Markhor hunting: PHC asks govt to allocate funds for wildlife protection

Peshawar High Court directs finance department to allocate a reasonable budget on a regular basis.

PESHAWAR:

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday directed the chief conservator of Chitral Gol National Park to immediately send a summary regarding release of funds which will be used to equip wildlife watchers with arms to stop illegal hunting.

The court also ordered the Ministry of Finance to give the issue importance and regularly allocate a reasonable budget to the wildlife department to prevent it from lacking basic necessities when protecting wildlife.

The orders were issued by a division bench comprising PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Musarrat Hilali while hearing a suo motu notice taken on reports submitted by the PHC Human Rights Cell stating influential persons had illegally killed a Markhor on February 27.

During the last hearing held on March 12, the court ordered the deputy commissioner (DC) and district police officials to arrest the poachers and produce them in court by April 10.

On Wednesday, the chief conservator told the bench only four watchmen had been performing duties over the park’s total 7,000 acre area.



He further said a summary had been sent to the finance department for approval of funds so that the number of watchers could be increased, but no response has yet been received.

The chief conservator added the wildlife department had been making consistent efforts to protect the district’s endangered species. He claimed proof of the department’s commitment lay in the fact that the number of Markhors had increased from 195 in 1991 to 1,364 last year.

The bench later asked the chief conservator to send another summary for allocation of funds and directed the ministry of finance to determine a reasonable budget for the department.

On February 20, some unidentified hunters escaped after shooting a Markhor – said to be worth Rs9.5 million – in the Birmoghlasht Mountains of Chitral. People recovered the animal’s horns and skin, but the shooters managed to escape with the carcass.

A larger species of wild goat, Markhor is the national animal of Pakistan and is found in the country’s northern parts. Besides Pakistan, it is also found in northeastern Afghanistan, Indian Kashimir, southern Tajikistan and southern Uzbekistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 11^th, 2013.