PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Saturday set aside the inquiry initiated against Village Conservation Committees in Chitral by the Anti-Corruption Establishment, ruling that the action amounted to misuse of authority and unwarranted interference in the committees’ function.
A detailed 12-page judgment authored by Justice Faheem Wali was issued in the case allowing the petitions filed by committees from Chitral.
The court observed that the anti-corruption proceedings constituted an abuse of powers and unjustified interference in the working of the conservation committees.
It noted that under the trophy hunting programme for markhor and ibex, 80 percent of the revenue generated belonged to the local community, and preventing the community from utilising these funds ran contrary to the objectives of wildlife conservation schemes.
According to the judgment, the Chief Conservator Wildlife had also stated in his report that the local community was entitled to 80 percent of the proceeds.
The court further noted that due to the efforts and cooperation of the local population, the markhor population in the region increased significantly from 267 to around 2,500, demonstrating the positive role played by communities in wildlife conservation.
The ruling clarified that local communities were entitled not only to the interest accrued on these funds but to the entire share allocated to them for development purposes.
The petitions had argued that under the trophy hunting programme, village conservation committees were entitled to 80 percent of the revenue generated from markhor trophy hunting.
However, the ACE had launched an inquiry and directed the committees that they could withdraw only the interest amount, not the principal funds.
Petitioners further contended that despite a government notification clearly stating that 80 percent of the revenue from markhor trophy hunting must be used for the welfare of local communities, the ACE initiated various cases against the committees and prevented them from utilising the funds.
They maintained that whenever the committees attempted to spend the money for community development, legal cases were initiated against them.
The court was also informed that local residents often leave portions of their farmland uncultivated to support wildlife habitats.
During winter, markhor descend from the mountains and feed on crops, and trophy hunting revenues serve as the primary source of income for many residents.
