Falcons for hunting: Endangered present for Saudi prince

Gilani allows Balochistan CM to quietly send protected species of falcon to Prince Fahad Bin Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has allowed Balochistan Chief Minister Aslam Raisani to quietly send six protected species of falcon to Governor of Tabuk, Prince Fahad Bin Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz.

The prime minister is believed to have used his discretionary powers in complete violation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, to which Pakistan is a signatory, according to which such kind of export is totally banned in all forms, both at the national and international levels. After taking the decision unilaterally, premier Gilani took the approval of his cabinet members in the last meeting to provide a cover to his extraordinary decision.

The prime minister wrote that this was a one-time dispensation and should not be quoted as a precedent. But, in a smart move, he also directed commerce ministry to send a summary to the cabinet to endorse his one-month-old decision and give post facto approval.

According to official documents available with The Express Tribune, chief minister Balochistan wrote a letter no. PS-CM 1-3/2010/BHI/448 to Prime Minister Gilani with the request to allow him transportation of six falcons to the Saudi prince. Raisani said he wanted to send these falcons as a goodwill gesture.

The prime minister’s secretariat (public) however sent the chief minister’s letter for comments to the commerce ministry and the Federal Board of Revenue before placing the matter before Prime Minister Gilani.

The commerce ministry wrote back to the prime minister’s secretariat that these falcons were protected species and were listed in Appendix –II of the CITES (Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species) to which Pakistan was a signatory.

The ministry of commerce went one step further and wrote, “Transportation of falcon to Saudi Arabia can only be allowed by giving a special permission by invoking para 5 of the import policy order. In view of the recent unfavorable reports, this ministry does not favour that option.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2011.