Daily Times

Experts speaking at a webinar urged the federal and Gilgit-Baltistan governments to refrain from sloping changes in the legal frameworks governing the protected areas in high mountains especially Deosai and Central Karakoram national parks.

They questioned the skiing feasibility conducted recently by the Italians from Astore through the Deosai National Park that was supported and organized by the Italian INGO known for the mountain conservation. They mentioned that such activities will open the pathways to incremental sports and festivities in the protected areas, a worst recipe for further destruction of ecology and habitats. Whatever sports and festivals necessary to promote tourism and livelihood for the locals shall be out of the protected areas and buffer zones.

Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) and DTN organized the webinar on Saturday. The panel of experts included Ev-K2-CNR senior scientific advisor Ashiq Ahmed Khan, former WWF-Pakistan Deputy Director General Dr. Ejaz Ahmed, Karakoram International University (KIU) faculty member and former IUCN project manager environmental conservation Saeed Abbas, Ev-K2-CNR representative Riaz ul Hassan, development experts AH Bhutta, Arshad Warsi, Zainab Mukhtar, Ayesha Raza, Roobia Gul, and Devcom-Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed.

Ashiq Ahmed Khan said the Gilgit-Baltistan wildlife and environment are run by different Acts that create confusion over the implementation of the legal frameworks. Secondly the government is more interested to promote tourism for the livelihood of locals and to earn more foreign exchange. That is why they have proposed more lenient legislation for approval. He proposed activities outside of the protected areas and uniformity of wildlife and environmental legislation.

Talking about the skiing traverse organized by the Ev-K2-CNR in Deosai National Park, he said the Italian INGO has long struggle for mountain conservation. Certainty, it would take care of the ecology of Deosai National Park before to suggest anything. However, he agreed that no activity will remain limited in the long run, and the provincial government will have no resources or moral grounds to restrict the sports and festivities once started in the protected areas.

Dr. Ejaz Ahmed Khan mentioned that on the ecology report of WWF-Pakistan and severe resentment from the environmentalists, the Supreme Court of Pakistan had given a decision against any undue human intervention in the Deosai National Park.