Who Are the SHIN?

The Shin are a people of northern Pakistan whose traditional homeland lies among the valleys and mountain communities of Gilgit-Baltistan. They speak Shina, an Indo-Aryan language used across several parts of the region. Mountain ranges and remote terrain have helped preserve their distinct language, identity, and community traditions.

For generations, many Shin families have depended on farming and livestock. Grain and vegetables are cultivated on terraced or irrigated land, while goats, sheep, and cattle are moved to higher pastures during the warmer months. The growing road network, including routes connected to the Karakoram Highway, has brought increased access to markets, education, and the wider nation, although many communities remain geographically isolated.

Family ties are deeply important, and marriage and community life have traditionally reinforced a strong sense of shared identity. Nearly all Shin identify as Muslim. In communities where following Jesus is unfamiliar and Christianity has little visible presence, exploring Christian faith may carry serious relational and social consequences.

Yet Gospel resources are beginning to cross barriers of geography and language. Scripture portions, audio teaching, and the JESUS Film are available in Shina. As local believers are equipped and these resources become more accessible, there is an opportunity for individuals and families to encounter Jesus and for the first Christ-centered, multiplying churches to take root among the Shin.

Prayer Points

• Pray that God would open the hearts of Shin families to hear, understand, and respond to the Gospel.

• Pray for the translation and distribution of the New Testament and the complete Bible in Shina, and for existing audio and video resources to reach remote communities.

• Pray for believers in northern Pakistan to be strengthened, protected, and equipped to share Jesus with wisdom, courage, and love.

• Pray that entire families and relational networks would encounter Christ and that the Gospel would spread naturally from household to household and village to village.

• Pray for the indigenous leaders and ministry partners serving in Gilgit-Baltistan. Ask God to open doors among the Shin and raise up healthy, indigenous, multiplying churches throughout the region.