A senior official of the Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) was suspended on Tuesday after he confiscated migratory birds trapped by poachers in Badin district.
Poachers backed by local politicians had trapped over 150 migratory birds, including ducks, pintails, mallards, and others. The poachers were en route Badin city when they were stopped near the city and some 167 migratory birds were rescued from their possession.
One of the three poachers intercepted by the wildlife department managed to escape and tried to stop an SWD official near Panjah Morri.
"The man along with another aid wanted to snatch birds and nets," said suspended inspector Ali Mohammad Nizamani.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Nizamani said that after a verbal confrontation, he, along with his team reached Haleji Lake, Thatta district, and released all trapped birds in the natural environment without any delay.
The incident took place on Sunday, and on Tuesday, the SWD head office suspended Nizamani claiming 'negligence of the government duty'.
"I have not received any letter as yet but have been informed about the suspension orders," said Nizamani. "I haven't done anything wrong," he insisted. "I will continue my duty with the same spirit if I resume it. No one can stop me."
In the past two weeks, over two dozen poachers have been arrested and dozens of birds and trapping nets have been recovered from different areas of Badin district.
Badin district is one of the last destinations along Sindh's coastal belt where thousands of migratory birds arrive each year. Seasonal hunters and poachers have been trapping these birds and selling them in markets openly for years.
"We regularly recover birds and trapping nets," Nizamani disclosed. "[Though] politicians try to influence us to get relief for their voters," he added.
Sources told The Express Tribune that one of the sitting members of the Sindh cabinet was behind the suspension of Nizamani.
"People are freely hunting migratory birds and this is because of the negligence of wildlife officials," commented a local resident of Badin city, Ali Asghar. "You can easily purchase birds and gift them to your friends in other cities," he added, saying many people adopt hunting as their main source of income.
Multiple attempts were made to contact SWD officials for comment but none were available.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 14th, 2020.
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