IWMB restructured, govt officials replace independent experts

Islamabad: The federal government has disbanded the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) and replaced its independent members with bureaucrats.

A notification issued by the ministry of climate change announced the establishment of a new board, now composed of senior government officials. The restructured board includes the secretary and joint secretary (admin and development) of the Ministry of Climate Change, the environment member of the Capital Development Authority, a senior officer (BPS-20 or above) nominated by Islamabad’s mayor or municipal head, and the deputy commissioner of Islamabad Capital Territory.

Aisha Humera Chaudhry, the additional secretary at the Ministry of Climate Change, has been made the interim chairperson until the board’s full composition is finalised. This shift in leadership has transferred control of Islamabad’s wildlife affairs from independent experts to government authorities.

Former IWMB chairperson Rina Saeed Khan criticised the decision, calling it ‘regulatory capture’ and a violation of a Supreme Court ruling. She argued that the IWMB was intended to be an autonomous body, free from government and CDA influence, but had been placed under bureaucratic control.