Nisar issues guidelines for foreign hunters

Foreign delegations need to submit details 72 hours before arrival

ISLAMABAD: Following hue and cry over the hunting of houbura bustards, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has approved Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for foreign delegations and their accompanying staff who visit Pakistan for hunting purposes.

The formulated SOPs have been forwarded to concerned ministries, foreign embassies in Pakistan and Pakistani foreign missions abroad.

Under these SOPs advance information of the accompanying staff of foreign delegations visiting Pakistan for hunting purposes would be submitted to all relevant departments by Foreign Affairs Ministry a week before their arrival.



The arrival information to Pakistan of the foreign guests and important dignitaries would be submitted to the relevant departments at least 72 hours before their arrival.

These SOPs also identified the landing strips for the foreign flights which would arrive in the country for hunting purposes.

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Customs, and local administration would make sure that on specific landing strips the facilities of immigration, customs, security and other facilities are provided.

This is pertinent to mention here that on the orders of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan granting visa under the guise of ‘landing permit’ has already been suspended and it is mandatory for foreigners to obtain visa for arrival in Pakistan.

Under these newly formulated SOPs, no foreigner would be allowed to enter Pakistan without visa and completing immigration process.

Legal action would be taken against those who attempt to enter into the country without a visa and completing the immigration process. The legal action into this context which would be taken against them also includes arrest.

The officials of FIA would immediately provide all details of every flight after clearance to the Ministry of Interior, the SOPs contains. Every relevant department would appoint focal persons under these SOPs.

Taking note of visa irregularities and breach of security protocols by the advance teams and accompanying staff of various hunting parties especially from the Middle East, the interior minister on April 18 had ordered the interior ministry, FIA and Civil Aviation to put in place an effective system for streamlining and checking any breach of law.



Chaudhry Nisar had ordered the ministry to identify all airports and landing strips in the country where delegations arrive for hunting purpose, devise SOPs for immigration and customs clearance at the places lacking  these facilities and also to evolve a robust mechanism of information sharing among the immigration department, interior ministry and the aviation division.

The FIA, civil aviation and Ministry of Interior were asked to ensure that no plane is allowed to land in the country without prior clearance of Interior Ministry.

The Supreme Court had imposed a ban on hunting of the endangered bird, Houbara bustard in Auguest 2015 but later in January last year lifted the ban.