Villagers in Tharparkar catch illegal hunters

Villagers from the Ranglio area of Tharparkar staged a protest against illegal hunting in Mithi city on Tuesday after catching three hunters who had killed seven deers. 

The protestors took the Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) to task over its inaction despite several complaints registered earlier against the practice.

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“No one listens to our concerns,” one of the villagers said.

“We could protect our wildlife better than the government [SWD],” added another, alleging that the administration was in on it as well.

An SWD official reportedly reached the scene, as the villagers expressed their grievances.

“An FIR should be registered and SWD officials should be suspended,” demanded the protestors as they claimed that the hunters had also opened fire on the villagers when they tried to stop them.

One of the hunters, identified as Abdul Ghani, was tied up by the protestors. Speaking to the media, he admitted that he and four others had been hunting deer when they were caught by the villagers. He also stated that two of his accomplices had managed to escape.

While speaking to The Express Tribune, SWD provincial head Javed Ahmed Mahar said that an inquiry had been initiated and legal action was being taken against the illegal hunters.

"No one is allowed to hunt deer anywhere in Sindh. Our law does not permit that," he said.

It may be noted that as of February 2017, hunting of deer and birds has been prohibited in a 940-kilometre wide area of Tharparkar.