Corruption asserted: Two chinkaras stolen from park

BAHAWALPUR:

Police said on Wednesday that two chinkara deers had been stolen from Lal Sohanra National Park on Monday.

They said a case had been registered against three gardeners for stealing the animals on the complaint of Muhammad Ishaq, a driver.

Park officials told The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity that workers routinely stole animals from the park at the behest of senior officials. They said cases were commonly registered against them when the thefts were discovered to fix the records. Officials said Wildlife Assistant Director Mujahid Kaleem had been bribed by some hunters to pilfer deer from the park.

Dozens of people from Abbasnagar staged a protest demonstration against the director and asked him to be relieved of his duties. Kaleem rejected the allegations. He said a case had been registered against those suspected of stealing the deer. PM Nawaz Sharif had gifted the Chinkaras to the park a few years ago.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30^th, 2014.