A Saudi princling, who also happens to be the Governor of Tabuk Province, has arrived in Dalbandin area of Balochistan’s Chaghi district for hunting the highly endangered houbara bustard.
Prince Fahad bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud arrived on Saturday in his special flight at the Dalbandin Airport, where members of Balochistan Assembly and other government officials welcomed him amid strict security arrangements, sources said.
The governor visits Dalbandin and other areas of the Chaghi district every year for hunting of the endangered species in the months of December and January, sources added.
Chagai, Washuk, Kharan and other areas of Rakhshan valley of southern and western Balochistan are famous for the presence of houbara bustard, including local and Siberian birds of the species.
The visit by the Saudi dignitary is apparently the first after the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) recently lifted the ban on hunting of the endangered species over a week ago on January 22.
In 2014, the Balochistan High Court (BHC) had banned the hunting of houbara bustard on two separate petitions filed by former Balochistan Assembly speaker Muhammad Aslam Bhootani and Malik Mohammed Saleem. However, the federal and Balochistan governments and some other people who used to host foreign dignitaries for hunting the endangered birds, had filed a petition in the apex court against the decision of the BHC.
The top court’s bench, headed by former chief justice Jawad S Khawaja, after hearing the plea in August 2015, had dismissed the petition of the federal and Balochistan governments and upheld the verdict of the BHC banning the hunting of the bird.
Read : R.Y Khan residents celebrate end to ban on hunting Houbara Bustard
