Pakistan to help four countries to build big wild life park in Badakhshan

KABUL (SANA): A joint wildlife park is to be constructed in the northern Badakhshan province in the near future. The park is being constructed by four countries - Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and Tajikistan.

Deputy head of the Environment Protection Department Jarullah Mansoori said the park was proposed to be constructed in Wakhan district and Pamir area of Badakhshan.

Although there were some problems between some of the neighbouring countries and one of those was the dispute on tourist and wildlife area in Wakhan district. However, the same would be overcome through negotiations.

In an exclusive interview with That, Mansoori said a multi-dimensional agreement was needed to avoid the hunting of wildlife safeguarded in Tajikistan but killed in Afghanistan.

After the signing of the agreement, he said, the Wakhan and Pamir area would be declared a banned zone for hunting and every country would be responsible to ensure safety of the wildlife in that zone.

He said the agreement had been sent to the countries concerned for their review which would be signed in Afghanistan or some other country after agreement of all the four sides.

He did not mention exact area of the park and the time period for its completion.

He said the area was very important and its environment needed to be protected.

He termed the agreement as an important step for strengthening ties between the four neighbouring countries. Past experience has proved that agreements for protection of environment between countries often prove beneficial for their bilateral ties, said Mansoori.

He said the area of Wakhan and Pamir was very important for construction of such kind of park. He said work must be launched on it as soon as possible to further cement ties between the neighbours.

Experts say the area was of great importance from tourist point of view and would attract people from across the world. This would create positive effects on the tourism economies of the four countries, they believed.

Syed Massoud, teacher at the Economic Department of Kabul University, told That the work should have been done some decades ago in Wakhan district. This is a positive step and would help improve economy of the country, he added.

He said there were many beautiful areas containing mountains, rivers, historical sites and other places in Afghans which must be explored but the main problems are insecurity and little attention on part of the government to this side.

The Marcopolo deer is being hunted by people in Wakhan and Pamir areas of Afghanistan from time to time and their species is now feared to be wiped out. Pamir, distributed in small and big Pamir, is called roof of the world.
This is the last zone in the map of Afghanistan joining border with China, Pakistan and Tajikistan. The area is reckoned among the important ecological sites of the country.

The area is 6,500 metres high and consisting of the Hindukush and Kotline mountains. The high peaks of this area are reckoned among the highest peaks of Asia.
Experts say 18 different kinds of wild animals are present in the area. It merits a mention here that the Silk Route was also passing through the same area.

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