Islamabad  -  The Zoo and Wildlife Management directorate of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has opposed the draft Islamabad Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Rules, 2018, arguing that there is no need to revise rules and give management of the institution to some Non-Governmental Organization instead of CDA or Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI).

The directorate was asked to furnish its views/comments on the draft rules. It maintained that the Wildlife Management Board was constituted under section 4 of Islamabad Wildlife Ordinance by the Capital Development Authority to supervise and watch the progress of the development activities in the field of wildlife and to take all policy decisions, draw plans, programmes and execute them with regard to protection of wildlife including zoo and undertake such other functions as the federal government direct.

 It maintained that the Chairman of the Board must be nominated from the federal government officers (Ex-Officio member) and not from any of the NGOs (Non official members).

The directorate further maintained that the Margalla Hills National Park is a very sensitive area under the administrative control of Capital Development Authority.

“How an NGO running on the funds of foreigners will look after and monitor the sensitive area of Islamabad without any authority from the federal government,” the directorate posed a question. It also proposed that a No Objection Certificate may be obtained from the ministry of defence and ministry of interior before amendments in Islamabad Wildlife Rules, for clearance of security. It maintained that Islamabad Wildlife Management Board may be reconstituted consisting upon federal government/provincial government, headed by Chairman CDA/Mayor MCI.

It suggested that Director Zoo and Wildlife being in-charge of zoo and wildlife or director Environment Regional may be nominated as Secretary of the Board.

The Zoo and Wildlife Management directorate also objected to the head of Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, Dr Anees-ur-Rehman saying: “He is freely working as an administrator of government organization and is appointing private staff to monitor the activities of wildlife in Margalla Hills National Park. He is utilizing foreign aid for unknown reasons and collecting information about these sensitive areas of Islamabad without any permission of the interior ministry which is against the law and security of the capital of Pakistan.”