ISLAMABAD:
Audio system at a webinar titled “Rising Threats to Margalla Hills Nationwide Park,” underscored the essential significance of implementing the Supreme Court docket (SC)’s directives to remove encroachments and rehabilitate the park, whereas additionally emphasising the broader implications for biodiversity and local weather change resilience.
Rina Saeed Khan, the Chairperson of the Islamabad Wildlife Administration Board (IWMB), offered an summary of the present state of Margalla Hills Nationwide Park. She highlighted the IWMB’s steady efforts to safeguard the park’s ecosystem regardless of vital challenges. In keeping with Khan, encroachments, unlawful building, and lack of enforcement mechanisms stay persistent points.
She emphasised the necessity for unwavering authorities help to make sure the park’s long-term safety and ecological rehabilitation. “We’ve got been doing vital interventions over time in confrontation with the vested pursuits within the Park which have help from some influential people within the authorities ranks. Now, with out due course of, the Ministry of Local weather Change (MCC) goes to de-notify the current board.”
Khan termed it as an unlucky improvement whereas they had been making an attempt to implement the Supreme Court docket orders. “Our solely crime is implementing the SC`s orders relating to Monal`s demolition. The Act was meant to strengthen the board, not weaken it. Sure lobbies are decided to see us fail. The bureaucrats within the MCC try to make use of a most twisted interpretation of the Wildlife Act. The Act was handed by the parliament for the very reverse function: to strengthen the establishment of the board, to not weaken it.
Vaqar Zakaria, a board member of the IWMB, expressed deep concern over the federal government’s obvious lack of prioritisation for biodiversity and pure habitats. “Whereas authorities usually tout their efforts to fight the impacts of local weather change, their actions inform a special story. Biodiversity and pure ecosystems, that are essential for mitigating local weather change, are being sacrificed for short-term good points,” he remarked.