Federal Minister for Climate Change
Senator Mushahidullah Khan instructed Forest and Wildlife Department of
Ministry of Climate Change to formulate first National Wildlife Policy of
Pakistan. After the successful approval of Pakistan First National Forest
Policy, for which process started in 2015 on the direction of then Prime
Minister of Pakistan, a comprehensive Forest Policy was finalized in
consultation with the provinces and Council of Common Interest in a meeting
held in September 2017.Although, Forest Policy is a provincial subject but
National Forest Policy was formulated to meet the contemporary challenges of
fast changing developments that transcend provincial and national boundaries.
The vacuum between science, policy and practice of wildlife management was
badly felt by the Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Mushahidullah
khan and he issued directions for the preparations of Pakistan first
comprehensive Wildlife Policy
“The
healthy wildlife plays an important role in maintaining the ecosystem. Pakistan
is land of diverse wildlife that plays an important role in environment” said
by the Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Muhahidullah Khan. He
further added 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.
This
is timely intervention as no province or federal government has Wildlife Policy
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. In latest Forest Policy of
Pakistan, there are some provisions about wildlife management but it mainly
focus on trees. To kick-start the consultative process all inclusive, Federal
Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan has called meeting of all the
provinces and stakeholders on 15th December, 2017.It is expected National
Wildlife Policy will work as stimulus to revise all wildlife legislation of
provinces within the present tenure of government.
