Forest dept withdraws chairlift project MoU

ABBOTTABAD: Forest Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has withdrawn the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with Galiyat Development Authority (GDA) for provision of 60 kanals land of Ayubia National Park’s for the modernisation of Ayubia chairlift project.

The decision, taken by the previous management of the Forest Department during the caretaker government, had received widespread criticism from conservationists and legal experts as well as locals.

Chief Conservator of Forests, Hazara Division, Hazrat Mir, in his letter dated September 18, 2024, stated that the MoU, originally signed by his predecessor Muhammad Yousaf, was revoked on grounds of non-compliance with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forest Ordinance, 2002 and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife and Biodiversity Act, 2015. Hazrat Mir described the agreement as “contradictory and in direct violation” of the regulations that govern national parks, particularly concerning the conservation of biodiversity and the protection of fragile ecosystems.

The MoU had granted a group of companies extensive permissions to undertake various modernisation activities within the park, including the expansion of the existing chairlift infrastructure.

This triggered alarm among environmentalists, who argued that such developments would compromise the park’s natural habitat and violate the Supreme Court’s directives regarding the management of the national parks.

Ayubia National Park, known for its rich biodiversity, is home to a variety of endangered species and plays a vital role in the region’s ecological balance. Environmental advocates had raised concerns that large-scale tourism infrastructure would lead to habitat fragmentation, increased pollution, and irreversible damage to the area’s flora and fauna.

Meanwhile, Sardar Muhammad Sabir, chairman of the Galiyat Tahafuz Movement, welcomed the withdrawal of the MoU, emphasizing that it aligns with the organisation’s longstanding concerns about commercial exploitation in protected areas.

“This decision reaffirms the Apex Court’s stance, particularly its judgment on Margalla Hills National Park, which strictly prohibits unauthorized and damaging interventions in national parks,” Sabir said. He added that the move is a victory for conservationists who have been advocating for the protection of Ayubia’s unique ecosystem from commercial interests.

It may be pointed out that earlier Chief Conservator Central Forest Region-I, had also expressed serious concerns over the signing of the MoU between the Chief Conservator of Forests, Hazara Region-II, and the GDA for the allotment of land for the chairlift project at Ayubia.