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Today's Paper | November 27, 2024

Published 28 Oct, 2004 12:00am

DERA GHAZI KHAN: 1,200 Punjab Constabulary men to guard dignitaries: Houbara hunting

DERA GHAZI KHAN, Oct 27: Nearly 1,200 personnel of the Punjab Constabulary will be deployed in the Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur districts for the protection of Arab dignitaries , who are expected here after Eid for the hunting of houbara bustard.

Information gleaned by Dawn on Wednesday revealed that the Punjab additional home secretary and Punjab Constabulary DIG Saqlain Naqvi, along with the local government authorities, visited the camps set by the Houbara Foundation team to review the arrangements being made to protect and entertain the Arab dignitaries.

Last year, as many as 200 personnel of the constabulary were deployed in the district for the purpose.

When contacted, the Dera Ghazi Khan Range DIG police said the additional home secretary and the DIG of the constabulary had visited the area to review arrangements. He added that foolproof arrangements would be made to avoid any untoward incident.

It is pertinent to mention that the protection team of the Houbara Foundation and the Abu Dhabi Palace (Rahim Yar Khan) have set up four camps in Dera Ghazi Khan. While 60 people of the Khosa tribe are part of the guarding teams.

The Leghari group and the Khosa group have been at a variance over facilitating the Arab dignitaries. Hardly few days ago, police had registered a case against the members of the Leghari group of District Nazim Jamal Khan Leghari on the report of an official of the Houbara Foundation.

On Monday night, a team of the foundation was attacked by unidentified people in Rajanpur. Four officials were injured in the ambush.

A prominent figure in the Houbara Foundation told this correspondent on the condition of anonymity that the Arab dignitaries spent Rs140 million every year for their protection and provision of better services during their hunting tour.

REPORT: The Punjab government has sought a detailed report on the constituencies, which fall in the tribal area of Dera Ghazi Khan tehsil, it is learnt on Wednesday.

Report said the government had sought report on the national and provincial assemblies' constituencies.

When this correspondent contacted the tribal area political assistant, he declined to comment.

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