MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Wildlife and Fisheries Department has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the zoology departments of all five public-sector universities in a bid to integrate scientific research into the management of the region’s natural resources and strengthen evidence-based decision-making.

The agreement, described as a major step towards modernising biodiversity governance, was formalised at a ceremony held at the Kashmir Institute of Management (KIM), with AJK Minister for Forests, Wildlife and Fisheries Sardar Javed Ayoub as the chief guest.

AJK Secretary for Environment, Wildlife and Fisheries Amir Mahmood Mirza signed the MoUs on behalf of the department, while Dr Nuzhat Shafi (University of AJK Muzaffarabad), Dr Abul Hassan Faiz (Women University Bagh), Dr Usman Ali (Mirpur University of Science and Technology), Dr Amjad Hussain (University of Kotli) and Dr Fozia Aziz (University of Poonch Rawalakot) signed on behalf of their respective institutions.

Additional Chief Secretary (General) Zaheeruddin Qureshi, Director Wildlife and Fisheries Naeem Iftikhar Dar and other officials also attended.

Giving a detailed presentation, Mr Dar said the decision to forge these partnerships was taken at the 4th meeting of the AJK Wildlife Management Advisory Board (WMAB), where it was resolved that the department would collaborate with public-sector universities to identify and address key wildlife management challenges.

AJK Minister for Wildlife and Fisheries and ACS(G) happen to be chairman and vice chairman of the WMAB, respectively.

Following that decision, Mr Dar said, the department drafted the MoU—after vetting by the law department—to formalize cooperation in wildlife research and policy support.

“The core objective is to bridge the critical gap between government policy-making bodies and the academic research community,” he maintained, adding that the partnership would help generate reliable scientific data, a long-missing component in wildlife governance in AJK.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Ayoub welcomed the initiative, calling it an important milestone for the conservation sector.

“This partnership marks a new era in which our departmental decisions will be strongly anchored in scientific rigour,” he said. “We are committed to ensuring that the management of our precious wildlife and fisheries is guided by research-driven principles. The expertise of university scholars will greatly assist in conserving AJK’s biodiversity and promoting sustainable resource use.”

Secretary Mirza said the collaboration was designed to support targeted studies on conservation, ecology, biodiversity, habitat restoration and sustainable use of natural resources. The findings will help refine policy, strengthen management plans and improve monitoring mechanisms, he said.

“We hope the institutional linkage will significantly enhance the long-term sustainability of AJK’s biodiversity by combining administrative experience with academic innovation—a synergy that has long been recommended by conservation experts but rarely achieved in practice.”

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2025