Prince fined Rs80,000 for illegally possessing falcons

ISLAMABAD: Strictly toeing the wildlife laws, the Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (PK) government Tuesday fined a Qatari prince Rs80,000 for illegally possessing three falcons in Dera Ismail Khan (DIK).
PTI Chairman Imran Khan himself tweeted the information Tuesday afternoon stating, “A Qatari prince is fined Rs80,000 by KP Min of Environment on being caught with 3 falcons in DI Khan. Diff between Naya Pak & Old Pak.”
In his another tweet, Imran Khan criticized the PML-N govt saying: “PTI KP govt protects rare species of Pak while PML-N govt gives licenses to hunt & capture the same against laws.”An official of the KP Ministry of Environment confided to The News that Arab hunters cannot carry falcons more than the designated quota and they have to show passports of their hunting birds, which carry microchips in their bodies so that they cannot be swapped with another on return.
He said these hunters used to buy falcons from Pakistan on their arrival in hunting season but after an official ban on their sale local agents have been left with no option but to sell falcons to these hunters in their respective countries.
The official also pointed out that benefiting from re-export facility most of the foreign hunters bring in old or sick falcons and then swap them with younger ones for hunting expeditions and eventually take them to their respective countries on return.
The sources claimed that each falcon is issued a passport but it is not a ‘daunting’ task for hunters to use it for some other one while leaving Pakistan and rings fixed around necks of falcons can also be taken off and put on other birds.
They said local poachers trap falcons from various areas of KP and wait for foreign hunters who on their arrival in Pakistan buy and swap these birds with those brought from their countries.
It is pertinent to mention here that various species of falcons including Saker and Peregrine falcons are facing extinction at the hands of those who trap and sell them for huge financial gains.
When contacted, KP Minister for Information Mushtaq Ghani told The News that the government officials performed their duty without keeping in mind the status of the dignitary that was found having three falcons in Dera Ismail Khan.
Surprisingly, when this correspondent asked him the name of the prince who was fined, the KP information minister said: “Just give me few minutes and I would let you know the name and other details about the prince.” However, later he could not be reached till the filing of this report.