, Pakistan has 37 national parks () that are recognised by World Database on Protected Areas. In 2012, 25 of these were under supervision of respective provincial governments and remaining were in private care. Only some of these are under the conservation scope of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Protection and conservation of the environment of Pakistan was included in the concurrent constitution of 1973. As a result, Environment Protection Ordinance was enacted in 1983, which was mainly regulated by the Environment and Urban Affairs Division. Later, a new system of 'Modern Protected Areas' legislation began at the provincial level which assigned the protected areas with designations such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and game reserves. Further recommendations of the national parks of the Indomalayan realm were highlighted in the IUCN review of 1986. Nevertheless, the development of national parks was mainly carried out by National Conservation Strategy of 1992. Due to more awareness about their importance in conservation of biodiversity, 10 national parks have been established during the time period from 1993 to 2005.

According to the 'Modern Protected Areas' legislation, a national park is a protected area set aside by the government for the protection and conservation of its outstanding scenery and wildlife in a natural state. It is accessible to public for research, education and recreation. In order to promote public use, construction of roads and rest houses is permitted. Use of firearms, polluting water, cleaning of land for cultivation, destruction of wildlife is banned in these areas.

The oldest national park is Lal Suhanra in Bahawalpur District, established in 1972. Lal Suhanra is the only national park established before the independence of the nation in August 1947. The main purpose of this area was to protect the wildlife of Cholistan Desert. Central Karakoram in Gilgit-Baltistan is currently the largest national park in the country, spanning over a total approximate area of . The smallest national park is the Ayubia, covering a total approximate area of .

List S.No National park Image Established Area District(s) Administrative unit(s)Notable Wildlife Coordinates1 Ayubia 1984 Abbottabad Khyber PakhtunkhwaIndian leopard, Himalayan goral, Red giant flying squirrel2 Broghil Valley 2010 Chitral Khyber PakhtunkhwaSnow leopard, Siberian ibex, Turkestan lynx 3 Central Karakoram 1993 Hunza-Nagar , Skardu and Shigar Gilgit BaltistanSnow leopard, Markhor, Siberian ibex 4 Chitral Gol 1984 Chitral Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Markhor, Snow leopard, Himalayan black bear 5 Chinji 1987 Chakwal PunjabIndian wolf, Urial, Bengal fox 6 Deosai 1993 Skardu Gilgit BaltistanHimalayan brown bear, Long-tailed marmot 7 Deva Vatala 2009 Bhimber Azad KashmirIndian leopard, Indian hog deer 8 Nanga Parbat 1995 Diamer Gilgit-BaltistanKashmir musk deer, Markhor,Himalayan brown bear 9 Ghamot 2004 Neelum Azad KashmirKashmir musk deer 10 Hazarganji-Chiltan 1980 Quetta BalochistanWild goat, Markhor, Persian leopard 11 Hingol 1988 Awaran, Gwadarand Lasbela BalochistanChinkara, Urial, Persian leopard, Wild goat 12 Hundrap-Shandur 1993 Gupis-Yasin Gilgit BaltistanSiberian ibex, Snow leopard, Turkestan lynx 13 Kala Chitta 2009 Attock PunjabUrial, Chinkara, Indian leopard 14 Khunjerab 1975 Hunza Gilgit BaltistanMarco Polo sheep, Bharal, Kiang, Snow leopard, Siberian ibex 15 Kheri Murat National Park 2023 Attock PunjabUrial16 Kirthar 1974 Dadu SindhChinkara, Wild goat, Urial 17 Lal Suhanra 1972 Bahawalpur PunjabBlackbuck, Indian hog deer, Nilgai 18 Lulusar-Dudipatsar 2003 Mansehra Khyber PakhtunkhwaSnow leopard, Long-tailed marmot, Himalayan black bear 19 Machiara 1996 Muzaffarabad Azad KashmirHimalayan black bear, Kashmir musk deer, Nepal gray langur 20 Manglot 1990 Nowshera Khyber PakhtunkhwaChinkara, Leopard 21 Margalla Hills 1980 Islamabad, Rawalpindi PunjabNorthern red muntjac, Indian leopard, Leopard cat, Indian wolf, Rhesus macaque, Masked palm civet 22 Musk Deer 2009 Neelum Azad KashmirKashmir musk deer,Himalayan black bear 23 Pabbi and Rasul Reserve Forest 2023 Mandi Bahauddin and Gujrat PunjabGolden jackal, Wild boar24 Panjal Mastan 2005 Bagh Azad KashmirKashmir musk deer, Indian leopard 25 Pir Lasura National Park 2005 Kotli Azad KashmirNorthern red muntjac, Indian leopard 26 Poonch River Mahaseer 2010 Kotli, Mirpur andPoonch Azad Kashmir 27 Qurumbar 2011 Ghizer Gilgit-BaltistanSnow leopard, Pallas's cat, Siberian ibex,Himalayan brown bear 28 Saiful Muluk 2003 Mansehra Khyber PakhtunkhwaHimalayan black bear, Snow leopard, Turkestan lynx 29 Salt Range 2021 Chakwal PunjabUrial, Chinkara,Indian leopard, Indian wolf 30 Sheikh Badin 1993 Dera Ismail Khan Khyber PakhtunkhwaCape hare, Golden jackal, Indian wolf 31 Takatu Park 2025 Quetta & Pishin Districts BalochistanMarbled polecat, Indian wolf, Golden jackal 32 Tilla Reserve 2021 Jhelum PunjabIndian pangolin, Golden jackal, Indian crested porcupine 33 Toli Pir 2005 Poonch Azad KashmirAsian black bear, Indian leopard 34 Ziarat 2021 Ziarat BalochistanMarkhor, Marbled polecat, Balochistan black bear, Urial 35 Koh-e-Sulaiman 2021 Dera Ismail Khan Khyber PakhtunkhwaMarkhor, Urial, Persian leopard 36 Thub Patri 2015 Bhimber Azad Kashmir37 Himalaya 2020 Astore Gilgit BaltistanSiberian ibex, Markhor, Snow leopard 38 Murree Kotli Sattian 2009 Rawalpindi PunjabIndian leopard, Rhesus macaque, Himalayan goral

See also

Protected areas of Pakistan

References

External links