IPs of river Indus demonstrate against ‘contract system on fishing’

Report by: Wasim Wagha, Centre for Indigenous Peoples of Indus (CIPI)

Kihals and Mors, referred as indigenous peoples of Indus valley, stretched within 350 kilometer from Chashma Barrage district Dera Ismail Khan to Ghazi Ghat district Dera Ghazi Khan, on banks of river Indus. The only historical references available on the community are the colonial ones. Almost all Gazetteers of that time speak aboutthis riverine community but only to count. Curiously this group has totally disappeared in all Pakistan ’s census reports. Almost 90%of these people do not even own national identity cards. They experienced both joys and pains of life with river Indus. They are noninterventionists.

Kihals and Mors are organizing a demonstration against the contract system on fishing in front of Fisheries Department Lahore, on 17 August 2009 to record their protes on the eve of bidding day for issuing contracts.

This is just to share with you the struggle of IPs in Pakistan for their rights to livelihoods.

The writer can be reached at – wasim_wagha@yahoo.com, and wasimwagha@gmail.com