KARACHI: At least 25 special permits have been issued to dignitaries belonging to the Arabian peninsula allowing them to hunt the internationally protected houbara bustard during the hunting season 2011-2012, it was learnt on Saturday.

Sources said almost half of the 25 permits — 12 to be precise — had been issued to men from the United Arab Emirates.

Hunters from the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Bahrain received seven and five permits, respectively.

However, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the largest and the richest country in the region, received just one permit as against the usual two that it used to get earlier, the sources said.

The permit holders include at least three rulers, many crown princes, and other members of royal families. A few commoners have also been granted the special hunting permits.

Only the person specified in the permit could hunt the houbara for 10 days through falconry only and the bag limit being 100 birds, says the code of conduct issued with the hunting permits by the foreign ministry.

The houbara bustard is a very shy bird species and inhabits arid areas away from human population, but at least one of the permit holders, belonging to Qatar, has been allocated the city of Dadu in Sindh for hunting.

The names of the permit holders and the areas allocated to them are:

Abu Dhabi

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi: Areas allocated to him in Punjab include districts of Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan; in Sindh districts of Sukkur, Ghotki, Nawabshah, Sanghar and in Balochistan districts of Zhob, Ormara, Gwadar, Jhal Magsi (excluding subdivision Gandava), Pasni, Kharan (excluding Nag Dara breeding area), Panjgur and Washuk.

Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, deputy prime minister of the UAE, has been allocated Khairpur district including Kot Digi (not across Nara Canal) in Sindh.

General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE armed forces, has been allowed to go hunting in Tehsil Lehri of Sibi district (Domki area only) in Balochistan.

Ruler’s representative in the western region of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan: Tehsil Lehri of Sibi district (excluding Domki area), Old Katchi and Sani Shoran of district Bolan in Balochistan; and Tehsils Khairpur Nathan Shah, GhaibiDero, Shahdadkot, Khairpur (area across Nara canal), Johi and Union council Fareedabad in Dadu district in Sindh.

A member of the ruling family, Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan: Qila Saifullah district, including Kar Khurassan (excluding sub division Muslim Bagh) in Balochistan.

Dubai

UAE Vice President and Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum: Khuzdar and Lasbella districts in Balochistan and Muzaffargarh district in Punjab.

Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum: Bhakhar district in Punjab and Jamshoro district in Sindh.

Dubai Deputy Ruler and Finance Minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum: Bahawalpur district, including Tehsil Fort Abbas of Bahawalnagar district in Punjab.

Deputy chief of police and general security of Dubai and member of ruling family Major General Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum: Districts of Umerkot and Tharparkar, including Mithi and Nagarparkar (excluding protected area).

A member of the royal family, Sheikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Maktoum: District Badin, Jung Shahi in Thatta district and Dhabeji in district Malir.

Major General Sheikh Al-Mur bin Maktoum Al- Maktoum: District Jhang in Punjab.

Nasir Abdullah Lootah has been allocated District Thatta (excluding tehsils Shah Bander and Jung Shahi).Qatar

Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani: Bahawalnagar (excluding Fort Abbas tehsil) in Punjab.

Heir apparent of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani: Jacobabad district in Sindh.

Ex-heir apparent of Qatar Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani: Barkhan district in Balochistan.

Prime minister and foreign minister of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani: Muslimbagh subdivision of QilaSaifullah district in Balochistan.

Brother of the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani: Loralai district (excluding Duki area) in Balochistan.

A member of the royal family, Sheikh Khalid bin Thani Al Thani: Layyah district in Punjab and Dadu city in Sindh.

A member of the supreme council of the royal family of Qatar, Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah Thani Al-Thani: Turbat district in Balochistan.

Bahrain

Uncle of the King of Bahrain Sheikh Ebrahim bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa: Mastung district in Balochistan.

Bahrain Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Marshal Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa: Gandava subdivision of Jhal Magsi district in Balochistan.

Adviser to the king on defence affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Salman Al Khalifa: Jati tehsil of Thatta district in Sindh.

A member of the royal family, Sheikh Ahmed bin Ali Al Khalifa: Hyderabad district with Matiari in Sindh.

Another member the royal family, Sheikh Mohammad bin Hamad Al Khalifa: Malir district (excluding Malir cantonment and Dhabeji areas).

Saudi Arabia

Brother of Khadim Harmain Al-Sharifain Crown Prince Naif bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, who is interior minister, has been allocated districts of Chaghai, Noshki (excluding Noshki city), Dera Bugti, Dera Murad Jamali, Nasirabad, Jaffarabad, Awaran and Duki in Loralai district in Balochistan and Khushab, Vehari, Multan (Shujabad tehsil), Mianwali and Sargodha districts in Punjab.