Communities

Pakistani TV in the UK

People of Pakistani heritage are the second-largest Asian ethnic group in England and Wales, with large communities in Birmingham, Bradford, Manchester and east London. Many families came from Mirpur in Azad Kashmir, and Punjabi is spoken at home as often as Urdu.

Updated 6 October 2026 · By the IPTV UK editorial desk

How do Pakistani families in the UK watch TV?

News channels are on in a lot of homes all day, dramas get watched as families, and Ramadan changes the schedule: special transmissions run around sehri and iftar, which fall at very different UK times through the year.

What does the census say?

Measure	People
Born in Pakistan Census 2021 TS012, Pakistan	623,557
Main language: Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto Census 2021 TS024, people aged 3 and over	609,299
Ethnic group: Pakistani Census 2021 TS021	1,587,819

Where does the community live?

The council areas in England and Wales with the most people counted by the ethnic-group figure, out of 318:

Birmingham195,10217% of residents
Bradford139,55325.5% of residents
Manchester65,87511.9% of residents
Kirklees54,79512.6% of residents
Redbridge44,00014.2% of residents
Luton41,14318.3% of residents
Slough34,31721.7% of residents
Oldham32,80213.5% of residents

Our town pages with a large Pakistani community: Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham, Bradford, Stoke-on-Trent, Derby, Luton.

This is what people from the community ask us about, not a promise that every channel is in the line-up today. We confirm specific channels in writing before you buy.

Ask us to confirm these channels

What are the legal ways to watch from the UK?

Geo and ARY on YouTubeBoth networks stream their news channels live on their official YouTube channels, free.
ARY Digital UKARY's UK channel is sold through pay TV here.
Hum TV and ARY dramasMost new episodes go up on the channels' official YouTube pages after broadcast.

Availability and prices change; check the provider's own site before you subscribe.

Sport and kick-off times

Cricket again: Pakistan's series and the Pakistan Super League. Pakistan is 4 hours ahead of the UK in summer and 5 in winter.

Time in Pakistan now—

UK time now—

Pakistan is 4 hours ahead of the UK in the British summer and 5 hours ahead of the UK in winter. Busiest viewing: Ramadan, Eid and Pakistan cricket.

Try it before you pay

The free 24-hour trial gives the full line-up, including the channel groups for Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto and Mirpuri. If it suits your family, plans start at £6.25 a month.

More communities

Other community pages

Readers also ask

How many Pakistani families live in England and Wales?

Census 2021 counted 623,557 (born in Pakistan); 609,299 (main language: Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto); 1,587,819 (ethnic group: Pakistani). Scotland and Northern Ireland run separate censuses.

Can I watch Geo News in the UK?

Ask us before you buy and we confirm in writing whether it is in the current line-up, or check it during the free 24-hour trial. Legal routes from the UK include Geo and ARY on YouTube, ARY Digital UK, Hum TV and ARY dramas.

What time are Pakistan programmes in the UK?

Pakistan is 4 hours ahead of the UK in the British summer and 5 hours ahead of the UK in winter. So a 9pm programme at home airs at 17:00 UK time in summer.

Sources

Census 2021, TS012 Country of birth (detailed) checked 6 October 2026
Census 2021, TS024 Main language (detailed) checked 6 October 2026
Census 2021, TS021 Ethnic group checked 6 October 2026

Try before you pay

Watch it on your own telly for 24 hours. Free.

Send a message and we reply with your log-in, usually within minutes. If you buy afterwards, plans start at £6.25 a month, and the first 14 days are covered by a full refund.

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