Crane hunting: govt lifts ban but multiplies tax by 10

LAKKI MARWAT: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has lifted the ban on crane hunting but the tax has been increased up to 10 times.
Talking to The News here on Thursday, Crane Welfare Society President Abdul Wahab said that taking notice of the media reports, Imran Khan had directed the secretary wildlife to lift the ban on the crane hunting.
He said the chief minister’s advisors Malik Shah Muhammad Khan and Malik Qasim came to the striking camp of the society at Gandi Chowk on Indus Highway the other day and announced lifting of the ban on the crane hunting for two weeks.
He said that both the leaders also warned the authorities concerned to stop the operation against the crane hunters, otherwise action would be taken against them.
He said provincial Minister for Wildlife Ishtiaq Urmar had also directed the secretary to follow the directives of the party chief regarding lifting of ban.
Abdul Wahab said: “The notification for lifting the ban on the crane hunting has been released on Thursday but charges for the hunting have swollen 10 times.”
He said the bureaucracy was trying to create negative image of the PTI-led government among people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and resorted to these tactics.
Abdul Wahab said that earlier each pair of cranes was used to be charged Rs20 but later in the cabinet decision the fee was enhanced up to Rs100 per pair while now the bureaucracy has increased the fee to Rs300 per pair.
He said the camp fee was Rs500 and later the cabinet increased it up to Rs1500 while now the bureaucracy has enhanced it up to Rs5,000 in spring season and Rs3,000 in fall.
He claimed that they had been hunting the cranes for breeding, rather than killing or slaughtering, adding that he had 270 cranes of various species, which were bred at home.