ISLAMABAD, May 21 (APP):The Flora and Fauna of the Margalla Hills National Park has inspired the foreign dignitaries and EU envoys who periodically visit the tracks during COVID-19 to keep themselves involved in healthy activity, saying, “The place is one of the most fascinating one in the World.”
They have declared Margalla Hills tracks as the most fascinating and inspirational places for healthy activities like hiking, tracking, climbing amid different species of plants,trees and chirping birds and wild animals.
The foreign dignitaries have been constantly sharing their feelings and views about the scenic beauty of the Margalla Hills and its alluring landscapes by postings pictures and comments on the social interacting web sites including Twitter, Facebook, Insta-gram etc.
German Ambassador to Pakistan Bernhard Schlagheck, in a tweet said “The Margalla Hills is an excellent place for early morning walks, what a stunning landscape only few minutes away from the capital’s urban area.”
It was an amazing experience to listen multitude of different birds and their wonderful sounds were inspirational “for me to know about them,” he added.
In a tweet, Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan Androulla Kaminara said “While enjoying the beautiful tracks of Margalla Hills we came across a primitive cricket ground, some familiar animals and some wonderful views.”
She said that she had witnessed the most fascinating and “eye pleasing” views of flowering trees like Bauhinia variegata, Ficus carica, and trees like Pinus roxburghii, Quercus and leucotrichophora.
There are various species of plants and wildlife, including monkeys, exotic birds and carnivores on the Margalla hills, she noted.
The Head of Hanns Seidel Foundation in Pakistan, Steffen Kudella
While talking to APP said that Pakistan has been enjoying a number of world’s most beautiful landscapes like Margalla, Northern areas and the Himalayan foothills.
Steffen Kudella termed all the seven trails excellent sites for hiking which cater to the need of both the occassional and regular rock climbers, only a few minutes drive from Islamabad .
Replying to a question about the ongoing lockdown and social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic, Steffen in his inspirational remarks said, “how to best spend your coronavirus quarantine, leave the city, take your kindle into the Himalayas and read”. Rules for life overlooking green valleys and snow-covered mountains.”
Youth Ambassador of the German Embassy Islamabad Marion Pfennigs thought sitting idle in COVID-19 despite having scenic nature so close to your home in Federal Capital was not a positive approach towards life. Marion stressed to explore the natural beauty in capital terming it a blessing for the Pakistanis..
“ When there are no flights out to a tropical paradise, just hike to one…most fun morning I had in a long time #IslamabadDiaries #BeautifulPakistan ” Pfenning tweeted.
Talking to APP, she said sometimes the calamities like pandemics became a blessing for the nature and humans should play a responsible role to protect the nature for future generations Canada’s High Commissioner to Pakistan Wendy Gilmour and Netherlands Ambassador to Pakistan Wouter Plomp both were of the view that these beautiful tracks of Margalla could be enjoyed while adhering to the Standard Operating Procedures formed for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wouter Plomp,in a tweet said “ we walked 13 km for over 4 hours and met only 3 people: pretty good for #SocialDistancing thanks.”
Norway Ambassador to Pakistan, Kjell-Gunnar Eriksen has praising the wonderful landscapes of Pakistan said “Particularly northern areas Gilgit-Baltistan are very much similar to the Norway.”
Kjell-Gunnar Eriksen, in a tweet, said “Look at the similarities between Norway and Gilgit-Baltistan! As a friend of me once said: Giligit-Baltistan is Norway on steroids.”
Expressing his feeling about the tourism in Pakistan, he hoped that it will emerge as the perfect tourist destination for the international travelers in the post-corona times.
Daniel.W.Clauss a delegate of the European Union to Pakistan and UAE Ambassador to Pakistan Hamad Alzaabi have also expressed their feeling about wonderful weather of the capital and its mesmerizing pots like Margalla Hills.
It is pertinent to mention here, the Margalla Hills Nationa Park is home to a large number of birds, including robins, sparrows, kites, crows, larks, paradise flycatchers, black partridge, shrikes, pheasants, spotted doves, Egyptian vultures, falcons, hawks, eagles, Himalayan griffon vulture, laggar falcon, peregrine falcon, kestrel, Indian sparrow hawk, white cheeked bulbul, yellow vented bulbul, paradise flycatcher, cheer pheasant, Khalij pheasant, golden oriole, spotted dove, collared dove, wheatears and buntings.