Kheri Murat National Park

Kheri Murat National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Location in Punjab, Pakistan
Location	Fateh Jang Tehsil, Attock District, Punjab, Pakistan
Coordinates	33°27′59″N72°48′04″E / 33.46627°N 72.80119°E / 33.46627; 72.80119
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

• List of national parks of Pakistan
• Protected areas of Pakistan
• Kala Chitta Range
• Attock District

References

1. "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.
2. "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.
3. "Kheri Murat Reserve Forest". Punjab Wildlife & Parks Department. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
4. "Kheri Murat (WDPA ID 555784017)". Protected Planet. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
5. 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.
6. "Avifauna of Kheri Murat National Park". Journal of Bioresource Management (repository). 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
7. "Environment Profile – Rawalpindi Division" (PDF). The Urban Unit, Government of Punjab. 2024. p. 47. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
8. "National parks – Punjab Wildlife & Parks Department". Punjab Wildlife & Parks Department. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
9. "Kheri Murat Reserve Forest". Punjab Wildlife & Parks Department. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
10. "Forest area near Fatehjang to be made national park: adviser". Dawn . 30 June 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
11. "Kheri Murat to be developed as protected national park: Amin". Associated Press of Pakistan. 21 June 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
12. "Divisional & district offices – Forest, Wildlife & Fisheries Department (Punjab)". Government of the Punjab. Retrieved 9 October 2025.