KARACHI: The federal government has issued special permits to the ruler of Dubai (United Arab Emirates) Shaikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum and five members of his entourage for hunting of houbara bustard in the specified areas of Sindh and Balochistan during the season 2017-18.

Houbara hunting is prohibited under various international nature conservation conventions and local wildlife protection laws owing to its declining population.

The federal government issues special permits every year to the ruling elite of the Gulf states, prominent among them being members of the highly restricted houbara hunting club like crown princes and top military, police and security officials.

The special permit has been issued to Sheikh Mohammad Al-Maktoum by deputy chief of protocol (P&I) in the foreign ministry Naeem Iqbal Cheema.

The permit, DCB (P&I) – 19/6/2017-18 (Allocations/UAE), has been sent to the UAE embassy in Islamabad and is supposed to be dispatched to whom it may concerned in Dubai.

The content of the permit states: “The ministry of foreign affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan presents its compliments to the Embassy of United Arab Emirates in Islamabad and has the honour to state that the government of Pakistan has conveyed its recommendations to the authorities in the concerned province for the allocation of following areas to the Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of United Arab Emirates for hunting of houbara bustard for the season 2017-18.

The areas allocated are Khuzdar and Lasbella districts and the area in the northwest corner of Balochistan located in Chagai district (Nok Kundi).

The respective provincial government has also been requested to issue the necessary permit in this regard. The code of conduct for the hunting season 2017-18 is also attached”.

The Crown Prince of Dubai (UAE) Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum has been allocated Hyderabad and Matyari districts; Dubai’s Deputy Chief of Police and General Security Major General Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Umerkot and Tharparkar districts (excluding protected areas); Major General Sheikh Ali Mur bin Maktoum Al-Maktoum tehsil Samungli and Tehsil Panjpai in Quetta district; a royal family member Sheikh Rahid bin Khalifa Al-Maktoum Badin district, Jungshahi (Thatta district) and Dhabeji (Malir district, Karachi); and a Dubai-based businessman, Nasir Abdullah Lootah, has been allocated Thatta district (excluding Shah Bander and Jungshahi tehsils).

According to the relevant code of conduct, only 100 houbara bustards can be hunted and falcons only for 10 days during the hunting season i.e Nov 1, 2017 to Jan 31, 2018. Guns cannot be used for hunting. Poaching and trans-boundary transportation of eggs and chicks is also prohibited.

Hanif Samoon at Mithi adds: Thar district game officer (DGO) Ashfaque Ahmed Memon on Friday evening confirmed arrival of royal guests Sheikh Mohmmed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum and his entourage for a hunting expedition in Tharparkar.

He said the guests arrived at Chanri Airport of Badin district and then proceeded to Tharparkar. Rangers personnel provided protocol to them, he said, adding that the guests set up their camp in Jat Tarai village near Diplo town.

Mr Memon stated that if provincial government’s prescribed procedures with regard to the permission were not followed to ensure observance of the code of conduct, the Sindh wildlife department would have to issue a warning on Saturday to the hunters.

He told Dawn that his department was in touch with the area police and other authorities to remove the camp if the need be.

He said that only permit-holder of the royal family had been visiting the area over the past five years.

Mr Memon recalled that recently a Qatari team of hunters led by Sheikh Fahd Abd­ullah Abdul Rehman al Thani, was denied hunting in this area and its camp was removed as mandatory procedures were not followed.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2017