Zubair Qureshi
Concerned citizens, environmentalists, and conservation groups have expressed grave concerns following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’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.
Citizen, conservationists and nature lovers have termed this move as an unfortunate decision and a threat to the biodiversity of the MHNP.
While speaking at a webinar organized by Devcom-Pakistan (Development Communications Network) here Saturday, the participants said that the park, which was 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 whose primary focus is law and order rather than environmental conservation as a dangerous shift in priorities, said they.
According to environmentalist Aneela Khan transferring the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board to the Ministry of Interior is a severe blow to the ongoing conservation efforts in the MHNP. This decision appears to be driven by vested interests that seek to exploit the park’s resources rather than protect them, she said.
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 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 the 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 under the supervision of the CDA that was giving out licenses to restaurants or builders to play havoc with the MNHP.
Devcom-Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed said there was a growing concern and that the Prime Minister might not have been adequately briefed about the implications of this decision or may have been influenced by powerful groups with vested interests.
