Pakistan Off the Beaten Path Tips by Fudge

The Ecotourism Society Pakistan (ESP) has strongly rejected proposed plan of Capital Development Authority (CDA) to construct a tunnel through Margallah Hills within the premises of Margallah Hills National Park.

Instituted in 1980, the Margallah Hills National Park comprises of the Margallah Range (12605 ha) the Rawal Lake, and Shakarparian Sports and Cultural complex. The hill range nestles between an elevation of 685 meters at the western end and 1,604 meters on its east. The rock formations are 40 million years old, and fossils of
marine life abound every where bearing eloquent testimony that the Margallah hills were at one time under the sea.

In the north, stand Pines and groves of Oak. The fauna is mainly Indo Himalayan, with some overlapping of Palacaretic species. The birds found here are residents
as well as winter migrants from higher altitudes of the North, spring and summer visitor for breeding, and short
day transit species arrive in spring.

The park was setup to provide refuge to the Gray Goral, Barking deer and the Leopard, found in this area during
winters. Protection to these animals have benefited other unusual and interesting smaller animals as well. Margalla
Hills Park provides an excellent bird watching
opportunity. A Cheer Pheasant hatchery has been established at Chak Jabri to raise captive Cheer pheasants that have become extinct in the hills. These are then released in the wild.

Margalla Hills are unique in Pakistan, being rich in Sinohimalayan fauna, some species of birds remain threatened.
It is an extension of the Islamabad wildlife sanctuary, which includes the Shakar Parian Hills and the Rawal Lake. The park was setup to provide refugee to the Gray
Goral, Barking deer and the Leopard. Mammals in the park include--Asiatic leopard, Wild boar, Golden Jackal, Rhesus Macaque, Leopard cat, Gray Goral sheep, Barking deer, Chinkara gazelle,
Red fox, Pangolin, Porcupine, Yellow throated
marten and Fruit bats.

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Awesome flight from Islamabad to Skardu. Just take the flight if you have little time to do a lot of trekking on the mountains up north.

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