Kheri Murat National Park
| Kheri Murat National Park | |
|---|---|
| Location | Fateh Jang Tehsil, Attock District, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Coordinates | 33°27′59″N 72°48′04″E / 33.46627°N 72.80119°E |
| Established | 30 September 2020[1] |
| Governing body | Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department |
Kheri Murat National Park is a protected area in Fateh Jang Tehsil of Attock District, Punjab, Pakistan. It was declared a national park in 2020 with a follow-up notification issued in 2023.[2] The park covers scrub-forest hills on the edge of the Kala Chitta Range near Fateh Jang and the M-1 motorway. It is managed by the Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department.
Geography and boundaries
Departmental material describes the Kheri Murat Reserve Forest as a site of about 8,740 acres in Fateh Jang Tehsil with public access for nature recreation.[3] The 2020 and 2023 gazette notifications refer to the broader Kheri Murat forests of Attock Forest Division in the legal declaration of the park.[1][2] The site is also listed in the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA; Protected Planet) with a mapped polygon and a reported area of 35.37 km².[4]
Flora and fauna
The national park lies within Subtropical thorn scrub forest typical of the Salt Range/Attock uplands. Vegetation surveys in the Kheri Murat/Khaira Murat landscape report assemblages including Acacia nilotica, Prosopis juliflora, Dodonaea viscosa, Adhatoda vasica and Olea ferruginea across elevation zones.[5] Avifaunal survey work has documented resident and migratory birds in and around the park, underlining its role for local bird diversity.[6] A provincial environment profile notes the presence of the Punjab urial (Ovis vignei punjabiensis) and highlights poaching pressure on partridges in the landscape.[7]
Visitor access and facilities
According to the managing authority, Kheri Murat offers marked nature trails, guided tours, and basic visitor information through its public pages and site map.[8][9]
Conservation and management
Kheri Murat’s declaration formed part of Pakistan’s Protected Areas Initiative and related 10 Billion Tree Tsunami/Green Stimulus programmes announced in 2020.[10][11] Management is the responsibility of the Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department.[12]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Declaration of Kheri Murat Forests of Attock Forest Division as Kheri Murat National Park (No. 134 of 2020)" (PDF). Government of the Punjab – Laws. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Declaration of the area as Kheri Murat National Park, Attock (No. 88 of 2023)" (PDF). Government of the Punjab – Laws. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ "Kheri Murat Reserve Forest". Punjab Wildlife & Parks Department. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ "Kheri Murat (WDPA ID 555784017)". Protected Planet. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ Tarin, M. W. K. (2017). "Range vegetation analysis of Kherimurat scrub forest, Punjab, Pakistan" (PDF). International Journal of Development and Sustainability. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ "Avifauna of Kheri Murat National Park". Journal of Bioresource Management (repository). 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ "Environment Profile – Rawalpindi Division" (PDF). The Urban Unit, Government of Punjab. 2024. p. 47. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ "National parks – Punjab Wildlife & Parks Department". Punjab Wildlife & Parks Department. 19 August 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ "Kheri Murat Reserve Forest". Punjab Wildlife & Parks Department. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ "Forest area near Fatehjang to be made national park: adviser". Dawn. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ "Kheri Murat to be developed as protected national park: Amin". Associated Press of Pakistan. 21 June 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ "Divisional & district offices – Forest, Wildlife & Fisheries Department (Punjab)". Government of the Punjab. Retrieved 9 October 2025.