The Punjabi Pahari of Pakistan

The Punjabi Pahari of Pakistan, numbering approximately 3,745,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a north‑Punjabi ethnolinguistic group of Pakistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, defined primarily by the Pahari–Pothwari language continuum and a shared “pahārī” (mountainous) culture. They mostly adhere to Sunni Islam and Pahari-Potwari is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash: Punjabi Pahari

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: South Asian Peoples
Country: Pakistan
People Cluster: Punjabi
Primary Language(s): Pahari-Potwari (phr)
Primary Religion(s): Sunni Islam
Population: 3,745,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG006393

Pray for the Punjabi Pahari of Pakistan

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Sunni Islam
Religious Affiliation: Islam

90%
%
Sunni Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Pahari-Potwari
Language Family: Indo-European

100%
%
Pahari-Potwari Speakers

Media Resources in Pahari-Potwari:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Pahari-Potwari:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Pahari-Potwari bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Punjabi Pahari are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Punjabi Pahari:
Continue prayer and fasting for this group
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Pray specifically for the Punjabi Pahari of Pakistan

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.
readGenesis 3:15

Pray that those without Christ will hear the words of Genesis 1-3 in their own language, and desire to know their Creator and His provision of salvation.

And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.
readActs 17:26-27

Pray that the lost will seek God and find Him, for He is not far from each one of us. Pray that they will have opportunities to access the gospel, learn God's purpose for their lives, and believe in Him.

Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!
readPsalm 105:4

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ and may feel weak in their current circumstances, they will seek the Lord's presence and persevere in the Lord's strength.

Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
readLuke 10:3

Ask God to raise up and send humble believers who will depend on Him as they go out like lambs among wolves to share the good news with those who need to hear it.

Pahari-Potwari Across Countries (ROP3 - 117353) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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