Information about Bakarwals-Indigenous Community

The Bakarwals is a nomadic community which rear meat producing animals (sheep & goats) for livelihoods. In addition, they collect medicinal plants from the forests and sell in local markets. 

Bakarwls have migrated to Azad Jammu & Kashmir from Gujarat-India and the Hazara district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the 5th and 6th century A.D. The estimated population of Bakarwals in Azad Jammu & Kashmir is around 275,000 having a distinct culture. They have a mobile type of nomadic life. Their economic life depends heavily on green pastures and forests. Bakarwals are highly ignored people, especially in terms of provision of basic social services of health and education. From hundreds of years, the Bakarwals have their specific travelling routes in mountains of Neelam Valley, Deosai Plains and Northern Areas of Pakistan. Before every winter, they travel on foot, along with their hundreds of thousands goats and sheep towards the Potohar Plains of Punjab. They are very conservative type of people and don’t like social mix up with other communities.