11 Greek partridges, 8 monkeys seized as crackdown begins on illegal trade in Rawalpindi

Two traders illegally selling animals taken into custody and awarded a 15-day jail term

RAWALPINDI: The Wild Life Department on Tuesday kicked off a crack down against illegally selling animals in Rawalpindi.

The team raided the bird market on College Road in which they confiscated eight monkeys, 11 Greek partridge and a black partridge.

Moreover, two culprits, identified as Naveed and Sartaj, have also been taken into custody.

During the court hearing, Civil Judge Sumera Alamgir sentenced the suspects to 15 days behind bars.

Wild life authorities told The Express Tribune that action is being taken against those keeping, hunting and selling animals on a daily basis.



The animals confiscated in the raid have been released into the Islamabad's Pir Sohawa forests.

Rizwana Aziz, district officer of the Wild Life Department who supervised the operation, said the government had given strict directives for protecting these animals.

She added that under no circumstances would permission be given to to sell wild animals.

The wild life officer said that imported monkeys and partridges had been hidden inside shops.

The animals, Rizwana said, were being kept only for 'special customers' and city-wide action being taken against those vendors.