ISLAMABAD
\nConcerned citizens, environmentalists, and conservation groups have expressed grave concerns following the Prime Minister of Pakistan\u2019s directive to transfer the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) under the Ministry of Interior.
\nThe IWMB, which is currently responsible for the protection and management of the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP), plays a crucial role in safeguarding the biodiversity of this vital ecological area.
\nCitizens have termed this move as a malafide decision and a significant threat to the biodiversity of the MHNP while speaking at a webinar organized by Devcom-Pakistan (Development Communications Network) here Saturday.
\nThe speakers said that the park, which is home to numerous species of flora and fauna, is already under pressure from urban encroachment and illegal activities.
\nThe IWMB has been at the forefront of efforts to conserve the park\u2019s unique ecosystem under the ministry of climate change and environmental coordination, and its transfer to the interior ministry that primarily focused on law and order rather than environmental conservation is seen as a dangerous shift in priorities.
\nThe concerned citizens have also demanded transparency in the decision-making process and a thorough investigation into the interests behind this move.
\nThey have vowed to continue advocating for the preservation of the Margalla Hills National Park and will seek legal avenues to challenge any actions that threaten its integrity. The citizens urge all Pakistanis to join hands in safeguarding the country\u2019s natural heritage and to stand against decisions that compromise the future of our environment.
\nDevcom-Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed said: There is a growing concern that the Prime Minister may not have been adequately informed about the implications of this decision or may have been influenced by powerful groups with vested interests.
\nThese groups are reportedly eyeing the acquisition of over 3,000 acres of land within the Margalla Hills National Park and the adjacent land in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Citizens fear that the transfer of the IWMB could pave the way for these powerful entities to grab this land, undermining the integrity of the park and its surrounding areas.
\nHe said the Prime Minister\u2019s decision contradicts the Supreme Court\u2019s directives aimed at protecting the Margalla Hills National Park. The Court had previously ordered the demolition of illegal infrastructure within the park, recognizing the critical need to preserve its natural habitat.
\nCitizens fear that placing the IWMB under the Ministry of Interior will allow vested interest groups to undermine these conservation efforts and sidestep the Court\u2019s rulings.
\nEnvironmentalist Aneela Khan said: Transferring the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board to the Ministry of Interior is a severe blow to the ongoing conservation efforts in the Margalla Hills National Park.
\nThis decision appears to be driven by vested interests that seek to exploit the park\u2019s resources rather than protect them,\u201d said a spokesperson for the concerned citizens group.
\nSalman Khan, a member of the Friends of Margalla Hills Park, said: The transfer of the IWMB has sparked fears that the focus on biodiversity conservation will be diminished, leading to increased threats from illegal construction, deforestation, and habitat destruction in the Margalla Hills National Park.
\nThe citizens\u2019 group has called for the immediate reversal of this decision and urged the government to prioritize the protection of the park\u2019s fragile ecosystem.
\nHuman rights activist Sadia Bokhari said: \u201cWe appeal to the prime minister to reconsider this directive and ensure that the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board remains under the Ministry of Climate Change, where its mandate to protect the Margalla Hills can be upheld without interference.
\nDr. Ibrar Shiwari said: IWMB was reestablished in 2015 on the verdict of Islamabad High court, and placed under the Ministry of Climate Change for its adequate functioning.
\nAnother objective of placing IWMB under the climate change ministry was to work as a watchdog on the environment unfriendly development in the park that was overlooked by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) or done by its own \u201cagents\u201d.
\nBefore the Islamabad High Court verdict, MHNP was being degraded and destroyed by CDA who was giving out licenses to restaurants or building their own, and developing roads and other infrastructures by cutting the trees, and soil sent to nurseries, and trails were not managed properly with lots of crime and harassment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Concerned citizens, environmentalists, and conservation groups have expressed grave concerns following the Prime Minister of Pakistan\u2019s directive to transfer the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) under the Ministry of Interior. The IWMB, which is currently responsible for the protection and management of the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP), plays a crucial role in safeguarding […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":422712,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-422707","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n