‘All green areas of capital part of MHNP’

PM tells authorities to end parking on green belts

ISLAMABAD: In a landmark move, the federal government has decided to identify all green areas in the federal capital and include them in the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP).

Moreover, Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken notice of cars being parked in the no-parking zones of the city - including on greenbelts.

The decision came after the Adviser to the PM on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam met with the premier on Tuesday.

During the meeting, PM Imran directed the adviser, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) to take steps to end parking on the green belts and other areas of the city. The officials have been directed to submit a report on the issue within two weeks.

Reserved for nature: WWF says Margalla Hills national park land needs demarcation

Earlier during the meeting, Aslam briefed Imran about on-going projects to protect the federal capital’s environment.

The adviser said that projects include the establishment of a Botanical Garden, protection of the MHNP, beautification and landscaping of the federal capital, and upgrading the zoo.

The prime minister stressed the need to maintain the natural beauty of the federal capital and the importance of preserving its environment.

He said that the encroachment mafia had destroyed the green areas of the federal capital, and directed Aslam to take every possible step for their protection. It was further decided in the meeting that all green areas of the city will be identified and include them in the national park.

According to PM Imran, the chaotic construction in the federal capital by past governments has caused problems in managing the city, besides causing huge damage to the green belts.

He said that with green belts across the city shrinking, it has harmed the environment of the federal capital and has, in turn, contributed to climate change.

The prime minister had earlier mentioned pollution and climate change as the major problems of the country which need urgent attention. He regretted that issues related to the administration of cities, including the federal capital which had expanded with an explosion of its population, had been ignored in the past.

Restaurant on Margalla Hills sealed

Stressing on the need to review the master plan of the federal capital, PM Imran directed to finalise a new set of by-laws for the city as soon as possible.

After coming into power in August 2018, PM Imran’s cabinet had formed a commission to review the master plan of the federal capital.

Striving for over a year, the commission presented a provisional report on revising the master plan to the federal cabinet. It was approved in December 2019

The CDA board also approved the report and decided to include recommendations as part of the authority’s building bylaws, planning rules and parameters. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2020.