While a clear majority of the Muslims in Jammu, in Kashmir proper, and in Azad Kashmir are followers of the Sunni form of the faith, large areas in Indian-held Ladakh, most notably in Kargil district, and in the Pakistani-held Northern Areas have majorities who follow various sects that may be grouped under the label Shiah. These include the Ismailis, whose spiritual leader is the Aga Khan, whose Aga Khan Rural Support Programme is a major source of development assistance to the region, on both sides of the LOC. Reliable statistics on sectarian distributions within Islam have never been collected. However, based on such pre-independence data as do exist, Shiahs (of various sub-sects) outnumber Sunnis in Indian-held Kargil, while, on the Pakistani side of the LOC, they lead in all parts of the Northern Areas except Gilgit tahsil of Gilgit district and the western tahsils of Diamir district. In those areas, owing in part to immigration from Punjab and the North-West Frontier Province since the completion of the Karakoram Highway, the two sects are believed to be in rough balance.
Regional Distribution of Major Faiths, 1981 | |||||||||
Region |
Muslims
(1,000s) |
Hindus
(1,000s) |
Buddhists
(1,000s) | ||||||
%
|
%
|
%
| |||||||
Indian-held areas | |||||||||
Kashmir | 2,977 | 95 |
125
|
4
|
0.2
|
n
| |||
Jammu | 805 | 29.6 |
1,803
|
66.3
|
1
|
n
| |||
Ladakh | 62 | 46.1 |
4
|
2.6
|
68
|
50.9
| |||
Total | 3,843 | 64.2 |
1,930
|
32.2
|
70
|
1.2
| |||
Pakistani-held areas | |||||||||
Azad Kashmir | 1,979 | 99.8 |
n
|
n
|
n
|
n
| |||
Northern Areas | 574 | 99.8 |
n
|
n
|
n
|
n
| |||
Total | 2,553 | 99.8 |
n
|
n
|
n
|
n
| |||
Grand total | 6,396 | 74.9 |
1,930
|
22.6
|
70
|
0.8
|
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