The Shaikh (Punjabi) of Pakistan

The Shaikh (Punjabi) of Pakistan, numbering approximately 1,775,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a large socio-religious community of India. Shaiks are Muslim communities who claim descent from Arab settlers or early Islamic migrants or traders and who adopted the title "Shaikh" as a mark of status or identity. They mostly adhere to Sunni Islam and Western Panjabi is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: South Asian Peoples
Country: Pakistan
People Cluster: Shaikh
Primary Language(s): Western Panjabi (pnb)
Primary Religion(s): Sunni Islam
Population: 1,775,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG046189

Pray for the Shaikh (Punjabi) of Pakistan

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Sunni Islam
Religious Affiliation: Islam

100%
%
Sunni Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Western Panjabi
Language Family: Indo-European

100%
%
Punjabi, Western Speakers

Media Resources in Western Panjabi:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Western Panjabi:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Western Panjabi bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Shaikh (Punjabi) 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 Shaikh (Punjabi):
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 Shaikh (Punjabi) of Pakistan

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
readPsalm 20:7

Pray for those who trust in anything other than the Lord to be convicted of their sin and learn about what Jesus did for them so that they can choose to trust in Him.

More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
readRomans 5:11

Pray for the gospel to advance and for more people to be brought into God's family through the reconciliation Jesus offers them.

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
readJohn 10:28

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will have assurance of eternal life, knowing that no one can snatch them out of the loving hand of Jesus.

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations.
readPsalm 57:9

Pray that God will raise up believers among them who will boldly go and share the gospel with people nearby and with those far away.

Shaikh (Panjabi) Across Countries (ROP3 - 116701) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

2 people groups

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

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