The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday restrained the Sindh government and others from allotment of land within the notified boundaries of the Kirthar National Park.
The interim order came on a petition seeking protection of the Kirthar National Park from encroachment and commercial activities as well as preservation and conservation of the existing wildlife and ecosystems including but not limited to expansion of the original boundaries of the park.
The petitioners, Hafeezur Rehman and others, had submitted in the petition that the Kirthar Protected Areas Complex (KPAC) located in Sindh comprised one of the Pakistan’s largest national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and game reserves and was an important habitat for a variety of mammals, birds and reptiles where an estimated 276 species of fauna had been recorded.
They submitted that the KPAC was a protected area under the Sindh Wildlife, Protection, Preservation and Conservation Act 2020 and it was a wildlife sanctuary and habitat of 33 species of mammals, 23 species of reptiles, three species of amphibians, 29 species of fishes and 25 species of plants and the park was also known as the main habitat for the Sindh urial and ibex.
The petitioners’ counsel submitted that official respondents had failed to protect the Kirthar National Park, and on the contrary they were going to allot some portions allowing commercial businesses through leases of mines and Reti and Bajri though they were required to protect the park as well as old graves and historical places.
They submitted that due to illegal activities of land grabbers, lifting of sand and other encroachments, the biodiversity and ecology of the Kirthar park had been endangered. They said that deforestation, relentless sand and gravel mining, erosion of riverbeds, silting of rivers, loss of topsoil, and reduction of water retaining capacity of the region was rending Karachi to unprecedented heatwaves and increasing the risk of food insecurity and floods.
The high court was requested to conduct a fresh survey of wildlife within and outside of the park, and determine appropriate step for the preservation and conservation of existing wildlife and ecosystem including but not limited to expansion of original boundaries of the KPAC.
A division bench of the SHC headed by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar after the preliminary hearing of the petition issued notices to the ministry of wildlife, heritage and others, and called their comments.
In the meantime, the high court restrained the authorities from issuing any allotment within the notified boundary of the national park. The SHC directed district and sessions judge Malir to assign any additional district and sessions judge to inspect the national park with the assistance of respective authorities, the petitioners and their counsel and submit a report.
The bench directed the wildlife secretary to submit a complete breakup of wildlife activities launched in last 10 years and posts which were to be established for safety of rare and other species.
The high court directed the culture secretary to depute a team acquainted with heritage and antiquities who shall visit all estate falling within the scope of the ancient monuments preservation law and submit a report along with photographs on the next date of hearing.