ISLAMABAD: Climate Change Federal Minister, Senator, Mushahid Ullah Khan on Friday pledged to converge conservationists and wildlife experts from all over the country on one platform and tap their expertise for conservation and protection of snow leopard in Pakistan, which is fast nearing extinction due to illegal hunting and various threats to it its habitat.
Addressing a press conference here on Friday at the committee room of the Ministry of Climate Change, federal minister counted various threats to the snow leopard in the country, the federal minister said that habitat degradation and fragmentation, reduction of natural prey due to illegal hunting, retribution killing for livestock loss and now recently melting glaciers due to global warming are among major threats that have brought the beautiful cat to near extinction, which is integral part of biodiversity and natural beauty.
As a part of present government’s commitment regarding biodiversity conservation and protection at all levels, we will make all-out efforts in support with the conservationists and wildlife experts to save snow leopard from extinction, the minister stressed.
“In recognition of present government’s efforts for protection and conservation of the snow leopard, I was unanimously elected as chairman of the 12-countries global steering committee of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) programme, after representatives of the 12 range countries where snow leopard is found, voted in our favour,” the minister recalled.
Kyrgyzstan was elected as co- chair of the Global Steering Committee. The voting was held during the concluding session of the two-day first international steering committee meeting of the GSLEP programme at Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan on March 20 this year.
The countries, which cast their votes in Pakistan’s favour included: Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Mongolia, Nepal, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the minister said and added that this is a remarkable achievement for Pakistan, whose conservation efforts for the snow leopard and ability to lead other 12 snow leopard range countries was recognized at the Global Snow Leopard Conservation Forum. Mushahid Ullah Khan said that the beautiful cat, which lives in Pakistan’s north, is one of the most mysterious animals. “It is a symbol of impregnable and majestic mountains of Pakistan and is one of the main indicators of health of highland ecosystems,” the minister highlighted.
This cat species is found in the world’s only 12 range countries and Pakistan is among them. The other countries include countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Mongolia, Nepal, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
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