LAKKI MARWAT: Crane hunters on Saturday closed Manjiwa road in Lakki Marwat district to record their protest against ban on hunting.

A good number of hunters from various parts of the district, led by Barkatullah, gathered on the road near Manjiwa Chowk and closed it to vehicular traffic for some time.

Leaders of Crane Hunters Welfare Association said on the occasion that provincial govern-ment had banned hunting of cranes in southern districts without any solid justification and taking hunters into confidence.

`We have obtained hunting licences from wildlife department and pay annual fee to government,` they claimed.

Barkatullah said that hunters did not shoot birds nor did they catch them with the help of nets.

He said that poachers caught birds with long neck and legs with the help of Savaa (weight used with cord to catch cranes).

He warned that hunters from across the southern districts would hold a big protest demonstration at Gandi Chowk on Peshawar-Karachi Highway on Wednesday if their demand to liftban on crane hunting was not accepted by government.

OLIVE: Under the olive cultivation project of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, grafting of more than 12,000 wild olive plants began in Badinkhel and Ghundi Mir Khankhel areas of Karak district on Saturday.

The additional deputy commissioner, Sahbizada Samiullah, along with the district director of agriculture extension, Dr Jan Mohammad, inaugurated the scheme in Badinkhel area.

Dr Jan briefed the participants of the ceremony about the olive cultivation project and shed light on its importance. Under the three year project, the grafting of a total of 192,000 wild olive plantswould be carried out in the province, he said.

He said that new olive orchards would be established on 4,000 acres of land, besides farmers would be trained in olive cultivation and value addition.

The additional deputy commissioner welcomed the conversion of wild trees into fruit-bearing species and asked agricultural experts to acquaint farmers with modern olive production technology.

He said that along with extending full support to agriculture department to make the project result-oriented, the district administration was committed to resolving problems faced by farmer community.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2025