The District & Sessions Court in Khairpur, Sindh province, has summoned an Arab prince, his employees and the area SHO on January 26, for hunting protected species of houbara bustard.
The court has summoned them in a petition filed by a local resident Raza Hussain. The petitioner Raza Hussain had approached the District & Sessions Court, Khairpur, in which he maintained that an Arab prince Hamad Zaman has set up hunting camps for hunting houbara bustard, an internationally protected bird species, in Acharo Thar of Nara Town of Khairpur.
He said that when the local residents tried to stop them from hunting the protected birds, they threatened them of dire consequences. Raza Hussain further said that the people of Nara Town have long been protesting against the illegal hunting of houbara bustard. The District & Sessions Court, Khairpur, summoned the Arab prince and his private employees, along with the SHO of Sorah Police Station on January 26.
Meanwhile, in another incident, Khairpur Police on January 20 booked 40 villagers who were protesting against the hunting of protected bird species by foreign guests in the Nara and Khipro areas of Khairpur and Sanghar, by setting camps at Babal Bhitt and other areas, which threatened the biodiversity of Thar desert besides restricting their movement, making conducting daily chores miserable.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had forwarded a recommendation to the provincial governments for Falconry Season 2021-2022 (excluding protected areas) with a request to issue necessary permits to the foreign guests in accordance with the wildlife law.
