Turkmen in Pakistan are ethnic Turkmen who live or reside in

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. They are predominantly refugees who fled from

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

in the aftermath of the 1917

Bolshevik Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. It was led by Vladimir L ...

and then from Afghanistan to neighbouring Pakistan following the instability during the

Soviet invasion of Afghanistan The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until it dissolved in 1991. During its existence, it was the largest country by are ...

. Consequently, a large number have been in Pakistan for decades and many are part of second and third generations. The U.N. estimated that in 2005, 60,733 Turkmen from Afghanistan resided in Pakistan.

Carpet industry

Turkmen in Pakistan are pioneers of a largely successful and reputable carpet industry. In order to make a living, many have taken on the role of producing Turkmen rugs which are in great demand both inside and outside the country. In Turkmen culture, carpet-weaving is a tradition tracing back to nomadic roots; today, the trade is the primary source of sustenance and economic opportunities for the community. Those in the industry are consigned by Pakistani wholesalers who provide designs and patterns, with a pay of 2,000 to 3,000 rupees per square meter. By working each day from early in the morning until late in the evening, one person is usually able produce a square meter within a month. The business has transformed Turkmen villages into giant sweatshops. Many Turkmen have claimed to be better off economically than the million or so

Afghan refugees in Pakistan Afghans in Pakistan (, , ) are temporary residents from Afghanistan, some of who are registered in Pakistan as refugees and asylum seekers. The registered fall under the jurisdiction of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). ...

Society

Most of the Turkmen are based in the northern parts of the country; the town of Babu, near

Peshawar Peshawar is the capital and List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district p ...

, is the largest settlement camp. The land they live on is courtesy of the Pakistani government and years ago they received international assistance to build their homes; however, living conditions have sometimes been described as inadequate with few electric lines and difficulties in access to water. Many refugees also do not have the resources to rent fields and grow crops in surrounding farmlands. A considerable portion of Turkmen immigrants in Pakistan are originally Afghan nationals who migrated into the country less than two decades ago. A 2005 census showed there were over 6,000 Afghan Turkmen living in the province of

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; , ), also spelled as Baluchistan or Baluchestan, is a historical region in West and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. This arid region o ...

alone and they formed an overall 0.8% of the local Afghan population.Afghans in Quetta: Settlements, Livelihoods, Support Net works and Cross-Border Linkages
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References

{{Immigration to Pakistan

Diasporas in Pakistan Immigration to Pakistan Pakistan–Turkmenistan relations

Carpet industry

Society

See also

References