Turks in Pakistan (Turkish: Pakistan'daki Türkler) are ethnic Turkish people living in Pakistan. These terms are also used to refer to Pakistani-born individuals who are of full or partial Turkish ancestry. Turkish educators in Pakistan are involved with the PakTurk International Schools and Colleges, which has 25 branches in the country.[2][3] As of 2016, there were over 100 Turkish educators teaching at these schools, and including their families has a population of 400 Turks.[4][5][6]
It is more probable, given that most Turkish villages were in the inaccessible mountainous regions at the time of the 1901 census, that the actual number could average about 10,000.
The Turkish jihadist militant group identifying by the name of Taifatul Mansura ("Victorious Sect") were actively fighting in Waziristan, likely entering from Afghanistan, with a score of them killed by American predator drone strikes.[8] Their commander, Abu Zarr, was killed by the Taliban who described him as "dangerous" and "uncontrollable." Zarr had been previously involved in conflicts in the Caucuses before being killed in Afghanistan. He was described as the leader of Al-Queda's unit in Turkey.[9]
A few of these were also Turks of German citizenship such as Mounir Chouka. Some of these also brought native Germans converted to Islam and radicalized such as Eric Breininger, who was brought to the Afghan-Pakistani border and was killed in a firefight with Pakistani forces.[10][11] Another three German citizens, possibly of Turkish ethnicity, were killed in an airstrike launched by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in Northern Waziristan in early 2014, which also killed up to thirty-three Uzbek militants.[12]
Pak-Turk schools
In April 1995, Pak-Turk Maarif schools and colleges were launched and Turkish teachers were hired.[2][13]
Notable people
Adil Murad, is a Pakistani film producer and actor
