Who are the muhajirs in Karachi?

In the context of Karachi, muhajirs are Urdu-speaking Muslims who migrated from India to Pakistan following the 1947 partition, or their descendants. The term muhajir means "migrant" in Urdu and carries historical and religious significance, drawing parallels to the migration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina.12

Upon arriving in Pakistan, many muhajirs settled in urban centers within the Sindh province, particularly in Karachi and Hyderabad. Because of their high levels of education and the privileged status of the Urdu language at the time, they exerted significant influence on the formation of the new state and its public policy.1

While Karachi was historically comprised primarily of Sindhis and the Baloch, muhajirs now constitute the city's most numerous ethnic group. Over the decades, they have engaged in distinct sociopolitical activism, most notably through the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which was established to advocate for their rights amid shifting political landscapes and ethnic tensions in the city.21