A Pakistani court today ordered cancellation of permits to foreigners, including Arab royals, hunting for a rare bird that conservationist warn is at the risk of extinction in the southwestern Balochistan province.
The Balochistan High Court (BHC) issued the order on petitions filed by two citizens, who challenged the hunting of the houbara bustards and other birds by Arab royals in the province.
The federal government had in 2012 issued 29 special permits to royal families and Arab officials for hunting the internationally-protected bird species in Balochistan and other provinces.
Justice Jamal Mandokhail and Justice Ejaz Swati in their verdict said it was illegal for Arab royals or other foreigners to hunt houbara bustards and other endangered birds.
"The hunting is illegal and violates the International Wild Life Conservation Convention," said Justice Mandokhail.
During the hunting season, royal families from Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia come to Balochistan's Dalbandin, Chaghi and other areas for hunting.
Earlier this year, a Saudi prince poached over 2,100 houbara bustards in a 21-day hunting safari in Chagai, Balochistan, resulting in an international outcry.
The number of houbaras, considered to be at risk of extinction by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, have fallen dramatically in recent decades.
The elusive bird migrates each winter from central Asia to Pakistan's warmer climes. Pakistan gives special licences to Arab rulers and senior officials for hunting the rare bird.
The endangered species have been almost wiped out on the Arabian peninsula and various countries in the region, including the UAE.
