Promoting tourism or profits: Massive resort on Margallas on the cards, but to who’s benefit?

Party officials say no trees will be harmed, environmentalists disagree and claim vested interests at play.

ISLAMABAD:

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has plans to open up a 20,000 acre section of the Margalla Hills National Park area for tourism — a move that has met opposition from environmentalists at its inception, it has been reliably learnt.

Almost two-week ago, some PTI leaders shared details of a “nature-based tourism plan” in the national park with a select-group of environmentalists from Islamabad, sources informed The Express Tribune.

PTI Central Information Secretary Dr Shireen Mazari confirmed the development, saying, “The idea is at its preliminary stages with a number of things yet to be finalised”.

Under the proposal floated by a five-member team of the PTI, to attract visitors from across the world, around 20,000 acres of land — starting some five to six kilometres from the Monal restaurant at Pir Sohawa and within K-P’s territorial borders — would be developed “without cutting a single tree” under a project called “Margalla Resorts”.

Out of the 20,000 acres, some 8,000 are forest area while 12,000-acre is Guzara forest area — sizeable patches of wooded lands.

“17,000 acre of land will not be touched at all cost, while nature-based tourism facilities will be developed on 3,000 acres,” said a PTI leader who attended the meeting, while asking not to be named.

The broader theme, Margalla Resorts, will be accommodating two development models.

The first involves construction of a road modeled on Mall Road in Murree, with small and medium tourism facilities on both sides. The second involves construction of buildings similar to Highland Country Club on Pir Sohawa Road. The club houses a resort, recreation centre and restaurant.

Environmentalists’ opposition

An environmentalist who was part of a team that was given the briefing alleged the plan was the brainchild of some individuals in the PTI who are now playing it up as a K-P government plan. He claimed that after looking into the proposal for over two weeks, he had found that two senior PTI leaders had economic interests in the plan.

“I am sure PTI Chairman Khan and the K-P government are not on board,” he claimed.

He claimed that during the meeting, when a PTI leader unveiled the proposal to follow the country club model, a senior PTI leader actually began shouting in opposition to it.

“The club was established after cutting hundreds of trees and has massive concrete structures,” he said, adding that dynamite was used on portions of the hills to prepare the terrain for construction.

According to the plans, the road leading to the proposed site would be widened, while some concrete tracks would also be carved out to make the area automobile-accessible.

“Business interests of PTI leaders are involved in the project,” he said, adding, “The national park was set up to protect the nature, not to serve private parties.” He expressed hope that PTI chief that Khan would intervene and ensure that the final plan was feasible and eco-friendly.

Talking to The Express Tribune, prominent environmentalist Dr Jawad Chistie also confirmed that he was also briefed over the plan. He said the citizens concerned were assured during the meeting that no loss would be incurred to nature while carrying out this project.

“Pakistan is signatory of several international conventions. We will look the whole process in future in the backdrop of laws and regulations governing the area,” Chistie said.

He said national park’s sanctity would be upheld at any cost and any plan involving damage to environment would be opposed at every possible forum.

PTI defends plan

Dr Mazari defended the plan while talking to The Express Tribune, categorically stating “Not a single tree will be felled” while executing the project. She said the execution process would be controlled with “stringent oversight”.

Mazari said the K-P government’s efforts to enhance forest cover in K-P by carrying out massive plantation drives had not only been acknowledged at national level but appreciated internationally.

“I can assure it will be a nature-based tourism plan, nothing else,” Dr Mazari said.

She said PTI was the sole political party in the country that had specific vision for the country’s deteriorating environmental conditions and that the party proved it through a number of environment related initiatives in K-P.

Mazari said a board to discuss the initials plan had also been formed and it will have representation from different environmental groups, citizens and internationally-renowned architects.

She reiterated that the project would be executed only if found in line with rules and regulations.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2014.