LAHORE(National Times)- Serious concerns emerged over potential damage to protected forests and wildlife habitats after the Standing Committee on Forests and Wildlife of the Punjab Assembly unanimously approved three similar amendment bills that would permit mining activities in protected areas.
The committee approved the Punjab Protected Areas (Amendment) Bill 2026, the Forests (Amendment) Bill 2026, and the Punjab Wildlife (Protection and Management) (Amendment) Bill 2026 during a meeting chaired by acting chairperson Chaudhry Akhtar Abbas Bosal.
Under the proposed legislation, the Punjab government decided to promote the mining sector by allowing mineral extraction even in protected forests and designated conservation areas. The amendments aim to revise existing laws, including the Forest Act 1927, the Punjab Protected Areas Act 2020, and the Punjab Wildlife Act 1974.
According to the statement of objects and reasons, the current legal framework has been acting as a “barrier” to mining projects. The new amendments seek to remove these hurdles by establishing a legal structure that permits the use of forest land for mining purposes, particularly for projects deemed of ‘national importance’.
The proposed changes also aimed to align provincial laws with the national mineral policy, facilitate development projects, and introduce a regulated system to curb illegal mining. The statement maintained that utilising mineral resources was essential for boosting the national economy, creating employment opportunities, and increasing revenue.
Following approval by the standing committee, the draft bills will be presented in the Punjab Assembly for final passage, after which they will require assent from the governor.
Irreversible ecological damage
Environmental experts, however, feared that opening protected areas to mining could cause irreversible ecological damage, threatening biodiversity and undermining conservation efforts.
“It will be a total disaster and against global commitments,” said World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan Director-General Hammad Naqi, while commenting on the passage of the bills. Holding the mining department responsible for actively pursuing the bill, he said that the WWF-P had written a letter to the department upon learning that such a bill was being sent to the Punjab Assembly, asking it not to disturb biodiversity by eyeing minerals in conserved habitats since biodiversity loss would be irreparable.
According to the aforementioned WWF letter, allowing reclassification of the protected areas for “projects of national importance” effectively nullified the legal meaning of forest reservation, reducing it to a temporary and reversible status.
The proposed amendments were also in conflict with Pakistan’s stated commitments under climate adaptation frameworks, biodiversity conservation goals and ecosystem-based approaches to development.
