PESHAWAR, Nov 14: NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah has called for enhanced role of community in wildlife cdonservation.

He also said that a committee be formed, comprising Iqbal Khan, engineer, Nazim of district Bannu, Dr Mohammad Mumtaz Malik, Conservator Wildlife, NWFP, and Ashiq Ahmed to review the management of community game reserves, and make recommendations for improving them.

He was presiding over a meeting of NWFP Wildlife Management Board at the Governor’s House on Wednesday.

The governor emphasized the need for improving wildlife conservation in the province and increasing community participation in its conservation through elected representatives.

The meeting focused on wildlife conservation in the NWFP. Dr Malik gave a presentation on wildlife management strategy.

The management board approved the partridge shooting policy for 2001-2002.The entire province has been opened to partridge shooting this year except for special reserves. The shooting season has, however, been curtailed: it will commence on December 23 and end on January 27, 2002.

The board also approved a policy for promotional distribution of wild animals and birds to the interested people on loan under an agreement to promote wildlife farming and conservation education. The board banned crane hunting in the province for one year.

The board approved, in principle, the establishment of a wildlife fund under the administration of Wildlife Management Board to overcome resource constraint for wildlife conservation.