The Islamabad Nature Conservation and Wildlife Management Act 2023, passed by parliament last week, has granted Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) the power to impose penalties on organizations going against environmental laws.
The board required the biological diversity and legislative inadequacies legal framework to combat illegal operations in Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP).
IWMB chairwoman Rina Saeed Khan said on social media that the act is a gift to the twin cities. She commended the former Minister of Climate Change Sherry Rehman for being vocal about the issue and facilitating the legislation.
Senator Rehman tweeted that the bill will preserve MHNP, which is under persistent development pressure. This act will protect nature and biodiversity in Islamabad in line with the best practices of global biodiversity protection.
Rina S. Khan told Dawn that the law allowed the IWMB to collect fees and levies and enforce national park and wildlife restrictions, as is the case in all provinces including AJK.
It also established a transparent process for project approval in the MHNP and buffer zone and enforced heavy fines for violators, notably for pet owners of endangered and exotic animals.
Alexander Road Project
The formation of the new legislation comes immediately after the senate committee ordered Islamabad’s civic agency to cease the construction work on Alexander Road which starts from Shah Allah Ditta, connecting Margalla Hills National Park to Haripur.
Chairwoman IWMB briefed the committee that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) initiated the project without an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
The chairwoman later quoted the Islamabad High Court (IHC) rulings prohibiting development in conservation areas. She alleged that CDA is building the road for real estate, not local communities and visitors.
CDA officials said that work had begun on an existing route in the national park. In response to golf course concerns, CDA authorities claimed that the 138-acre area was part of the Chauntra community, not the national park.
With IWMB and CDA continuously locking horns, the fate of Alexander Road seems uncertain.
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Alexander Road near Parliament????. Slave nation cannot name such road on their own people. Proud slaves and nothing else
CDA horns need to be sawed for good. Enough of this hooligan locking horns every now and then for financial gains and receiving kickbacks on projects that are designed without taking any consideration of the local ecosystem.
Hats off to Hina Saeed Khan and Senator Sherry Rahman for their active role for protection of the MHNP
Need more info. Investigative reporting requires fact finding…what road was being constructed…how wide? Connecting what…serving how big a population? Potential benefits to people…environment…potential hazards…what do we really need as a nation? Do we need a national park there…or do we need hospitals schools factories…May we consider the Beverly Hills model? Build infrastructure in the margallas…make it a protected habitat for wilderness and animals…but also develop the hills for rich people to live in…tax them accordingly…its prime real estate…build roads, resort towns and u can sell sectors for trillions…using wildlife as window dressing and financing their protection as well…we can turn the entire belt around islamabad upto haripur murree and soan Valley into a series of well developed residential resort communities. Surrounded by wildlife. Develop rides excursions trips etc…there are at least 3 or 5 waterfalls in the area…gems like simli dam, rawal dam…waterfront areas and nullahs…villages can be uplifted and tourism areas can be developed with their integration. We need to become a first world country with 100% college education, health and basic amenities including civil rights. Let’s do that first.
It’s a designated national park not any other hills. So many hills in nation you may suggest for then it’s national heritage
You builders have money in it mind. At the moment we need to remove poverty not roads. Spending billions on roads like Nawaz and making commission. This mentality should change. There are enough flop societies in Islamabad. What we achieved nothing only dumped money
Your right about investigative journalism. However, margalla hills is a national park. Road should serve the local communities to travel to and fro. Rather having more concrete jungles built there. People already have a lot of places to live by the way they don’t need so much more that they destroy nature. We need to build more cities and that is not necessary to expand Islamabad. What if Fateh jhang was also a modern city and if someone fell ill in nearby villages they travel there rather coming to Islamabad. We need to stop this artifical growth and let people build their towns into cities where they live. All they have to do is provide them with legislation and justice. Do that and all the riches in the world will follow.
Alhamdulillah. Ms. Tina is a fearless tigresses. More power to you ma’am
A big fan
Real estate builders ruin our country looting people destroying natural beauty. No construction should be allowed.
Thank God, at least something is being done right, we need to preserve our national parks, people don’t need to be everywhere, as our people don’t care about preservation of nature…….
These uneducated unethical people in power has been on rampage to natural diversity of this Islamabad region, it has been so easy for them to cut trees and destroy nature for mere accommodation of never ending lust of land grab. Islamabad and Rawalpindi weather difference once u cross Faizabad bridge is a of the many gifts these trees has to offer. When I came is 1999 the density of trees since then has depleted. Many people have no love for environment, please teach the children don’t just grab leaves of tree and play instead teach them to plant new , don’t just burn fires instead CDA should encourage appropriate disposals moreover stop illegal housing societies in all zones , there was time when in Islamabad the fauna was so rich and now scarce . thanks
Really appreciate the stand by Mam Rina Saeed. And should also impose minor fees in damn e koh and trails and all other destinations. So only limited and educated persons who are really into this cause get to enjoy the beauty of it and preserve it.
If you replace the natural environment with ugly unnecessary buildings you may a well build your own future graveyard!
The recent legislations enable preservation of the fundamental character of islamabad, the beautiful. Both the legislations were passed by the Outgoing govt ,which actually did everything good but just never knew how to make people aware of its most valuable contribution to the environment, the economy and even the social order of the country. Thank you senator sherry rehman.
This road connection is must , it will save two hours of time if one traveling from haripur to rawat ,
Chairwoman of IWMB is at right. Our wildlife is entered in the era of survival. That is right alot traffic load has been shifted towards Margala road but wildlife is also badly effected. In start of this year three to four cheetahs had been killed by different accidental cases and alot of wildlife homeless due to this project.
Balance should be struck between conservation, social welfare and development. What will be a judicious approavh, if oil and gas is found in the tract at some stage in future?
قانون کی پاسداری ضروری ہے مگر اس پیسے کا کیا ہو گا جو پاکستانی عوام کے خون پسینے سے ٹیکسوں کی شکل میں جمع ہوا اور روڈ پراجیکٹ کی صورت میں خرچ ہوا۔ کیا وہ پیسہ ضائع؟