Punjab’s New PERA Academy Plan Sparks Fear of Displacement and Wildlife Loss

The Punjab government’s plan to build a training academy for the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) near Kallar Kahar has triggered concerns among local residents and wildlife experts, who fear the project could displace dozens of families and damage an ecologically sensitive area.

According to official documents, PERA Director General wrote to the Deputy Commissioner of Chakwal on June 9, requesting the acquisition of land at a “suitable site in a salubrious hilly locale” near Kallar Kahar for the proposed academy.

Following the request, the district administration identified around 1,568 kanals of land for acquisition.

However, local residents say the selected site includes fertile agricultural land, around 20 households, and supports the livelihoods of more than 80 families.

The Punjab government has allocated Rs. 6.786 billion for the construction of the academy, with Rs. 10 million released during the current financial year to begin the project.

Residents affected by the proposed acquisition say they stand to lose both their homes and farmland.

Raja Mohammad Farooq, one of six brothers who purchased 24 kanals of land in 2018, said they built houses on the property after obtaining a Rs. 3 million loan under a housing scheme launched by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

He said the proposed acquisition now threatens to demolish their homes.

Another resident, Ghulam Shabbir, said his four acres of farmland fall within the demarcated area. He warned that losing the land would deprive his family of wheat and livestock fodder, which they rely on throughout the year.

The proposal has also raised environmental concerns.

According to local conservationists, the selected site serves as a natural habitat for several wildlife species, including the rare Punjab Urial, and contains two breeding farms for urials, chinkaras, and partridges, along with a private game reserve.

Malik Mukhtar Haider, who has spent years running a community-based wildlife conservancy in the area, said the academy’s construction could undo decades of conservation work.

Officials from the Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department have also questioned the selection of the site, saying it hosts valuable flora and fauna developed over nearly two decades.

Assistant Chief Wildlife Ranger Abid Hussain said the land is one of the area’s key wildlife habitats and warned that the project could significantly impact local biodiversity.

Meanwhile, PML-N MNA Sardar Ghulam Abbas said he had urged the Punjab government to reconsider the project, but added that reversing the decision appears difficult after the imposition of Section 4, which initiates the land acquisition process.

Deputy Commissioner Sara Hayat said the district administration had proposed three different locations for the academy, but PERA ultimately selected the current site.

“We have to implement the orders given by the high-ups,” she said.