The connection between Tamils and Pakistan

Many will be surprised to know that there is a small community of Tamils that live in Pakistan and continue to thrive till date. It all started with some Tamil Muslims migrating from Tamil Nadu to settle in Karachi after the independence in 1947. Over the years, these Tamil Muslims have integrated with the Urdu speaking Muhajir community.

Although, there are some Tamils that have been in Pakistan since early 20th century when Karachi was developed during the British Raj. Not only that, there are Sri Lankan Tamils that arrived during the Sri Lankan Civil War and these Tamils are mostly Hindus. The Madrasi Para area behind the Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre is home to 100 Tamil Hindu families. The Maripata Temple, which has been demolished now, was the biggest Tamil Hindu temple in Karachi. Localities such as Drigh Road and Korangi are home to small percentages of Tamil population.

In addition to all this, Karachi also hosts a small population of Tamil Christians. The Catholic community also has a number of Tamils within its ranks. Emmanuel Nicholas, the school teacher of former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani, was a Sri Lankan Tamil, and Victor Gnanapragasam, Bishop in Quetta are among the distinguished Tamil Catholic community of Pakistan.