Margalla Hills to get first ever Leopard reserve soon: Malik Amin Aslam

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam on Friday said that the country’s first ever Asian leopard reserve will be announced soon in Margalla Hills National Park.

Addressing the Monsoon plantation under the Clean Green Pakistan organised by Pak Steel at Pak Farid Park, Aslam said the protected area has become a permanent new habitat of the wild cats that earlier used to descend to the National Park during winter seasons and would return to higher altitude in summers.

Aslam said a proper mechanism would be devised for controlled and safe mobility into the leopard reserve through information guides and staff to avoid any human wildlife conflict.

The aide on climate change planted a pine tree sapling in the park along with Pak Steel officials to inaugurate the plantation drive, where some 300 saplings were planted in a day-long activity.

He said: “The Pak Farid Park is one of the only public private partnership initiatives being materialised to protect the environment. It is being developed on the Capital Development Authority (CDA) land and is well maintained.”

Amin noted that it was the only park that remained opened and available to the public for recreation throughout the COVID-19 lockdown.

He underscored that the private sector was one of the major stakeholders of the government as it has corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds and efficiency to execute projects in time with the desired output.

While shedding light on the climate change risks highlighted in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report 2021, he said around 14,000 scientists worked on the report and sounded the alarm for rising climatic catastrophes in case of unabated mutilation of green cover all over the world.

“The Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Plantation project of the prime minister is not only a gift, it is a dire need of the country to avert drastic impacts of environmental degradation,” he said.

The premier's aide also hinted at organising a stakeholder seminar on the  latest technology to reduce emissions from the steel industry sector and increase output in an eco-friendly manner.

It was reported as one of the major contributors to emissions causing environmental degradation and climate change.

“We will organise the seminar at the Ministry of Climate Change and will be looking forward to our steel sector to pioneer that technology in the country,” he added.

Italian Ambassador Andereas Ferraris also congratulated Aslam for successfully executing the prime minister’s tremendous Clean Green Pakistan and Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Plantation projects.

He said: “I am a strong supporter of public private partnership and deeper friendly ties between Italy and Pakistan.”

Ferraris added that he was working to enhance broader collaboration between the public and private sectors of both countries where the latter was very forthcoming and proactive in terms of sinking partnership.

Speaking on the occasion, Managing Director Pak Steel Mian Aslam Farid said that the park was a great philanthropic endeavour undertaken by his corporation as a gift to the metropolis.

“It is a source of encouragement that the SAPM participated in our plantation activity and lauded our efforts. We will further expand this endeavour across the capital to make it more greener and scenic for its dwellers,” he added.

CEO Pak Steel Hassan Farid lauded the Clean Green Pakistan initiative of the government and said the corporate sector should pay back the country under its CSR.

“The park has been established at the CDA land which was procured by Pak Steel and a 1.25 kilometres jogging track has also been created in the park which was earlier a abandoned place full of wild growth and plants,” he added.