In Pakistan, the western tragopan species is apparently largely restricted to Kaghan valley and Indus Kohistan.

A wide range of ecological conditions, geo-morphological diversity and endemism within Pakistan has given rise to a diversity of physical and environmental niches, vegetation types, and unique flora and fauna. The country supports 188 mammal species, 668 bird species, 177 reptile species, and over 5700 vascular plant species in its diagonal stretch of about 1500 km from sea bed to K2 heights.

Comparatively, the diverse geography of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) contains a variety of flora and fauna in diverse habitats ranging from the highest mountain of the Hindu Kush, the Tirich Mir (7,708 meters) in Chitral District, to the Indus plain at 250 meters above mean sea level in D. I. Khan District in the south. The province has a rich diversity of ecological systems; from the rugged, snow and forest covered mountains in the north and west, arid range-land and barren hills of the tribal areas to fertile agricultural plains in the south and south-east.

This altitudinal diversity has a substantial effect on climatic conditions ranging from mild winters and severe summers in the south to snow-clad mountains of the north.

However, hardly any wilderness areas remain intact due to the wide extent of human activity, urbanisation, habitat fragmentation, hunting, poaching and unawareness.

Among avian diversity, pheasants which are found mostly in remote northern areas occurring between 7000 feet and 11000 feet have dismal fate. Five species of these magnificent Himalayan birds i.e. Monal pheasant, Koklass pheasant, western horned tragopan pheasant, white crested Kalij pheasant, and Cheer pheasant are indigenous to NWFP forests. However, Cheer pheasant is locally extinct; western tragopan is endangered; the population of Monal and Kalij are declining; and Koklass is abundant that needs simple protection. The NWFP Wildlife Department assisted by other organisations and local communities are trying to conserve important bird species.

Various donour assisted and local projects have been initiated to conserve pheasants. As part of a reintroduction program, the Cheer pheasant is being reared in Margalla Hills and in Dhodial which happens to Asia`s largest pheasantry.

Of all the pheasants, the medium sized shy tragopan with black and white speckled plumage has scanty and restricted population in some patches of the Himalayan Mountains of the country as well as North West India through Himalayas to Eastern China. The general habitat characteristics of the western tragopan are its summer range in forests of spruce, deodar and oak with dense undergrowth to the upper edge of the tree-line between its winter range 2100 m to summer range upto 3300 m elevation.

In Pakistan, the species is apparently largely restricted to Kaghan valley and Indus Kohistan. There are no recent records in Swat to confirm its possible occurrence. It is apparently still found in the Neelum and Jhelum Valley whereas Machiara National Park in Azad Kashmir also supports a viable population. The remote Palas valley in NWFP contains the largest single tract of western Himalayan Temperate Forest which is of global importance for its biodiversity. The mission of Birdlife International is to safeguard the outstanding natural heritage of the Palas valley which according to a 2004 estimate supports the largest population of about 325 pairs of the western horned tragopan in the world while this could possibly be the last resort for the western tragopan.

The Palas Conservation and Development Project (PCDP) was implemented from 1998 to 2004 with financial assistance of foreign donors and the Government of Pakistan. Earlier a project called the Himalayan Jungle Project (HJP) was implemented in 1991-95, paving the way for PCDP, which has gained considerable awareness, motivation, implementation and monitoring with the help of local communities. Illegal hunting has led tragopan from being threatened to extinction.

Protection of habitat is very important for conservation of pheasants. Awareness, law enforcement, intensive habitat management, and participation of local people in conservation play positive roles in protecting the species. Potential habitat areas of the province may be declared as sanctuaries or National Parks to provide a favorable environment for developing a stable and viable population of pheasants in their natural habitat. Monitoring programs in practice by NWFP Wildlife Department and other allied organisations need to be followed through.

Persistent, long term and scientific management approaches for a comprehensive management strategy with the help of all stakeholders especially the local communities is required. It also warrants an immediate need for the World Pheasant Association (WPA) to set up office in Pakistan for conservation of extremely rare species.