Arab sheikhs who have been given a ‘licence to kill’ 3,300 birds officially.
KARACHI: For many of these peaceful birds arriving in Pakistan this winter, it would be the last journey they would ever undertake. Waiting to ambush and annihilate this magnificent gift of nature are Arab sheikhs, who have been given a ‘licence to kill’ 3,300 birds officially and many more thousands unofficially. As a citizen of Pakistan, I protest against the government’s illegal and unethical action of providing licences to sheikhs from the Gulf region, as the houbara bustard is an internationally-protected migratory bird, whose hunting is banned under various local and international conservation laws.
I appeal to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo-motu notice on the following issues relating to the hunting of the endangered houbara bustards: 1) Cancellation of all houbara hunting licences issued for 2013-14; 2) Restraining the Gulf sheikhs from hunting birds and animals in Pakistan; 3) Arrest and prosecution of Foreign Office officials for illegal issuance of 33 licences (100 birds each) for the hunting of an internationally-protected migratory bird; 4) A complete ban on issuing of all houbara hunting licences to Gulf dignitaries as well as Pakistani hunters; 5) All vehicles left behind by Gulf sheikhs which, for years, keep plying Pakistani roads with foreign number plates be confiscated and brought under the Pakistani vehicle registration system.
Naeem Sadiq
Published in The Express Tribune, December 3rd, 2013.
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