“[Indigenous peoples’] views on nature are part of their cultural worldview that nature must be protected to ensure their sustainability. Culture is not only seen as a mere collection of rituals but also covers practices regarding the territory and living space that should be preserved and maintained.” Pakistan Indigenous peoples in Pakistan 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. The Kalash are the most well-known indigenous group in Pakistan. They are a pagan group practicing an ancient Hindu religion and, due to recent threats they have received from the Taliban, have been given security by the government. The Kihals and Mors, the fishing communities of the Indus River, have been severely affected by large infrastructure projects. They are a nomadic population, considered “impure” because of their diet, which includes crocodiles. The Meghwar, Bheel and Kohli, the so-called scheduled tribes of Sindh, are indigenous to the region, predominantly Hindu, and heavily marginalized. Like the Kihals and Mors, they are considered “dirty” – with the added stigma of the customary practice of untouchability. 12 The Pakistan paper in this issue presents the Meghwars, Bheels and Kholis as a case study on caste-based discrimination, due to the distinctiveness and marginalization of these communities. While not focusing on land rights per se, the case study reveals the severity of the outcast status of these scheduled castes – an example of disregard for IPs’ rights, indeed of basic human rights, carried to the extreme. As scheduled caste members, the Meghwars, Kohlis and Bheels have very limited access to health facilities since village health workers often refuse to serve them. Thus, rates of tuberculosis, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C among these groups are high, as are infant mortality and malnutrition. Education is likewise constrained by lack of schools and teachers, malnutrition among the students, maltreatment (including beating), as well as a discriminatory curriculum with an antiHindu bias. It is no wonder, then, that the literacy rate of scheduled caste members is appallingly low. Shelter is also severely inadequate, with utilities such as electricity, running water (much less potable drinking water), sewage and toilets not available. Scheduled caste housing communities are separate and often located on the outer perimeters of the village. The case study also mentions severe enforcements against inter-caste marriage, exclusion from the political structure of the state, non-mention in important policy documents, and even denial of relief provisions to caste members after natural calamities. Sexual abuse and harassment is rife in the scheduled caste community. Sixty percent of bonded laborers are sexually abused; and young girls and women from these communities can be Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC)