Alam Zeb Khan
ISLAMABAD: Officials from Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) have strongly condemned any proposed changes or possible construction in the Zone 3 Islamabad and called it’s a threat to the wildlife and national park of the capital.
Talking to a private television show here in Islamabad, senior official IWMB, Waqar Zakria said that by every now and then CDA was busy with construction and expansion while disturbing the original master plan of the federal capital having green belts and the Margalla Hills National Park.
Threat to National Park
He lamented that government officials were planning to disturb Zone 3 by allowing construction which will affect the national park there. He said there must be a buffer zone of at least two to three hundred meters around the Margalla Hills National Park and asked the authorities to avoid the construction of shops, towers, or any other building in the area.
He further added that too much population near the national park would make the wildlife vulnerable.
It is worth noting here that a decade ago Islamabad had a sufficient number of green belts with a lush green national park, however, due to rapid construction and expansion including new housing phases, particularly in Zone 3, the future of Margalla National Park has been threatened.
Meanwhile, Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries facing the consequences of climate change. Climate and environmental experts are of the view that instead of rapid construction and expansion the government should protect the green lands and national parks to ensure and green, safe, and clean environment both for humans and wildlife species.
