KARACHI: The foreign ministry has gone out of way to bestow an unusual favour on an Arab functionary by issuing him a falcon import cum re-export permit with a validity of over 24 years, it emerged on Thursday.

Even the president of his country, the United Arab Emirates, has been issued a similar document with just a year’s validity while the low-level official, who is not even member of royal family, has been deemed more important than the head of state for this unusual favour, according to highly-placed sources.

The sources said the foreign office issued the permits with the approval of prime minister to the Arab hunters to enable them to bring in their own falcons to hunt internationally protected houbara bustard which they believed had aphrodisiac qualities. They did not buy falcons here, highly rare migratory birds, during their stay in the country, said the sources.

The sources said the foreign office had grossly overlooked and violated laid down protocol in the process giving preference to a low-level official over his country’s president.

An Oct 3, 2013 letter of the foreign ministry referring to the UAE embassy note verbal (No2/9/6-2191 dated Sept 11, 2013) regarding the import cum re-export permits for two falcons for the UAE president and Abu Dhabi ruler Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, said: “Two falcons may temporarily be imported from the UAE for the dignitary of the UAE for hunting purpose 2013 – 14. These falcons will be re-exported to the UAE at the end of hunting season 2013-14,” said the letter.

In another similar letter (Oct 23, 2013) referring to the UAE embassy’s note verbal (No.2/9/6-1978 dated Sept 11, 2013) about import of falcons said: “175 falcons may temporarily be imported from the UAE by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, president of the UAE, and ruler of Abu Dhabi for the hunting season 2013-14. These falcons will be re-exported to the UAE at the end of hunting season 2013-14,” added the foreign ministry’s letter.

But contrary to all protocols, the sources said, the validity of permit for the UAE government’s apparently well-connected official had been scaled up to 24 years.

The foreign ministry in its Aug 19, 2013 letter to the UAE embassy referring to its communication and in continuation of the ministry’s note verbal (No: DCP (P&I)-18/6/2012 dated Oct 17, 2012) said: “The number of falcons allowed to be imported and re-exported on annual basis by Nasir Abdullah Lootah has been increased from 30 to 40. The validity of this permission remains the same (till 2038).”

The sources said that Mr Lootah was the director general of the office of deputy president and prime minister of the UAE.

Foreign ministry’s deputy chief of protocol (P&I) Sardar Mohammad Khattak, who issued these permits, said in response to Dawn queries that he could not say anything offhand but would check the record first and respond later.