PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has urged federal government to declare the entire Koh-i-Sulaiman range as a wildlife conservancy.

On the directives of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, forest and wildlife department has sent an official letter to ministry of environmental coordination, emphasising the need for inter-provincial coordination between Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to protect the region’s unique biodiversity, according to a statement issued here on Saturday.

The letter highlights the ecological significance of Koh-i-Sulaiman, which is home to rare flora and fauna. It underscores that preserving this biodiversity will enhance the global recognition of the region and will also help to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change while ensuring the wellbeing of local communities.

The letter says that the KP government has already undertaken a number of initiatives for the area falling in its territorial boundaries.

However, given that the Koh-i-Sulaiman range transcends across Balochistan and Punjab, a unified strategy involving all three provinces is essential for the effective protection of its rare wildlife and plant species.

The letter states that KP’s conservation initiatives will be more effective if Punjab and Balochistan implement similar measures. To achieve this end, the KP government has urged federal government to approach the provincial governments of Punjab and Balochistan to declare the Koh-i-Sulaiman range in their respective jurisdictions as trans-boundary wildlife conservancy to effectively manage the wildlife across the entire region.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2025