KARACHI, Nov 26: The federal government has issued houbara bustard hunting permits to 31 members of the ruling families of four Arabian Gulf states for the 2007-08 hunting season.

According to sources, nine such permits have been issued to the ruling family of Qatar, and another ten to UAE rulers — five of Dubai and five of Abu Dhabi. Seven members of the Saudi ruling family and five of Bahrain have also received the permit from the ministry of foreign affairs.

The permits are person-specific, each with a bag limit of 200 birds, and forbid the trapping and netting of the bird and poaching of chicks and eggs.

According to the sources, the rulers of Abu Dhabi have got the largest hunting area, stretching over eight districts in three provinces.

The names of permit holders and areas allotted to them are as follows:

Saudi Arabia: Crown Prince, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence and Aviation Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, Chagai and Noshki districts (except Noshki city) in Balochistan; Interior Minister Prince Naif bin Abdul Aziz, Rajanpur and Layyah (via Dera Ghazi Khan) districts in Punjab; Prince Saud bin Abdul Mohsin, Dera Ghazi Khan; Prince Abdullah bin Mohammad bin Abdul Aziz and Prince Faisal bin Abdullah bin Mohammad, Umerkot district in Sindh; Prince Fahad bin Mohammad bin Abdul Aziz, Dera Bugti district (minus Dera Murad Jamali tehsil); and Sultan bin Abd El Rehman bin Al-Sudairi, Dera Murad Jamali tehsil of Dera Bugti.

United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi): President Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Rahimyar Khan and Muzaffargarh districts in Punjab, Nawabshah, Sukkur and Sanghar districts in Sindh and Washuk, Kharan (excluding Nag Dara breeding area) and Panjgur districts in Balochistan; Crown Prince Lt-Gen Shaikh Mohammad bin Zayed, Bolan district (Lehri tehsil) and Domki in Balochistan; Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Hamdan bin Zayed, Larkana (Khairpur Nathan Shah and Ghaibi Dero tehsils), Shahdadkot and Khairpur (areas across Nara Canal) districts in Sindh; Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed, Kakar Khurasan (Qila Saifullah district) area in Balochistan; and Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Sultan bin Zayed, Khairpur including Kot Diji (except areas across Nara Canal).

UAE (Dubai): Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai Shaikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Lasbella and Khuzdar districts in Balochistan; Shaikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al-Maktoum, Thatta (Jungshahi tehsil) district; Deputy chief of Police and General Security Shaikh Ahmad bin Rashid, Tharparkar district (Mithi, Diplo, Chachro and Nagarparkar tehsils, excluding sanctuary); Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance and Industry of UAE Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid, Bahawalpur district; and Director of UAE Prime Minister’s Office Nasser Abdullah Hussain (Lootah, Thatta, excluding Jungshahi, Jati, Shah Bander tehsils and Oonger and Jherrack union councils).

Bahrain: Shaikh Rashid bin Isa bin Sulman Al-Khalifa, Kalat district in Balochistan; Commander of National Guards Maj-Gen Shaikh Mohammad bin Isa bin Sulman Al-Khalifa, Jamshoro (Thano Bula Khan, Kotri, Manjhand and Sehwan tehsils); Minister of Electricity and Water Shaikh Abdullah bin Sulman, Thatta (Jati tehsil); Minister of Defence Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed, Jhal Magsi district (Gandava sub-division) in Balochistan; and Shaikh Ahmed bin Ali, Thatta (Oonger and Jhirk).

Qatar: Heir Apparent Shaikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Dadu district; Prime Minister Shaikh Abdullah bin Khalifa, Jacobabad district; Shaikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Barkhan district in Balochistan; Shaikh Mohammad bin Khalifa, Khushab district in Punjab; First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shaikh Hammad bin Jassim bin Jaber, Qila Saifullah (Muslim Bagh tehsil); Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Maj-Gen Hamad bin Ali Al-Attiya, Bahawalpur district; Shaikh Faisal bin Thani, Lora Lai tehsil in Balochistan; Shaikh Ali bin Abdullah, Turbat district; and Shaikh Abdul Rehman bin Naseer bin Qasim, Bolan (Tehsil Sani Shora area).