History of the Jews in Pakistan

[6] However, the accuracy and transparency of the NDRA's database has been challenged;[7] Liel Leibovitz, an Israeli journalist, has doubted the correctness of the official numbers.

[8] It has been widely reported in Pakistani media that a man known as Fishel Benkhald, who preserves the last standing Jewish cemetery in Karachi, has claimed to be last Jew in Pakistan.

[9][10] However, Benkhald's identity has been challenged by his brothers, who claim to be Muslims,[11][12] and he has been targeted and attacked in the country due to his activism for religious minorities in Pakistan.

[18] In 1911, Jews constituted 0.3 percent of Karachi's population and at the time of independence from the British Empire their number had reached 2,500.

[31] As per another account, in July 1988 the synagogue was burnt and brought down by religious zealots (where today a building 'Madiha Square' stands).

[citation needed] Dan Kiesel, a Jew of German origin, was employed as a physiotherapist by the Pakistan Cricket Board from 1995 to 1999.

His appointment brought some controversy, as Pakistani politicians questioned the hiring an Israeli Jew in the Senate of Pakistan.

[citation needed] The massive demographic influx of Mohajirs from the Dominion of India upon independence, the creation of Israel and the Arab–Israeli conflict led to a rise in anti-Semitism in Pakistan.

[43] Incidents of violence against Jews started occurring following the establishment of Israel, creating a sense of insecurity within the community in Karachi.