Between Hindukush and Himalaya - Pakistan | Loving Muslims Through Prayer

Between Hindukush and Himalaya - Pakistan

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. You may also be interested in our daily prayer summaries during Ramadan via e-mail. Thanks for visiting!

“The Northern Areas” is the name for that part of Pakistan which is surrounded by Afghanistan to the west, the Chinese province Sinkiang to the north, and Indian Kashmir to the east. Here three of the world’s highest mountain ranges meet: Hindukush, Karakoram Mountains and Western Himalaya. Some of the region’s gigantic mountains, such as K2 and Nanga Parbat, are well-known.

Tensions between branches of Islam

In these mountain valleys of breathtaking beauty there are several unevangelised peoples and no indigenous churches. Each people professes Islam, but each has its unique orientations, leading to tensions between them. This area is the only part of Pakistan in which the majority of the population professes the Shiite (Shia) orientation of Islam. Most Shiites follow the conservative branch of the so-called “Shia of the Twelve”, which is the state religion in Iran. A large minority, however, profess the Shia Ismaili faith and follow the modern, liberal messages of their spiritual leader, Karim Aga Khan, who lives in France. The Aga Khan is admired passionately and almost worshipped as god by his followers in northern Pakistan.

The around 150,000 Burusha are inhabitants of the small former mountain kingdoms of Hunza and Nagar. Their language cannot be classed with any other known language. There are also at least 70,000 Wanecis, whose territory reaches into Afghanistan, China’s Sinkiang province and Tajikistan. In the eastern part of the region, there are over 400,000 Balistanis, who class themselves culturally with the Tibetans, though religiously they are orientated towards Iran. Over 200,000 Khowar Ismailis live in the Hindukush. West of Gilgit in the upper Indus valley and in the Nanga Parbat area are a people who speak Shina: most of them are followers of conservative Sunni Islam. (Together, these groups comprise over 1 million people.)

Open doors in Hindukush

Most people in the northern regions of Pakistan live by agriculture and raising livestock. After the completion of the Karakoram Highway in the 1970s, the area became attractive for tourists. Following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, however, tourism has declined considerably in the area. This has proved to be painful for the peace-loving, hospitable inhabitants of northern Pakistan.

Christian missionaries in the region report many opportunities and open doors to proclaim the gospel. This is true among the liberal-minded Ismailis as well as among the conservative Shias and Sunnis. In their isolation many feel the need to be open to the modern world. Many people are happy to receive Bibles and other Christian literature, as well as personal prayer.

Prayer Guide for Hindukush

* Long-term church-planting teams are needed in each of these ethnic groups, so that groups of disciples can form, and multiplying indigenous churches can be created.

* Pray for house churches to be established in which people can worship Jesus in the context of their culture, tradition and language.

* Pray for a mighty work of the Holy Spirit among these virtually unreached peoples. Pray that many people will experience reconciliation with God. Name each people before the Lord and pray specifically for them.