The Balochistan High Court (BHC) today ordered cancellation of areas alloted to Arabs and other foreigners for hunting for the rare houbara bustard and other birds in the province.
It is illegal for Arab royal family members and other foreigners to hunt for the houbara bustard and other wild birds, said a divisional bench of the BHC in its order.
Justice Jamal Mandokhail and Justice Ejaz Swati issued the order over petitions filed by two citizens Muhammad Aslam Bhootani and Muhammad Saleem who had challenged houbara hunting carried out by Arab royals in Balochistan.
The federal government routinely issues permits to royal family and Arab high officials for hunting the internationally protected bird species ‘Houbara Bustard’. While the royals are also issued bag limits but those are almost never followed and they have been known to wipe out areas of the engendered species altogether.
“The hunting is illegal and violates the International Wild Life Conservation Convention,” Justice Jamal Mandokhail remarked while hearing two separate petitions which challenged the practice of allocation of permits for hunting highly endangered species in Balochistan.
A report titled ‘Visit of Prince Fahd bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud regarding hunting of houbara bustard’ prepared by Jaffar Baloch, a divisional forest officer of the Balochistan forest and wildlife department in Dalbandin, says the prince, for 21 days (from Jan 11, 2014 to Jan 31) hunted 1,977 birds, while other members of his party hunted an additional 123 birds, bringing the total bustard toll to 2,100, sources said.
