Punjab wildlife dept, Lahore zoo told to file comments on purchase of mona monkeys

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday issued notices to the Punjab wildlife and parks department, Lahore zoo management and others on a petition seeking an inquiry into an alleged import of mona monkey, a monkey species native to western Africa, in the country.

The petitioner, Nasir Khan, proprietor of Nasir trading, submitted in the petition that a private company had approached him for arrangement of 16 mona monkeys for Afghanistan which he provided to their authorised dealer in Afghanistan.

He alleged that such Mona monkeys were then allegedly smuggled to Pakistan by the private respondent who later handed them over to the Lahore zoo management. He submitted that the respondent did not make payment of monkeys which he brought to Afghanistan for breeding purposes but illegally smuggled to Pakistan.

The petitioner submitted that the private respondent had committed an offence under the Custom laws and breached the provisions of the Pakistan Trade Control of Wild Fauna and Flora Act.

He alleged that the private respondents did not treat the monkeys properly, resultantly some of them died due to lack of proper care andquarantine. The high court was requested to direct the federal government and Punjab wildlife department to conduct an inquiry with regard to the award of bid in favour of the private respondent for providing mona monkeys to the Lahore zoo and cancel the NOCs after taking necessary penal action against the private respondent.

A division bench of the high court headed by Justice Arshad Hussain Khan after a preliminary hearing of the petition issued notices to the Punjab wildlife department, Lahore zoo and others and called their comments on August 15.