Over 35,000 Buddhists, Baha'is living in Pakistan: Report

Islamabad, Sept. 2 (ANI): National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) statistics have revealed that besides large Christian and Hindu communities, Pakistan has a sizable population of people following the Baha'i faith, in addition to people following Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and the Ahmadiyya faith.

In all, adherents of at least seven different faiths, besides Islam, live in Pakistan and comprise more than 3% of all adult Pakistanis who posses Computerised National Identity Cards (CNIC), reports The Express Tribune.

According to the statistics, the Hindu community is the largest minority group possessing CNICs, with 1.4 million adherents. Christians follow, with 1.27 million followers possessing a CNIC.

Among the Ahmadis - a community declared non-Muslim in the 1970s - there are 125,681 CNIC holders.

Besides these minorities, the data shows there are over 33,000 Pakistanis who declared themselves as followers of the Baha'i faith, 6,146 Sikhs and over 4,000 Zoroastrians, or Parsis. Around 1,500 adult citizens holding CNICs declared themselves as Buddhists. (ANI)