MITHI: An Arab prince returned to Dubai after hunting 80 endangered and rare houbara bustards in Thar with his falcons.

According to reports received here, the prince from Dubai and his nephew were allowed to hunt 100 internationally protected birds in 10 days. The two Arab guests camped in the belts of Nagarparkar and Diplo talukas of Tharparkar district with 80 vehicles, more than two dozen falcons and scores of orderlies, and enjoyed their hunting expedition.

Reliable sources told Dawn that they could hunt only 80 birds in seven days as a limited number of houbaras had arrived in Thar this year due to severe cold.

The guests departed after giving handsome gifts of expensive vehicles and cash to those influential locals and officials of the wildlife department who facilitated their hunting expedition in Thar.

Our Staff Reporter in Karachi adds: In reply to Dawn queries, Mithi-based SWD official Lajpat Sharma said that a Dubai-based Arab, Sheikh Ahmed, came to Tharparkar on Dec 27, 2013, and left on Jan 4.

The federal government had issued the special permit to Maj Gen Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, deputy chief of police and general security in Dubai, to hunt houbara bustards in Umerkot, Tharparkar (including Mithi and Nagarparkar) districts excluding the protected areas in Sindh.

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.