Bio-diversity

Torghar is located in Killa Saifullah District, Balochistan Province, Pakistan and is the northern most part of Toba Kakar Range. The area is approximately 90 km long and 20 to 25 km wide. The altitude varies between 2,500-3,300 meters. There is a strong seasonality in climate, both in temperature and precipitation. Summer temperatures are hot, up to 35 C. winters are cold-sometimes as low as - 15 C, there is a strong variation between day and night temperatures. Precipitation during the winter (end December to end February) mostly occurs as snow. Rainfall is light and variable, with the annual average about 200-250 mm. March and April are the rainiest months, and some summer rainfall is received in July and August. Area is characterized by "steppe" types of vegetation, which vary with elevation and substrate. The lower slopes (1,000-2,000) of the hills have largely been denuded of trees and shrubs. Those trees which remain are widely scattered and consist primarily of Olive (Olea ferruginea), wild pistachio (Pistacia khinjuk), juniper (Junipers macropoda or excelsa), and ash (Fraxinus xanthoxyloides). Tamarisk (Tamarix sp.) trees border the streambeds. Overgrazing of the valleys has resulted in xerophytic scrub vegetation dominated by Acacia sp., Artemisia sp., Haloxylon sp., and Rosa sp. Rugged slopes have received less grazing pressure, and still have bunch grasses. Higher elevations (2,000-3,300 m) have Juniper. The key species are Sulaiman Markhor (Capra falconeri jerdoni) and Afghan Urial (Ovis orientalis cycloceros) besides these, Wolf (Canis lupus), Jackal (Canis aureus), Pallas`s Cat (Felis manul), Steppe Wild Cat (Felis silvestris ornata) etc. and many small mammals especially Afghan Mole Vole (Ellobius fuscocapillus) have also been recorded from the area. About 78 bird species, many of them breeding, have been recorded from the area to date (see Appendix II ). Inhabitants of Torghar are indigenous groups living since centuries in these mountains. They are Pashtun and belong to the Kakar tribe one of the largest tribes of Pashtuns. Kakars are divided into two principal sub-tribes, the Sanzar Khail and Sanatya. The Sanzar Khail are further sub-divided into the Jalazai, Mardanzai, Abdullazai, and other groups. The Jalalzais are divided into a number of clans, that which are represented at Torghar are: the Jogezai, Khudzai, Mirozai, Shabozai, Shahizai, Hakimzai and Mehmanzai. Shaizai are further divided into Hussain Khail and Pahlawan Khail sub-clans each of these clans/sub-clans owns a specific area of the mountain, hills, and plain. This ownership is further sub-divided into individual family plots. The total population of Torghar is about 4000 people. The Principal settlements in the Torghar Hills are Tanishpa, Kundra, Khaisore, Tor Gh`berg and Tubli. Individual residences are scattered throughout the Hills. The largest village is Tanishpa with nearly 25 households. Torghar society is marked by extreme poverty. The people of Torghar are semi-nomadic pastoralists who tend large flocks of sheep and goats. There are virtually no formal sources of permanent or temporary employment in the Torghar Hills. Shepherds are sometimes hired seasonally to tend sheep and goats. Most families have permanent residences in the mountains, where some members of the family live year-round while other members of the family move seasonally with their flocks. In early spring, herders move their flocks out of the mountains to the plains of Kakar Khorasan to the north, where early autumn with much-reduced flocks, having sold surplus animals in the market. A few small agricultural fields and orchards have been developed in Tanishpa where there is adequate level ground and a source of water for irrigation. In some places, land has been cleared and leveled by bulldozers to create fields and orchards. Agricultural crops include various vegetables. Orchard fruits include apples, almonds, apricots, and mulberries. Tribal people supplement their diet and income by collection of wild products i.e., wild pistachios, resin from certain trees, and various medicinal plants. THE INITIATIVE The wilderness of northeastern Balochistan has long been famous for its abundant and diverse wildlife; its mountains once contained populations of Sulaiman markhor, Afghan urial, leopard, and, in some places, black bear. The Torghar Hills were considered one of the most important wildlife areas of Zhob. Wildlife has been hunted there for a long time. Although a primitive weapons and the scarcity of ammunition limited the number of animals that were killed overall. Since the late 1970s, the Afghan war initiated a steady flow of refugees, weapons, and ammunition into the Zhob District of northeastern Balochistan. With modern weapons (e.g., Kalashnikov) and, especially, ammunition readily available, refugees, seasonal migrants, and local residents increased their hunting of local wildlife, indiscriminately killing all ages and sexes of animals. Wildlife populations dwindled throughout northeastern Balochistan, and Torghar was no exception. By the early 1980s its Sulaiman markhor and Afghan urial populations were reduced to remnants, and leopards have almost been extirpated from the region. In 1984, the Government of Balochistan asked Naseer A. Tareen - a professional film-maker - to produce a film on the wildlife of Balochistan. Early on he felt that wildlife in the province was threatened with extinction. He was especially concerned about the

Pakistan