When will it stop? When will the praetorian state managers stop harming the citizens they are sworn to protect? In the capital of the country, a national park, the Margalla Hills, the lungs of the city, remains continuously under threat due to greed. Among the few of us who have raised our voices, by writing, petitioning courts, and lobbying in every possible way, is Rina Saeed Khan. We want our green spaces protected.
An environmental journalist of many years, she was appointed to the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB), established to oversee and safeguard the Margalla Hills National Park. Under the Ministry of Environment, which also sat on the Board, it remained independent insofar as the protection of the national park’s interests was concerned. The park is not merely 42,000 acres of real estate; it is home to many wild animals, including some extremely endangered species. Anywhere else in the world, civil society and government would protect natural habitats and wildlife because it is both vital and necessary. But in Pakistan, everything is viewed through the lens of personal interest, short-term economic gain, and the ability to get away with opportunism.
Having observed the journey and struggles Rina has endured through her chairpersonship and its aftermath, I am appalled. To begin with, she had very little support from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, although it is mandated to look after our environment. The ministry remained in the clutches of the CDA, and the personal economic interests dangled before them by restaurant owners. When Rina raised the issue with the Board and her counterparts in the ministry about the growing encroachments into the national park and other green spaces protected by law, she was met with silence, suggestions of appeasement, and advice to look the other way.
When governance is weak and bullies are emboldened, they simply wait it out
The Board was no better. The government seats were rarely filled or attended, while one technical member passed away, and his seat was never replaced. She literally had half an ally on the Board.
Why would anyone stay in such a position when it neither pays nor remunerates in any way other than through headaches and endless hassles? Environmentalists tend to work from the heart, and her commitment to animals, in her case, was unmatched. Rescuing bears and other endangered animals, captive and living in horrendous conditions, drove her to remain. A rescue centre funded by generous friends provided a haven for bears, leopards, and other animals.
The illegal restaurants predated Rina’s appointment as chairperson, and many mushroomed alongside the Monal Restaurant; the last count was between seven and twelve establishments. When the law is broken, a precedent is established for others to follow. It was the CDA that allowed these polluting entities into the national park, not the IWMB.
The legal battle was not initiated by the IWMB but arose from a dispute between the CDA and the Monal owner. The court called upon the IWMB because it is the authority responsible for overseeing the national park’s interests. Many legal directions to the CDA and the Ministry of Environment have not been honoured. The landmark judgment in 2024 by the Supreme Court should have put these issues to rest, but when governance is weak and bullies are emboldened, they simply wait it out.
Today, we are witnessing Rina being prosecuted and persecuted by the FIA on false charges initiated by a villager accusing her of corruption and other baseless claims. The playbook is on full display. The spotlight should instead be on how the FIA deemed this complaint viable or on the blatant conflicts of interest evident in this witch-hunt. The court has already pointed out the misuse of public office and conflicts of interest that have fuelled the attack on the IWMB and Rina Saeed Khan, but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears.
As a citizen, I have sadly observed the environmental community in Pakistan, especially in Islamabad, watching this tamasha unfold. They are ready to hop on to the next bandwagon of international environmental conferences to speak on behalf of our vulnerable ecosystems, but have no courage to defend a colleague or our environment at home. It is deeply disturbing to see a friend, a colleague, an environmental professional under such duress and for what? For protecting what we all should be protecting.
Where are we supposed to go from here?