Staff Reporter Islamabad
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam has said that the newly notified nature reserves would help boost adventure, historic and heritage tourism in the area along with generating green jobs and business opportunities for locals under 10 Billion Tree Tsunami.
Talking to media with regard to three newly inaugurated interconnected nature reserves spreading over Parera, Ara and Dil Jabba areas of 18,000 acres in Chakwal district of the Punjab, he said these reserves were home to the most attractive tourist and heritage sites of Tilla Jogian, Nandana Fort, Sikki waterfall, Sikki Lake and most interesting paragliding point.
The historic sites included The Nandana Fort, the tomb of Hazarat Hamm, Dhamrayi and Bhatta Darbars. The Nandana Fort was built under the patronage of Hindu Royal empire that had military significance in the Salt Range. The King of Hindu Royal empire Jayapala’s son Anandapala built a Shiva Temple at this site where the Fort’s name was derived from Hindu god’s garden which was conquered by Mahmood Ghaznavi in 11th century.
Moreover, the great Muslim philosopher, mathematician and historian Abu Rayhan Al-Beruni also measures the Earth’s circumference at this spot where the Fort’s remains were present on the occasion, he informed. The nature reserves were notified under the Prime Minister’s Protected Areas Initiative to ensure protection.
