Amid ban, Pakistani falcons all set to fly to Qatar

While the government has allowed the sale of the endangered bird, Pakistan Customs restrict the transaction

LAHORE: Despite signing agreements with different international bodies to ban hunting with falcons at home, the Pakistani government has allowed hundreds of birds to be taken to the Gulf States to please the Arab allies. However, Pakistan Customs restricted the transaction to 12 birds, that too upon the issuance of a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Ministry Of Climate Change.

According to sources, despite a ban on hunting using birds of prey, the annual sale and purchase of falcons have crossed the value of Rs10 billion.

With their long, tapered wings, falcons have exceptional flight capabilities.PHOTO: AFP

Details further revealed that Pakistan has been giving permission to the royal families of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Qatar to visit different parts of the country for hunting trips. For the purpose, birds of prey like hawks and falcons are used to primarily hunt Houbara Bustards – an endangered species of birds threatened with extinction.

Sources said that the Embassy of Qatar in Pakistan requested the government to allow taking more 200 hawks from Pakistan to Qatar for the personal use of the Ameer of Qatar. The Federal Foreign Ministry, on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan, processed the request without any qualms.

Pakistan allows shipping of 150 falcons to UAE despite hunting ban

As a result, the foreign ministry’s deputy chief of protocol sent a circular to the customs department as well as the department of wildlife to facilitate the Qatar Embassy in sending the falcons to Doha.

Sources said that when the Qatar Embassy tried to send 12 falcons to Doha, custom officials at the Islamabad and Lahore Airport raised an objection, saying that the birds cannot be taken out of Pakistan without obtaining an NOC from the Ministry of Climate Change owing to a ban on the export of falcons.

Meanwhile, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature Pakistan (WWF), which is a subordinate body of the United Nations, has expressed strong reservations about the government’s move to allow taking falcons outside of Pakistan because of their endangered status.

According to Pakistani laws, the use of falcons for hunting is banned throughout the country, a violation of which can incur rigorous imprisonment up to two years, along with a fine of Rs1 million. Nonetheless, the illegal sale and purchase of the bird have been continuing in the country unabated.

There are three types of falcons in Pakistan, including royal white falcon (Bahri), the saker falcon (Charagh) and the royal falcon (Shahbaz). The Shahbaz and Bahri falcons are found in the coastal areas of the country, while Charaghs dwell in the mountainous regions. Moreover, certain rare species of falcons also migrate to Pakistan during specific seasons, which also end up being used for the notorious sport of hunting.

Spain has an age-old tradition of falconry dating back to the Middle Ages when it was introduced by the Visigoths and the Arabs.PHOTO: AFP

Per sources, Peshawar has the largest illegal market for falcons in Pakistan, whereas the second-biggest market is situated in Kashmore, Sindh.

Pakistani laws say that if any falcons are taken outside of the country, it is mandatory to obtain a passport for the bird, together with NOCs from the departments concerned. However, many falcons are purchased from the illegal market and sent to the Gulf States through alternatives routes, including the sea route from the coastal areas of Kashmore. Sources have revealed that some influential countries also use their diplomatic links to bypass the Pakistan Customs and easily take the falcons to their countries from Pakistan.