out activities in relation to this. The Pakistan Intellectual Property Organization exists to protect traditional knowledge and practices from corporate patenting. The National Climate Change Policy of 2012 has several measures to ensure that indigenous knowledge, practices and species are protected and used appropriately. One specific policy measure states that the Pakistani government will “Ensure close coordination among forest and livestock departments for efficient management of rangelands and other resources while ensuring the rights of the indigenous people.” The National Sustainable Development Strategy, also drafted in 2012, espouses that a clear regulatory process is needed to make sure that indigenous communities who have rights over forestry and rangeland are protected. Since national policy confuses ethnic minorities and all tribal groups with indigenous peoples, there is limited legislation on the specific cultural rights of indigenous communities. Their land use rights are still unlegislated. Trends This report will expand more on Meghwars, Bheels and Kholis communities as a case study due to the distinctiveness and marginalization of these communities. Meghwars, Bheels, and Kohlis The scheduled caste tribes of Sindh have a distinct religion, culture and language (Dhatki) as compared with those who live around them. They are dependent on the land and have been part of the agricultural system in Sindh for centuries (even becoming landowners for a very brief “Indigenous peoples in Pakistan are not interlinked in any way and do not work together for their rights. They are distinct populations in terms of language, ethnicity and belief systems.” period after the partition). Their low caste makes their religion (Hindu or Muslim) irrelevant. Their beliefs are closer to pre-Hindu animism (Lieven, 2011). The Meghwars, Kohlis and Bheels of Sindh suffer from the harsh injustices of both their surrounding environment and society. Thus they can be aptly used as a case study for indigenous communities in Pakistan. The farmers of these tribes are known as haris of Sindh, referred to as such because of the Hindi word harijan (God’s children) which used to describe the Dalit population. They have been alienated from their livelihood through conditions of bonded labor (Wagha, 2012). Indigenous peoples in Pakistan are not interlinked in any way and do not work together for their rights. They are distinct populations in terms of language, ethnicity and belief systems. The systems of oppression that affect them and the history of their people vary. History of Land Rights in Sindh The British instituted a multitude of land governance and taxation mechanisms. In the case of areas where tribal identity and selfLok Niti 89