Government and private parties encroached on the protected national park

Government and private parties have encroached on the protected National Park, according to the IHC. In contrast, the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) and civic agencies have turned a deaf ear to these major environmental issues.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah remarked at a hearing on a petition filed by academician Prof Zahid Baig Mirza through lawyers Mohammad Aslam Khaki and Afzal Siddiqui. “The National Park region has been illegally encroached upon by different private persons and government institutions, including the Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Navy,” the court was told.

A court orders the removal of encroachments. Encroachment on the National Park is considered disrespectful by the court, and violators are subject to prosecution. Government and private parties have encroached on the protected National Park

IWMB chairperson Rina Saeed Khan was asked if she had taken any steps to remove the encroachments and if any legal action had been taken against those responsible, including the leaders of government entities who had allegedly chosen to ignore the law. She also said tha , IWMB and civic agencies have turned a deaf ear to these major environmental issues.

When Ms. Khan said no, Chief Justice Minallah expressed his disappointment, saying, “inaction on the part of public functionaries is beyond comprehension and deplorable because their conduct exposes future generations to catastrophic consequences owing to environmental degradation and climate change.”

The court ordered the Capital Development Authority and the IWMB to “immediately fulfill their respective statutory tasks by detecting and removing illegal encroachments in the defined region of the National Park.”

The court further ordered the interior secretary to help these officials restore the designated area of the National Park and hold those who have breached its notified boundaries accountable.

“No one is above the law,” Chief Justice Minallah declared.