Councillor threatens officials for arresting hunters in DI Khan

PESHAWAR: A councillor allegedly hurled threats at the officials of the Wildlife Department for not allowing illegal hunting in Prova area in Dera Ismail Khan, sources said on Tuesday.
The sources said that the officials of the Wildlife Department arrested three hunters identified as Asmatullah, Abdul Hameed and Abdur Razzaq for hunting falcons in Kaheri Band area. “A local councillor Amiruallah called us and threatened of dire consequences for arresting his men,” an official said.
He added that the accused were being patronised by the councillor as they were hunting for him who had taken their national identity cards (CNICs) and given them money.
Meanwhile, Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) Dera Ismail Khan Abdul Halim Marwat said that after the arrest of the accused, they were produced in the court of the magistrate on duty who asked them to produce guarantors but they failed to find any guarantor and the judge sent them to prison. He made it clear that the crackdown against the illegal hunting of the Siberian birds and falcons would continue in the area. “The Supreme Court last month banned falcons and falconry in its judgment against illegal hunting of Habra bustard in Pakistan,” he added.