PESHAWAR: Adviser to the chief minister on information and public relations Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif on Friday said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had taken another ‘revolutionary’ step by launching a wildlife restoration project, thus ‘becoming’ the first province to introduce the ‘re-wilding’ initiative.

As part of the project, different species of deer have been released into the forests of Kohat, where they are being monitored through drone technology, he said, adding local communities and wildlife officials have also been engaged in continuous monitoring to ensure the protection and survival of the species.

Saif said that the positive outcomes of the Billion Tree Tsunami project were now visible in the form of the revival of wildlife.

He added the newly-launched initiative would pave the way for the restoration of other species and serve as a milestone in maintaining ecological balance across the province.

Highlighting the background, he recalled that the Billion Tree Tsunami was launched in 2014 to combat climate change, and its long-term benefits were now materialising through improved forest cover and biodiversity.

Building on this success, the provincial government has now realised another major initiative with the introduction of the wildlife restoration project, he noted.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2025