PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has taken a major step to protect forests and wildlife at the Koh Suleman Range.
It has contacted the federal government to declare the Koh Suleman mountain range as a wildlife conservancy.
On the instructions of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, the KP Forest Department sent a letter to the Ministry of Environmental Coordination. The letter stresses the need for coordination between the three provinces—Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Balochistan—to declare the Koh Suleman range a protected area.
“Your kind attention is invited to the request of this Department regarding Suleiman Range, a biodiversity hotspot of unparalleled significance that transcends provincial boundaries, encompasses Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Baluchistan and Punjab,” read the letter.
The Koh Suleman range is home to rare plants and wildlife. Protecting its unique biodiversity could bring global recognition to the area. The range also plays a crucial role in combating climate change and supporting the local population’s well-being.
This unique and fragile ecosystem harbors a diverse array of plant and animal species, notably the largest surviving stand of Chalghoza Pine (Pinusgerardiana), the majestic Suleman Markhor (Capra faconeri), the elusive striped hyena (Hyaenahyaena), the graceful common leopard (Panthera pardus), the Indian Grey Wolf, the Afghan Urial and a plethora of associated wildlife, it added.
Given the trans-boundary nature of the Koh-e-Suleiman Conservancy, it is imperative that coordinated conservation efforts are implemented across all provinces to ensure the effective protection of wildlife and their habitats within this region, it stated adding the declaration of the corresponding areas in Balochistan and Punjab as wildlife conservancies would greatly enhance the ability to manage and protect the biodiversity of the entire Koh-e-Suleiman range.
The KP government is already working to protect wildlife within its borders. However, since the Koh Suleman range spans across all three provinces, uniform measures are needed for effective protection.
The KP government’s efforts will succeed only if Punjab and Balochistan also implement similar measures.
Therefore, the federal government is urged to declare the entire Koh Suleman range a trans-boundary wildlife area.
It is pertinent to mention that Climate Change, Forestry, Environment & Wildlife Department, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has already requested the Forest & Wildlife Departments of Governments of Punjab and Balochistan for the purpose.