February 10, 2007	Saturday	Muharram 21, 1428

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PESHAWAR, Feb 9: The proposed expansion of the Margallah Hill National Park by merging certain portions of the NWFP territory has sent a wave of resentment among the people of Haripur district.

They believe that it will deprive the province and district of the main forest range and beautiful area, besides displacement of thousands of families.

Sardar Ahmed Yar Jung Khan Durrani, vice-president of the PML Islamabad chapter, opposed the plan and asked the NWFP government to stop this move.

In a letter addressed to the NWFP chief secretary, Mr Durrani said that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) was pursuing a project for including adjoining areas of Haripur district in the Margallah Hill National Park.

Talking to Dawn, he said the proposed project had created a lot of anxiety among the area residents who were demanding an appropriate action in this regard.

Mr Durrani feared that the project would affect six union councils of the district, including Jabari, Barkot, Billaha, Najafpur, Khan Pur and Taufkian.

As per CDA’s rules, no human being was allowed to reside in the area marked for the national park. “It means that the proposed project will displace huge population of the area,” the PML leader observed.

Apart from certain socio-economic impacts, Mr Durrani said, the inclusion of such areas in the CDA-owned park would have political implication as well.

“The project would weaken the district’s representation in the provincial assembly, subsequently reducing its share in funds allocated under the Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) award on the basis of population and area,” Mr Durrani pointed out.

He criticised the parliamentarians elected from the area for keeping a mum over such an important issue, despite the fact that resolutions had been passed at the union council level against the project.

When contacted Safdar Zaman Khan, Haripur district naib nazim, informed Dawn that although they had not received any such plan at the official level, they were opposed to the move.

He maintained that the district council in its recent session had opposed the plan, and said that the district administration would soon take up the matter with the provincial government.