% Shia; the remaining 3% of population divided equally among Christian, Hindu, and other religions
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was invoked but never defined (see the help page).LoC_Pak
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was invoked but never defined (see the help page).On the other hand, in Pakistan, where 6% of the survey respondents identify as Shia, Sunni attitudes are more mixed: 50% say Shias are Muslims, while 41% say they are not.
Perhaps best known as home to Asia's earliest cities, the Harappan sites of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, Pakistan's rich history includes contributions from prominent Buddhist, Hindu, Hellenistic, Jain and Zoroastrian civilizations, as well as those connected to its Islamic heritage.