Special squads to crack down on illegal hunting

Influential people in Gujranwala district illegally hunted wild ducks and harassed wildlife department staff

LAHORE: The Punjab Park and Wildlife Protection Department has decided to crack down on those involved in illegally hunting rare birds and animals in the province.

Two special squads have been formed to take indiscriminate action against poachers. Constituted under the supervision of wildlife officials, each squad will have one an inspector, four watchers and a driver.

The decision was taken a few days after influential people of the Qadirabad area in Gujranwala district illegally hunted wild ducks and harassed wildlife department staff.

Reportedly, wildlife staff caught Danish Azeem Butt, who was previously nominated as honorary district game warden in Gujranwala, illegally hunting ducks at Head Qadirabad Game Reserve. Butt also threatened staff with dire consequences while brandishing a weapon and escaped with the birds he had hunted down.

Punjab Parks and Wildlife Protection Department Director General Sohail Ashraf called an emergency meeting over the weekend. During the meeting, it was decided that special squads will be formed to curb illegal hunting in the province.

Further, it was decided that Lahore Zoo Director Hassan Ali Sukhera will head both the squads. In addition, he will also submit a weekly report to the wildlife director general, detailing the action taken against poachers.

The director general stated that field officials across the province have been directed to cooperate with the squads. “The district wildlife officers and deputy directors will be penalised for incompetence if the squads conduct an operation against those illegally hunting in their area,” he stressed.

In the past, the department’s negligence and its employees were the major causes of illegal hunting of animals and birds in the province.

Every year, the department issues hunting licenses which rake in a revenue of approximately Rs15 million.

The licenses issued by the department allow the hunting of pheasants, houbara bustards, partridges, ducks and Chinkara deer. A large number of national and international hunters regularly participate in the events organised by the department.

Several well-known individuals have been caught hunting illegally during recent months. Former Punjab chief minister Ghulam Mustafa Khar was among them. Meanwhile, close companions of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar also face illegal hunting charges in Dera Ghazi Khan.