Tharparkar

Tharparkar (Sindhi: ٿرپارڪر, Urdu: تھرپارکر), also known as Thar, is a district in Sindh province in Pakistan headquartered at Mithi. The district is the largest in Sindh, and has the largest Hindu population in Pakistan. It has the lowest Human Development Index rating of all the districts in Sindh. Currently the Sindh government is planning to divide the Tharparkar district into Tharparkar and Chhachro district.

History

The name Tharparkar originates from a portmanteau of the words Thar (referring to the Thar Desert), and parkar (meaning “to cross over”). The Thar region was historically fertile, although it was mostly desertified between 2000 and 1500 BC. Before its desertification, a tributary of the Indus River was said to flow through the region; it is speculated by some historians that this river could be the ancient Sarasvati River mentioned in the Hindu Rigveda. The Thar region is also mentioned in the Ramayana, where it is called “Lavanasagara” (meaning “salt ocean”).

Sindh was ruled by various dynasties after the fall of the Indus Valley civilisation. These dynasties included the Soomras), the Sammas, the Arghuns, the Kalhoras, and the Talpurs. These rulers mainly focused on the central and western parts of Sindh while the eastern areas, including Tharparkar were largely disregarded. In 1843, as a part of the British invasion of the Indian subcontinent, Charles James Napier (the Commander-in-Chief of the British Army) defeated the Talpur dynasty and conquered Sindh. The conquered areas, including Tharparkar, were incorporated into the Cutch Agency and Hyderabad Collectorate. The British government divided Sindh in provinces, administered by British-appointed Zamindars.

Sindh was later made part of Bombay Presidency. In 1858, the entire area around Tharparkar became part of Hyderabad, and in 1860 the region became part of the newly organized Eastern Sindh Frontier which was headquartered at Amarkot. In 1882 it was reorganized as a district, headed by a Deputy Commissioner. In 1906, the district headquarters was moved from Amarkot to Mirpur Khas. On 31 October 1990 the district was divided into the Tharparkar and Mirpur Khas Districts. On 17 April 1993, Umerkot District was carved out of Tharparkar.

Geography

Tharparkar district lies between 69° 3′ 35″ E and 71° 7′ 47″ E longitudes, and between 24° 9′ 35″ N and 25° 43′ 6″ N latitudes. To its east, the district borders the Jaisalmer, Barmer and Jalore districts of Rajasthan in India. To the south it borders the Kutch district of Gujarat in India. Umerkot district lies to its north while Badin and Mirpur Khas districts are to its west.

Climate and environment

The district has a tropical desert (Köppen: BWh) climate. During summer, it is extremely hot during the day, while nights are much cooler. April, May and June are the hottest months and December, January and February are the coldest months. The mean maximum and minimum temperatures during winter are 28 °C and 9 °C, respectively. There are wide fluctuations in annual rainfall and the yearly average in some areas is as low as 100 mm. Most precipitation occurs between July and September, during the south-west monsoon.

Annual rainfall by taluka (mm)(Abbreviations DU = Data unavailable, TNC = Taluka not created)

Year	Mithi	Islamkot	Diplo	Kaloi	Chachro	Dahli	Nagarparkar
2014	180	167	33	TNC	7	TNC	43
2015	422	362	512	TNC	363	26	588
2016	DU	DU	DU	DU	DU	DU	DU
2017	261	337	379	11	1	123	324
2018	58	24	51	10	10	120

Flora

There are at least 89 plant species of 26 plant families native to Tharparkar. Many species of herbs grow during the wet season while desert shrubs and drought resistant trees grow year-round.

Fauna

Wealth of fauna is considered as a salient feature of this region. From folk music to designs and art work since ancient times have included fauna of Thar as integral part. Fauna of Thar is also part of art, culture, heritage and great histories. 

Sanctuaries

Chinkara wildlife sanctuary

The Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary covers 940 km² in Tharparkar where the hunting of wildlife and poaching is prohibited. The prohibition extends from Chelhar in the north, to Bhorelo in the southeast, and to Mithi and Wajatto in the west.

Vulture and migratory birds sanctuary

Tharparkar has been designated a major sanctuary for endangered species of vulture, while Gorano has been declared a habitat for several migratory birds.

Peafowl conservation efforts in the district focus on preventing the further endangerment and death of animals that are significant as symbols of Tharparkar. In addition, illegal exploitation of scorpions and snakes has been reported in the area.

Human Development

The Human Development Index (HDI) of Tharparkar is 0.227. In Pakistan’s 2017 HDI report, Tharparkar ranked 109th out of 114 surveyed districts, a drop from its rank as 103rd in 2013, the lowest ranking of any district in Sindh. Tharparkar also ranked among the ten worst districts for HDI growth between 2005 and 2015.

Poverty

The UNDP’s Multidimensional Poverty Index for Pakistan reports that 87% of population in Tharparkar live under poverty. Due to Tharparkar’s poor conditions, including its low HDI and high infant mortality rate, a monitoring commission was formed to oversee the Sindh government’s administration of the district.

The Benazir Income Support Programme and the United Nations’ World Food Programme agreed to take steps to reduce food insecurity in Tharparkar. In 2019, Pakistan was provided with US$362,000 and 4,727 mt of food assistance.

As a part of humanitarian efforts, 287,000 families in Tharparkar each received 50 kg of wheat 12 times. Additionally, 500 houses were provided to house Thari people. 750 small-scale water plants were constructed in the district at a cost of Rs 7.5 billion. The Thar Foundation, a joint venture of the Sindh government and Engro has planned to build a 250-bed hospital at a cost of Rs 2 billion in Tharparkar. The first 82-bed block was completed in February 2019.

Despite humanitarian initiatives by provincial, federal and international authorities, the region has seen little improvement, especially in its infant mortality rate, which sees around 1,500 children die annually. Between January and October 2019 84 infants died, while in total, 703 children died. In 2016, the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) directed the Sindh Chief Secretary to submit a report on cases of infant mortality.

According to Saeed Ghani, Sindh’s minister for Local Government, Public Health Engineering and Rural Development, and Katchi Abadies, a mobile app was introduced to assist with the distribution of wheat. However, no such app was actually created, and the system continues to rely on XLS/PDF files, and web resources, that weren’t widely distributed.

According to legislator Mahesh Kumar Malani, Rs 15 billion has been spent for development projects in nine years and further development plans worth Rs 18&nsbplbillion are under way to improve the situation in Tharparkar. According to the Chief Minister of Sindh Rs 70 billion has been spent on the development of infrastructure. The government’s Benazir Income Support Programme has transferred Rs 387 billion since 2008. Despite these efforts, the living standard index of Tharparkar has fallen by 50% between 2005 and 2015.

Although Tharparkar has been affected by drought for at least 17 years, and has been a subject of efforts of numerous major NGOs, including USAID, DFID and several branches of the United Nations, no detailed, statistical report on water resources and measures to improve the situation has been published by the government.

Health facilities and immunization

Thari people face various issues due to waterborne diseases, inadequate health facilities, famine, and lack of basic infrastructure.

Health facilities

As of 2014, there were 140 health facilities in the district, including a district headquarters hospital with a capacity of 50 beds and 3 tehsil headquarters hospitals with capacities of 80 beds each. When compared to World Health Organization standards, these facilities were sufficient for only 54% of the population, while bedding capabilities were sufficient for only 6%. In Tharparkar, an average 85% of births take place at home, with home births constituting 56% of urban births and 87% of rural births. Tharparkar ranks lowest in Sindh for births assisted by skilled attendants, with only 16% deliveries performed in that manner.

Health facilities in Tharparkar 

Type	June 2012	March 2019
Teaching Hospitals	0	DU
District headquarter hospital	1	1
Tehsil headquarter hospitals	3	1
Rural health centres	2	2
Basic Health units	31	36
Govt. Rural Dispensaries	101	38
MCH centres	2	DU
Sub health centres	0	DU
Total	140	78*

Immunization

On average, only about 25% of pregnant women receive tetanus toxoid injections (25% in rural areas and 37% in urban areas). The overall percentage of infants aged 12–23 who receive full immunization is 21%. Urban areas saw a 32% immunization rate (16% of males and 48% of females), while rural areas saw a 20% rate (26% of males and 14% of females.

Comparison

Trend of change in Human Development Index

Year	Karachi	Lahore	Tharparkar	Rajanpur	Awaran	Kohistan
2005	0.812	0.811	0.303	0.441	0.067	0.155
2007	0.819	0.804	0.164	0.348	0.000	0.168
2009	0.852	0.834	0.185	0.347	0.240	0.188
2011	0.864	0.824	0.203	0.399	0.127	0.137
2013	0.867	0.858	0.257	0.481	0.111	0.172
2015	0.854	0.877	0.227	0.506	0.173	0.229
As of 2015	Provincial Top HDI	Federally Top HDI	Lowest in Sindh	Lowest in Punjab	Lowest in Balochistan	Lowest in KPK
Rank change in 2 years(2013-2015)	-2	+2	-6	+7	-2	0

Comparing components of Human Development Index for 2015

Components	Karachi	Lahore	Tharparkar	Rajanpur	Awaran	Kohistan
Immunization rate (%)	80.2	89.5	38.1	90.7	85.2	21.9
Satisfaction with health facility (%)	82.5	85.8	57.0	65.2	83.3	56.9
Expected years of schooling (years)	11.8	12.2	6.4	7.1	5.9	5.5
Mean years of schooling (years)	7.7	7.5	2.3	2.0	2.5	1.3
Living Standard (%)	98.5	98.9	7.5	48.9	1.9	12.5

Comparing Multidimensional Poverty Index(MPI) and its components for 2015

		Karachi	Lahore	Tharparkar	Rajanpur	Awaran	Kohistan
	MPI (value)	0.019	0.017	0.481	0.357	0.415	0.581
Population in multidimensional poverty (%)	Incidence – Headcount	4.5	4.3	87	64.4	77.2	95.8
	Intensity	42.4	38.8	55.2	55.4	53.8	60.6
Contribution of deprivation to overall poverty (%)	Education	57.5	65.6	38.8	44.3	38.4	41.9
	Health	12.4	11.7	18.0	22.2	18.1	24.1
	Living Standards	30.2	22.6	43.2	33.6	43.5	34.1

Livelihood

Tharparkar district is predominantly rural, with 96% of the population residing outside of urban areas. The primary economic activity of the district is agriculture, while the much smaller urban population carries out activities related to agriculture. While the main food source and economic base of Tharparkar comes from livestock management, farming and artisanry are also important factors.

Farming

Despite the arid climate and generally poor conditions for growing crops, the majority of the Thari people are employed by some form of farming. Most of the area relies on scant rainfall to irrigate farmland, however, in some areas of Nagarparkar taluka, tube wells are used. 1,014,000 (50.4%) of the district’s 2,011,000 hectares of land are cultivated.

Livestock

94% of the district’s households own some form of livestock, while 77.64% of the population is actively engaged in livestock management. The average household owns 8 animals, and an estimated 7.7 million animals make up the total livestock population of the district. Sheep are especially important to the district’s livestock economy, with 3 million kg of wool produced annually. Tharparkar holds 40% of Sindh’s sheep population, and is considered the most suitable area for sheep in the province. 70.3% of farms use animals as a source of power for plowing land. The percentage of donkeys in the livestock population is notably high, especially for an arid region, with the percentage in Tharparkar being higher than other areas in Pakistan. Despite the size and economic importance of the livestock population, only 12 veterinarians serve the district.

Tharparkar livestock populations and notable breeds (2006)

Livestock	Population	Breeds
Cattle	752,265	Tharparkar, Kankrej
Buffalo	46,328	Kundhi
Sheep	1,185,122	Kooka Magra, Sonadi, Kachhi Marwari
Goat	2,217,876	Tharki, Kamori, Chappar
Camel	135,356	Dhatti
Horse	8,519	Baluchi
Mule	1,475
Donkey	246,657	Ghudkhur
Domestic Poultry	263,431
Total	4,857,029

Handicrafts

Art and artisanry have been part of Thari society since the Indus Valley civilisation. Common handicrafts include ralli, pottery, puppet-making, carpet-making, traditional decoration, block printing, cobbling, and embroidery, among others. In Chachro taluka alone there are 6,000 handlooms, despite the lack of a centralized facility. The sale of these products supplement local incomes, and provide economic opportunities, especially for women.

Politics

Between 2002 and 2018, the district was represented in the Provincial Assembly of Sindh by constituencies 60, 61, 62, and 63. The 2008 elections saw three of those constituencies represented by members of the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PMLQ), and one by a member of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). During the 2013 elections, three candidates from the PPP and one from the Pakistan Muslim League (N) won.

Before 2018, Tharparkar was represented in the National Assembly by constituencies 229 and 230. During the 2008 elections, both were won by candidates of the PMLQ, while in the 2013 elections, they were both won by candidates of the PPP.

After a new delimitation of constituencies in 2018, the district is represented in the Provincial Assembly by constituencies 54, 55, 56, and 57, while in the National Assembly, it is represented by constituencies 221 and 222. In the 2018 elections, both national constituencies and three of the four provincial constituencies were won by the PPP, while one provincial seat was won by the Grand Democratic Alliance.

Industry and infrastructure

Industry

Coal

Pakistan’s estimated 185.175 billion tonnes of lignite coal reserves are the 7th largest in the world. Tharparkar district alone is estimated to hold 175.506 billion tonnes (95%) of the national reserves, the energy contents of which would surpass the combined energy of the resource reserves of Saudi Arabia and Iran.

In Pakistan, companies generating power are completely exempted from the payment of income tax, as well as turnover tax. Additionally, imports from prospective sponsors of coal power generation projects are exempted from tariffs. This is done in order to encourage investment in the country’s energy sector. Such investments have included a 600 MW producing project implemented by the Chinese Shenhua Group, and the 1200 MW producing Thar Engro Coal Power Project.

In Pakistan, mineral mining operations are subject to provincial administration. However, in 2011, to encourage large-scale investment in coal mining, the federal government authorized the creation of the “Thar Coal & Energy Board” (TCEB), a statutory corporation that would directly administer the extraction and use of Tharparkar’s large energy resources.

In March 2019, new members were appointed to the TCEB including female Member of National Assembly (MNA) Shazia Marri (NA-216). However, the TCEB’s charter requires that there should be one female MNA from either Tharparkar, Umerkot or Mirpur Khas districts on the board. An exception was made, as MNA Mahesh Malani and Senator Krishna Kohli were from and represented the Thar region, despite neither directly fitting the “female MNA from Thar” requirement.

The Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company in Tharparkar supplies electricity to the national grid. Despite this, the large majority of the 2,300 registered and almost 2,000 unregistered Thari villages have no electricity supply. Energy shortages and blackouts are common, and one outage during a heat wave lasting 22 hours resulted in the deaths of several hospital patients. An informal announcement made by the Sindh government declared that electricity would be freely provided to Tharparkar, however this has not happened, and electricity continues to be supplied by private companies such as Hyderabad Electric Supply Company.

Several entities have raised issues of potential environmental and health impacts that could result from extensive coal mining and use. The pollution and harm to the environment caused by coal mining and use in the region have led to destruction of habitat, as well as the large-scale displacement of local communities. Health effects of lignite pollution include increases in the risk of cancer, as well as heart and lung problems. Social movements, which some Thari people are involved in, have hoped to address these challenges.

Solar

Bahawalpur district’s Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park, the largest photovoltaic power station in Pakistan, has a photovoltaic electricity output (PVOUT) of 1596 kWh/kWp per year and a global horizontal irradiance (GHI) of 1925 kWh/m² per year. In comparison, Tharparkar has a PVOUT of 1642 kWh/kWp per year and a GHI of 2005 kWh/m² per year.

In January 2015, at a cost of US$2.98 million the largest solar reverse osmosis plant in Asia was completed in Mithi with the ability to filter two million gallons of water daily. Throughout the district, smaller plants, each with filtration capacities of 10,000 gallons per day were installed at cost of around US$24,900 each. These plants were the result of cooperation between the Sindh provincial government and Pak Oasis, a water treatment company. Despite such initiatives, much of the arid region continues to suffer from a lack of clean drinking water, resulting in sickness and death.

The efficacy, political motivations, and administration of these plants have been called into question, and as a result of a four-month lapse in pay, workers went on strike in October 2018, causing a significant water crisis.

In July 2018, Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau began an investigation of an alleged illegal awarding of a contract to Pak Oasis. Allegations included a premature payment of Rs 5 billion to Pak Oasis prior to their completion of a water treatment project.

In October 2018, the Chief Minister of Sindh authorized the use of Rs 336.7 million for the construction of 110 reverse osmosis plants. In November 2018, Sindh Government decided to takeover all RO plants in Thar Coal Block-II.

On 16 April 2019, MPA Sidra Imran claimed in a speech in the Provincial Assembly of Sindh that 700 solar reverse osmosis plants, worth Rs 8 billion, were not functional.

Transportation

Road

Only 743 km of quality roads run through the 19,638 km² of Tharaparkar district, considered inadequate by the standards of several NGOs.^[77] Major cities of the province are connected by a highway, and the talukas of the district are connected to the district headquarters of Mithi by several metalled roads.

Lengths of road journeys between selected cities and Mith

Destination	Road (km)
Karachi (via Thatta / Badin)	300
Karachi (via Hyderabad / Mirpurkhas)	400
Karachi (via Mirpurkhas / Umerkot)	425
Nagarparkar	150
Badin	100
Naukot	50
Umerkot	85

Airport

The Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan (PCAA) constructed an airport in Islamkot at a cost of around Rs 972.07 million. The Islamkot International Airport covers 1,000 acres and has a 3 km long runway, and serves both civilian and military air traffic. The Sindh Coal Authority requested the construction of the airport, as the new infrastructure would contribute to the development of the nearby Thar coalfield.

The airport lies within 80 km (50 mi) of Pakistan’s border with India, and clearance for the construction of the airport was given by the Pakistani Ministry of Defence on 25 September 2009. The airport was first inaugurated on 17 July 2017 by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah as Thar Airport. It was inaugurated again on 11 April 2018 by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, when its name was changed to Mai Bakhtawar Airport. However, the PCAA does not recognize the airport, and the airport, which has no official website, lacks an official ICAO or IATA code.

Railway

Before the partition of India and creation of Pakistan in 1947, the Sind Mail ran between Hyderabad, Pakistan and Ahmedabad, India via Mirpur Khas, Khokhropar, Munabao, Barmer, Luni, Jodhpur, Pali, Marwar and Palanpur. Post-partition, service continued on the line, with Khokhropar railway station, the last station in Pakistan, used for customs. However, service on that line was stopped after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. The town of Khokhropar and the rest of the Nagarparkar salient were captured by India in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, but were returned to Pakistan in 1972.

On 18 February 2006, after a 41-year suspension, service on the Hyderabad – Jodhpur railway line resumed after the conversion of metre gauge track to broad gauge track. The newly constructed Zero Point railway station near the border town of Khokhropar in Dahli taluka is now the last station in Pakistan on the Hyderabad – Jodhpur line, and so is used in customs enforcement.

The Thar Express, which runs weekly between Karachi and Jodhpur, is operated by Pakistan Railways and Indian Railways. The 700 km journey takes a relatively long 32 hours, and so is nicknamed the ‘torture train’ by some passengers.

Despite formal Thari petitions for rail service to facilitate migration during drought, government efforts focus on the improvement of coal mining infrastructure.

Telecommunications

In March 2009, the Pakistani Ministry of Information Technology’s Universal Service Fund awarded a Rs 930 million contract to Telenor Pakistan for the building of basic telephone and data infrastructure in Tharparkar.

In March 2017, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company, in partnership with Wateen Telecom, introduced free Wi-Fi to two villages, as the first stage of a larger initiative. The villages of Tharyo Halepoto and Senhri Dars near Islamkot were provided with 3 Mbit/s internet service at no charge. A second phase of the initiative aims to provide the same service to all schools in Thar Coal Block II. Future phases aim to extend service to the entirety of Thar Coal Block II. Questions have been raised about the scale of benefits of free Wi-Fi to a district where 87% of the population lives in absolute poverty.

Paid telecommunications services in Tharparkar are dominated by Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), which has a monopoly on telecommunication in Pakistan.

Water resources

Access to drinking water in Tharparkar is very poor. Only 47% of the population has access to drinking water. Wells are crowded and their supply strained, as 60% of households wait more than an hour at wells for their turn, and 30% households spend more than Rs 30 for two buckets of water. 85% of households use akhaal (rubber bags carried by a camel or donkey) to carry water, while 25% use buckets carried by camel or donkey. In some areas, single journeys for water may take as long as two days. 75% of women travel an average 3 km per trip, spending 52% of their working hours fetching water.^[12][162]

Water Delivery System in Tharparkar^[12][78](Percentage of households)

Type	2010-11			2014-15
	Total	Urban	Rural	Total	Urban	Rural
Tap Water	13	79	10	6	67	1
Hand Pump	2	1	2	7	9	7
Motor Pump	2	20	1	3	0	4
Dug Well	77	0	81	75	20	79
Others	5	0	0	8	3	9

Energy supply for lighting by percentage of households^[78]

Electricity			Gas/Oil			Wood & Candle			Other
Urban	Rural	Total	Urban	Rural	Total	Urban	Rural	Total	Urban	Rural	Total
93.44	34.06	38.55	0	10.24	9.47	0	14.42	13.33	6.56	41.28	38.65

Irrigation

As the district is mostly arid, its irrigation system is small. Only 1.6% of the district’s cultivated land is irrigated, mostly in Diplo taluka by a tributary of the Naukot branch of Nara Canal. Irrigation is most extensive in Nagarparkar and Mithi, where much of the land is fed by tube wells.

Fuel

In Tharparkar, 99% of households use firewood as the main fuel supply for cooking. The deforestation resulting from large-scale firewood harvesting is a potential contributor to Tharparkar’s drought issues. The second largest supply is gas, which 0.7% of households use. Most gas use is in Tharparkar’s smaller urban communities. Gas infrastructure is poorly developed, and gas cylinder safety is questionable, which has led to some accidents. One common solution to gas safety problems used in Tharparkar is the Jugaad practice of placing a heavy object on top of a faulty valve, to prevent gas from leaking.

Fuel supply for cooking by percentage of households

Gas			Wood/Sticks			Oil			Other
Urban	Rural	Total	Urban	Rural	Total	Urban	Rural	Total	Urban	Rural	Total
9.36	0	0.71	90.64	99.76	99.07	0	0.08	0.07	0	0.16	0.15

Finance, banking and taxation

Finance

Tharparkar’s importance to the Sindh and Pakistani economies is mostly based in its energy reserves and its status as the energy capital of Pakistan. During the September 2019 Pakistan Renewable Energy Summit, President Arif Alvi reemphasized the importance of fully utilizing the coal reserves discovered in Tharparkar. To fulfill this aim, the Sindh government called for further Australian investment in Thar coal, and auctioned off 4 coal mining blocks worth between US$4–6 billion.

Chinese investment in the district includes a US$2 billion investment from the Chinese state-owned Shanghai Electric Power Company Limited. As of November 2019, Pakistan and China have agreed to expand the scope of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor to include copper, gold, oil, gas, and housing sectors.

In 2019, the Manila-based Asian Development Bank approved a $75 million loan for investment in the Sindhi education system. Also in 2019, the World Bank approved a $1.93 billion loan to Sindh to be used in several initiatives with various goals, including the development of Tharparkar’s rural economy. Since, this occurred just after Sindh CM was summoned by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in graft probe, has raised concerns among people. However, questions have been raised about possible misuse of such funding.

Industrial investments in the district have been promoted by the government, with important economic incentives having been implemented in Tharparkar to attract businesses. Serious issues of industrial slave labor and worker exploitation exist in the district.

Banking

Like the rest of Pakistan, domestic banking in Tharparkar is conducted interest-free as a result of previous Islamization of banking. However, foreign loans and deposits of foreign currency do incur interest. Most banks in Tharparkar are concentrated within urban centers such as Mithi, and are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Online banking services in the district are limited.

Taxation

All personal and corporate incomes are taxed by the federal government except income from agriculture which is taxed by provincial governments. In Sindh, Board of Revenue (BOR) collects all tax revenue of the Government of Sindh. As per Sindh Agricultural Income Tax Act of 2000, no land tax is levied in the Thar Desert and the Kohistan areas. An amendment bill was passed by the Provincial Assembly of Sindh on 30 April 2018 and further formal notification was issued on 22 May 2018 for the same. The Sindh cabinet during same time also decided to amend the Sindh Arms Act, allowing people to keep more than four (as many weapons as desired) weapons. Further asset statements provided by legislators and senators for the year 2018 revealed alarming figures of arms and deadly-military weapons in their personal arsenals. Apart from this, Home secretary was summoned in sale of weapons on fake arms licenses case by an anti-terrorism court. In second week of November several reports described Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is to be restructured and Prime Minister has proposed for replacement of FBR.

Demographics

At the time of the 2017 census, Tharparkar district had a population of 1,647,036, of which 881,018 were males and 765,862 females. The rural population was 1,514,502 (91.95%) and urban 132,534 (8.05%). The literacy rate is 29.78%: 41.95% for males and 16.61% for females.

Population in Tehsils/Talukas of Tharparkar district (DU=data unavailable)

Year	Mithi	Islamkot	Diplo	Kaloi	Chachro	Dahli	Nagarparkar
1998	125,137	137,826	92,047	73,651	167,235	165,289	153,106
2013	201,850	190,664	230890	DU	232,210	225,710	218,411
2017	219,901	244,439	148,871	117,609	350,807	305,529	259,880

Languages[edit]

In the 2017 census, 98.74% of the population recorded their language as ‘Sindhi’ on the census. However Tharparkar is home to a wide variety of dialects, lying at the transition zone between Sindhi, Rajasthani and Gujarati. Dhatki, which is the most widely used, is closely related to Marwari on the other side of the border, and transitions to Sindhi in the west. Other languages include the various Koli languages such as Parkari and Kachi Koli spoken in the southeast near the border with Gujarat.

Religion

Before the partition of India in 1947, Hindus and Muslims constituted roughly 80% and 20% of Tharparkar’s population, respectively. Post-partition, many Hindus, especially those of the upper castes and their servants, emigrated to India, while roughly 3,500 Muslim families immigrated to Tharparkar from India. The immigrating families were given 12 acres of land each (a total of 42,000 acres).

In the 1998 census, 59.42% of the district’s population was Muslim and 40.47% Hindu. As of the 2017 census, Muslims are 56% while Hindus make up 43%. Hindus make up 64% of Tharpakar’s urban areas, while Muslims make up 58% of rural areas. Tharparkar today has the largest Hindu population in Pakistan.

Education statistics by level of schooling

Level	Number of schools	Students	Male	Female	Teachers	Male	Female	Student-teacher ratio	Classrooms (average)
Primary	3,873	190,370	105,494	84,876	4,625	4,057	568	41	1
Middle	234	15,052	8,587	6,465	362	344	18	42	2
Secondary	40	12,130	7,833	4,297	403	333	70	30	7
Higher secondary	5	3,651	3,275	376	79	79	0	46	17
Total	4,152	221,203	125,189	96,014	5,469	4,813	656	40	1.1

University

In April 2019, a large social media movement using the hashtag #TharNeedsUniversity and protesting the lack of a university campus in Tharparkar district demanded the establishment of such an institution. The movement prompted the government to take measures to establish a sub-campus in Islamkot. NED University of Engineering and Technology, in partnership with Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) and The Citizens Foundation (TCF), announced the creation of the “Thar Institute of Engineering, Science, and Technology” in Islamkot, which would be a sub-campus of NED. An undergraduate programme was planned to commence in October 2019, although instruction was planned to take place at the TCF-Engro Campus Islamkot until a more permanent campus could be established.

However, the location of the future campuses was moved after the Sindh government purchased 317 acres of land in Mithi for Rs 1.5 billion. In addition, the temporary location was moved from the TCF-Engro Campus in Islamkot to the Benazir Cultural Complex in Mithi after payment of Rs 120 million by the Sindh government. In October 2019, the temporary NED University campus was inaugurated at the cultural complex in Mithi, although several weeks after the planned date for the cancelled Islamkot campus.

Culture and tradition

Tharparkar is considered the most peaceful place in the entire country and is well known for its centuries-old interfaith harmony. The culture of Tharparkar is an exemplary example of pluralism in Sindh. Muslim residents do not sacrifice cows, not because of any laws but to avoid causing offense to the Hindu community. Hindu residents avoid weddings and celebrations during Muharram (an Islamic month notable for its solemn mood). Hindus also fast and arrange Iftar dinners for their Muslim neighbors in the month of Ramadan, and both sides exchange sweets on Eid and Diwali. Muslim residents also avoid eating any meat during the Hindu occasion of Navratri. According to Dawn, there appears to be no recorded instance communal violence in the district.

Another unique feature of the district’s culture is its relatively low crime rate. Normally, crime is associated with poverty, yet in this district the crime level is low despite its poverty and unemployment level.

Cuisine

Guar is a major food crop in Tharparkar and Guar Chibhad ji bhaaji is among popular dishes.

Singhri(Sangri) grows in arid or desert climates throughout year in Thar and Singhrian ji Bhaaji is prepared from it.

Achar is prepared from fruits and flowers of Kair. Also vegetable dish known as Kairan (or Doran) ji Bhaaji is prepared.

Singhrian jo Raabro (Khaatiyo) is one of variant of Singhri vegetable dish prepared with Kadhi.

Thari people are predominantly vegetarian. Singhri (Sangri), Kair and Guar are among most popular in Thar.^[

Festivals

Various festivals in Thar include:

Teejdi

Teejdi (known among Sindhis) also known as Teej or Kajari Teej is celebrated in Thar on Tritiya-Krishna Paksha of Bhadrapada. During this festival the women observe fast and also pray to the moon when it rises. While prayers to moon 5 leaves of Ak(2 below Pāda, 2 in īrmá and 1 on Śiraḥ ) are kept and Argh is offered. After the prayers, fast is broken by consuming some Argh and Sattu on another leaf of Ak. The fast is observed by married women for health of their husband while unmarried women pray for marital bliss.

Thadri

Thadri festival is celebrated by Sindhis, one tithi before Krishna Janmasthmi during which cold (i.e. cooked a day ahead) and pro biotic foods like yogurt and pickle are consumed. Thadri reflectes a tribute to Sheetla Mata.

Chetichand

Cheti Chand is celebrated by Sindhi Hindus. It is the festival which marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year for Sindhi Hindus. It is celebrated on first day of the Sindhi month Chet (Chaitra).

Naurata