KARACHI, Dec 14: The Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) has failed to take action against influential poachers who illegally hunted partridges in protected game reserve areas in two separate incidents, reliable sources informed Dawn.

Reportedly, in one incident the poachers did not have the permission to hunt in the protected area while in the other, the poachers shot down more birds than the bag limit prescribed by the wildlife laws.

When approached by Dawn, the wildlife officials concerned responded in a bureaucratic manner and referred to the infringement of the laws in a low-key manner. They maintained that an inquiry was being conducted in one incident, while in the other case, they refused to give any information.

According to Dawn’s sources, in the first case regional police officer Sukkur Mohammed Bachal Sangri was, along with other members of the police force, going to conduct anti-dacoit operations a few weeks ago. Reportedly, he took some time off from the mission to hunt partridges in the Nara Game Reserve.

Mr Sangri is a regular hunter and always gets a shooting permit. This permit is valid for hunting in non-protected areas only. This time too, he had the normal permit but was tempted by the abundant partridges in the Samanwari area and the Pateji Deh area in the Nara Game Reserve. A special permit is required for hunting in these areas, which Mr Sangri did not have.

Upon being informed by the honorary game warden of the Khairpur district, Pir Bux Gaho, that a special permit was required to hunt in the game reserve, Mr Sangri asked the game warden to issue the special permit. He further advised Mr Gaho against annoying the area police chief, particularly when the elections were so close and the police force’s sympathies could prove vital. As a result, Mr Gaho issued the permit and Mr Sangri shot partridges in the protected area.

Responding to Dawn’s queries, the SWD Sukkur chief, Hussain Bux Bhaagat, said that his staff had informed him that although they had tried to stop the high-ranking police official — who had been accompanied by a large contingent of the police force — the hunting party did not stop and sped away.

Mr Bhaagat said that according to his reports, Mr Sangri had hunted between 9am and 2pm, during which time he shot approximately 42 partridges. The SWD official said that district game wardens are not authorised to issue the special hunting permit for the game reserve, and the permit can only be issued by either the conservator’s office in Karachi, or by the deputy conservator’s office in Sukkur. He said that neither the Karachi office, not his own Sukkur office, had issued the special permission. As a result, Mr Sangri’s hunting expedition was actually poaching and was illegal. He added that he had deputed his assistant conservator, Taj Mohammad Sheikh, to carry out an inquiry into the incident, after which a report would be registered.

On his part, Mr Sheikh told Dawn that he was still carrying out inquiries in the field. So far, these had shown that the poaching did take place and as soon as his investigations were complete, the report would be submitted and Mr Bhaagat would take the final decision. During the past week that has elapsed since these details were provided, Dawn has repeatedly tried to approach Mr Bhaagat but he has left for Nepal for a meeting. Mr Sheikh, meanwhile, remains untraceable.

Sources within the SWD said that pressure was mounting on Mr Bhaagat to ‘regularise’ the poaching by somehow issuing a permit from his office. This would protect the poacher, Bachal Sangri, because if properly prosecuted, Mr Sangri could lose his job as well as face a possible imprisonment term and a heavy fine. Meanwhile, the game warden who over-stepped his authority in issuing the permit, Mr Gaho, is a local influential and is also connected with a top politico-religious personality of the province. The ‘regularisation’ of Mr Sangri’s poaching would also protect Mr Gaho.