Daily Times

Concerned citizens, environmentalists, and conservation groups have expressed grave concerns following the Prime Minister of Pakistan’s 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 the biodiversity of this vital ecological area.

Citizens 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.

The 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. The IWMB has been at the forefront of efforts to conserve the park’s 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.

The concerned citizens have also demanded transparency in the decision-making process and a thorough investigation into the interests behind this move. They 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’s natural heritage and to stand against decisions that compromise the future of our environment.

Devcom-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. These 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. He said the Prime Minister’s decision contradicts the Supreme Court’s 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. Citizens fear that placing the IWMB under the Ministry of Interior will allow vested interest groups to undermine these conservation efforts and sidestep the Court’s rulings.

Environmentalist 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. This decision appears to be driven by vested interests that seek to exploit the park’s resources rather than protect them,” said a spokesperson for the concerned citizens group.

Salman 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. The citizens’ group has called for the immediate reversal of this decision and urged the government to prioritize the protection of the park’s fragile ecosystem.

Human rights activist Sadia Bokhari said: “We 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.

Dr. 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. Another 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 “agents”. Before 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.