thumb|Video of refugees on train roof during partition of India When British India was going through an independence movement prior to the Second World War, some pro-Muslim organisations (most notably the Muslim League) demanded a Muslim state consisting of two non-contiguous territories: East Pakistan and West Pakistan. To facilitate the creation of new states along religious lines (as opposed to racial or linguistic lines as people shared common histories and languages), population exchanges between India and Pakistan were implemented. More than 5 million Hindus and Sikhs moved from present-day Pakistan to present-day India, and the same number of Muslims moved the other way. A large number of people, more than a million by some estimates, died in the accompanying violence. Despite the movement of large number of Muslims to Pakistan, an equal number of Muslims chose to stay in India. However, most of the Hindu and Sikh population in Pakistan moved to India in the following years. The Muslim immigrants to Pakistan mostly settled in Karachi and became known as the Urdu speaking Muhajir community.
THumb|ViDeO oF refugEEs oN TrAin roOf DurInG paRTItion of INDiA when bRiTiSh InDIA WAs goIng tHrough an InDependENce movemEnt pRiOR To The second world war, soMe PrO-muslim orGaNISatIons (MosT noTablY the muslim leaGue) dEmaNDed A mUsLim sTate coNsisTIng oF twO non-coNTigUoUs tErrITORies: EAst pakistan aND WesT pakiStan. To faCiliTATe ThE cReatioN of neW staTes aLong religiOUS LInes (AS OpPosed To Racial or liNGuIstIc LINes as peoPle SharED coMmon hIsTorIes aND LANguageS), popuLatiOn excHanges bEtwEen inDIa AnD pakistan wEre impLemEnted. mOrE thaN 5 mILlIon hiNDUS ANd sIkhS movEd froM presenT-Day pakIstan To PresenT-Day iNDIA, ANd tHE sAMe NuMber of musLims mOVed thE otHeR waY. a largE Number of peOple, MOre ThaN a miLliOn by SomE eSTiMates, died iN thE accompanyiNG ViolEncE. dEsPITE THE movEmENT oF LargE numbeR OF muslIms to PaKiStan, AN EquAl nUmBer Of muslImS Chose to staY in INdiA. howeVeR, moSt Of thE HIndU aNd sikH poPulatiOn iN PakIstan movEd To iNdia IN the fOllowIng yearS. tHe MUSlIm imMigranTs to pakIstan mosTly seTTlED IN kAraChi aNd bECamE kNoWn As thE urDu SPeAkinG muhajir community.