Pakistan’s first Dalit senator Krishna Kohli honoured in Islamabad

Mehergarh award was also presented to Veerji Kohli, a community leader from Tharparkar

ISLAMABAD: Mehergarh, a Centre of Learning on Tuesday organised a welcome reception in honour of Pakistan’s first female Dalit senator, Krishna Kohli.

The newly-elected senator and Veerji Kohli, a community leader from Tharparkar thanked the institution for arranging the reception in their honour.

“In 2007, I got leadership training and in 2010 I started working with Dr Fouzia Saeed, a well-known social activist,” Krishna said while addressing the reception. She stressed that women need to acquire education to stand up to bring change.

A Mehergarh award was also presented to Veerji Kohli to acknowledge his ‘tireless efforts and struggle for truth, justice and equality for all’.



Veerji Kohli has been working to end bonded labour from Nagarparkar and has freed a large number of families from illegal bondage.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) elected Krishna to the upper house of parliament on women’s reserved seat. Both Krishna and Veerji have been closely associated with Mehergarh on many levels.

They started their activist careers after attending a two-month residential Youth Leadership Training programme at the Mehergarh Centre. The aforementioned training has produced hundreds of young leaders from across the country.

The speakers hailed Krishna Kohli’s election as a good omen for the religious minorities of the country.