Major Languages of Pakistan

Punjabi, Saraiki, Pashtu, Sindhi, Hindko, Balochi and Brahui are important languages of Pakistan. Urdu is considered as the national language. In Pakistan Saraiki is the language spoken by 40%, Punjabi 18%, Pashtu 15%, Sindhi 12%, Urdu 7%, Balochi 3%, Brahui 2%, Hindko 2% and other languages 1%.

Punjabi: Majhi, spoken in Lahore, Gujranwala and Sialkot, is called Punjabi. In India, Amritsar, Tarn Taran Sahib, and Gurdaspur Districts of the State of Punjab, Majhi is also spoken. The Doabi, Pwadhi and Malwi dialects of Punjabi are spoken in India. Only half of Majhi speakers live in Pakistan,

Saraiki: Standard Saraiki, Dibhari Saraiki (Jhang, Cheniot, Sahiwal, Kamalia. Pindi Bhattian, Mandi Bahaudin, Okara, Bahawalnagar), Chakwali (Jand, Pindi Gheb) and Saraiki (Jaffarabad, Naseerabad, Jhalmagsi, Ghotki, Kashmore, Jackabad) are the four common dialects of Saraiki. Standard Saraiki is spoken by 80%, Dibhari by 10%, Chakwali by 5% and Sindh aali Saraiki by 5%. Saraiki has 45 characters with six Special Saraiki characters namely, ٻ، ڄ، ڊ ،ݙ، ڳ & ݨ .

Pashtu: Pashtu of Peshawer, Bannuchi and Quetta Pashtu are Pashtu languages.

Sindhi: Sindhi is spoken in Sindh.

Urdu: Urdu is the national language of Pakistan, mostly spoken in Karachi by Muhajirs, migrated from United Province, India. The Muhajirs of Karachi also speak other languages from all over India and other parts of Pakistan.

Balochi: The Balochi languages are Eastern Balochi [bgp] spoken in Northeast Balochistan Province, Northwest Sindh and Southwest Punjab; Southern Balochi [bcc] spoken in South Balochistan, South Sindh and Karachi; Western Balochi [bgn] spoken in Northwest Baluchistan Province.

Hindko: Northern Hindko [hno] is spoken in Hazara division, Mansehra and Abbotabad districts, Indus and Kaghan valleys and Indus valley tributaries. Southern Hindko [hnd] is spoken in Punjab Province, Attock district, to south Hazara division, NWFP; Kohat and Peshawar districts.

Pothohari [phr] (related to Hindko): Pahari dialect is spoken in Rawalpindi, Murree Hills, and east in Azad Kashmir (Poonchi (Punchhi) and Chibhali); north in the lower half of the Neelum Valley. Potwari dialect is spoken in Pothwar Plateau, from Rawalpindi to Gujar Khan and south to Jhelum. Mirpuri dialect is spoken in Southern Azad Kashmir.

Brahui: [brh] South central, Quetta and Kalat region, east Baluchistan and Sind provinces. 4,000,000 speakers in Pakistan (2011). Population total all countries: 4,220,000. Alternate Names: Birahui, Brahuidi, Brahuigi, Kur Galli Dialects: Jharawan, Kalat, Sarawan. Kalat is standard dialect, Jharawan is lowland.

Chitrali: Alternate Names Khowar, Arniya, Chitrali, Chitrari, Citrali, Kashkari, Khawar, Patu, Qashqari , Population 223,000 in Pakistan (1992). Population total all countries: 242,200.

Shina, Gojri, Kashmiri, Bagri, Balti, Dari, Dhatki, Hazargi, Jadgali, Indus kohistani, Koli Kachi, Parkrai koli, Marwari are Pakistani languages having population ranging from 100,000 to 500,000.