People group profile · PG006398
The Shina of Pakistan
The Shina of Pakistan, numbering about 603,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic people who live primarily in Gilgit-Baltistan and Indus Kohistan in northern Pakistan. The Shina are one of the largest ethnic groups in Gilgit-Baltistan and are overwhelmingly Muslim.
They are an indigenous people in the Kashmiri people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Shina.
Fast facts
- Country
- Pakistan
- Population
- 603,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Kashmiri
- Primary language
- Shina (scl)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Azad Kashmir province: east Neelum district; Gilgit Baltistan province: Baltistan, Diamer, and Gilgit districts, Chilas area, Darel, Gilgit, Haramosh, lower Hunza Valley, Punial, and Tangir valleys, Astor, Kharmang, Kachura, Satpara, and other small vall
Where they live
Gospel status
The Shina are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Shina
- 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
Primary religion
Sunni Islam · Islam
56% adherents
Primary language
Shina · Indo-European family
100% speak Shina
Gospel resources in Shina
- Bible available, published 1929
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources not available
- Bible stories not available
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Shina
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
Shina in other countries
The same people is also reported in 1 other country.
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