ISLAMABAD Dec 07 (TNS): The Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Mushahidullah Khan has instructed Forest and Wildlife Department of Ministry of Climate Change to formulate first National Wildlife Policy of Pakistan.
The minister also called a meeting of all the provinces and stakeholders on December 15, 2017 to kick-start the consultative process all inclusive.
“The healthy wildlife plays an important role in maintaining the ecosystem. Pakistan is land of diverse wildlife that plays an important role in environment,” Senator Mushahidullah said in a statement on Thursday.
Senator Mushahidullah said that wildlife in Pakistan face various dangers in form of climate change effects, Illegal hunting and import, unhealthy nutrition and unsustainable commercial use. It’s very important to take initiatives to protect wildlife of Pakistan.
It was need of hour to formulate a comprehensive National Wildlife Policy to ensure healthy and protective wildlife in Pakistan, he said.
The minister said that this is timely intervention as no provincial or the federal government has Wildlife Policy, and only some provincial legislation on wildlife has been done in history of Pakistan. This is necessary to synchronize latest scientific knowledge with field, practice through provincial legislation.
Senator Mushahidullah said that in latest Forest Policy of Pakistan, there are some provisions about wildlife management but it mainly focus on trees.
The federal minister said that it is expected National Wildlife Policy will work as stimulus to revise all wildlife legislation of provinces within the present tenure of government.
