Govt urged to stop private traffic on Pir Sohawa Road

Islamabad : Nature lovers have urged the government to close Pir Sohawa Road for private and non-local traffic and launch an eco-friendly shuttle bus service for visitors to protect the natural environment of the Margallah Hills National Park (MHNP).

They have referred to the international practices in which private or commercial traffic is not allowed especially in ecological zones of the protected areas. They also lauded the efforts of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) for engaging volunteers and raising awareness among people about the protection of the natural environment.

“We can be more ingenious than closures. IWMB needs to be empowered. Please support getting the long-pending act approved by the federal cabinet and then by the parliament,” they said. Daniel W. Clauss, a frequent visitor to the national park, has said “The government should close Pir Sohawa Road to private and non-local traffic from Daman-e-Koh and establish a shuttle mini bus system; open a panoramic restaurant at this spot and recruit local community as guardian of the national park.”

He said “What is quite sad with the national park is the absence of a broader strategy to reconcile protection with human recreational access. There is the worst pollution just a few kilometres away from the ecological zones of the park.” Zafar Mehmood, a nature lover, said “Nature is our healer. The Margalla hills are the beauty and face of Islamabad. We all must take care and initiate steps to protect it that is ultimately our own protection.”

According to the Wildlife Protection Board, hiking Trail 6 has been closed for the protection of visitors as it is now part of the Leopard Preservation Zone. Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman has said “The leopard preservation zone is an index of our commitment to growing biodiversity and expanding the natural habitats of big cats that are ‘ecosystem engineers. This is their space we humans encroached on, so let’s share the earth with them instead of driving them out.”