ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, ordered an investigation on Tuesday into forest fires that erupted at 15 locations across the Margalla Hills, situated on the northern edge of Islamabad. This directive comes as a large-scale operation is underway to extinguish the fires, according to the interior ministry.
Initially, the fires broke out at three locations on Hiking Trails 3 and 5 of the Margalla Hills, as reported by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Ground firefighters faced challenges in reaching the fire sites, prompting the NDMA to deploy helicopters. Subsequently, fires emerged at nearly a dozen additional sites.
In response to the incidents, Naqvi contacted Islamabad Chief Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa and called for a thorough investigation to determine whether the fires were deliberately set or accidental, according to the interior ministry.
“A committee should be promptly established to investigate the fires at these 15 locations in one day,” Naqvi stated.
Smoke was observed rising from the Margalla Hills forest fires during a heatwave in Islamabad on May 28, 2024 (AFP).
Following the interior minister’s orders, the Islamabad chief commissioner and police chief have assigned officials to conduct the investigation, as per the ministry’s statement.
The Margalla Hills, part of the Himalayan foothills, cover an area of 12,605 hectares and feature several popular hiking trails frequented daily by hundreds of visitors.
The fires occur amid a heatwave with temperatures exceeding 52 degrees Celsius in parts of Pakistan, which has seen a rise in forest fire incidents attributed to climate change in recent years.
Senior Islamabad officials visited the fire sites earlier in the day to oversee firefighting efforts.
“Firefighters are utilizing all available resources to control the fires,” stated Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon. “We have also sought assistance from other agencies, and the fires will soon be contained.”
