Estimates suggest that the population of indigenous/tribal people in Pakistan is about 15% of the total population of 126 million. As in other parts of the world, indigenous and tribal peoples in Pakistan are among the most marginalized and excluded groups in society, although considerable diversity exists between the different groups.
The most numerous tribal populations of the country are the Pashtun (13.8%), the Sindhis (7.7%) and the Baluchs (4.3%).1 Among them, Pashtun tribal groups enjoy special status under FATA, while all of these groups are afforded special status in National development plans. Pakistan is also home to a significant number of smaller indigenous and tribal peoples, such as the Kihals and Mors, indigenous peoples of the Indus, the Buzdar from the Suleiman Mountains and the Kailasha people in Chitral. These smaller groups, many of whom are semi nomadic boat people or pastoralists, are often not accounted for in National Census figures. In many cases, their vulnerability is further exacerbated by mainstream development processes.
The Government of Pakistan ratified the ILO Convention on Indigenous and Tribal Populations (Convention No. 107) in 1960. However, to date, the visibility of indigenous and tribal peoples’ issues in state and national policies has been ambivalent. This can partly be attributed to the very different situations of tribal peoples in Pakistan; while some areas are ruled by specific tribal frameworks (e.g. FATA and PATA), in other areas, tribal populations have not been recognized as such and exist instead on the margins of society. The primary activities of PRO 169 in Pakistan have been training and capacity building of government officials on indigenous and tribal peoples issues, and awareness-raising among government and civil society organizations on Convention No. 107.