SC imposes ban on houbara bustard hunting

Cancels all existing permits issued by the government

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday imposed a ban on the hunting of endangered birds and ordered the cancelation of all existing permits issued by the government.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Justice Jawad S Khawaja dismissed all pleas filed by the federal and Balochistan governments seeking formal permission to validate the hunting of houbara bustard, a rare bird that has been on the list of threatened species.

The judges were hearing a petition filed by Aamir Zahoorul Haq, who had requested the court to restrain the foreign affairs ministry and the wildlife department from issuing permits for hunting of the endangered birds. The petitioner claimed that the government had issued permits despite a ban on hunting of the houbara bustard.

“Following the 18th Constitutional amendment, the rights to issue such licences rest with the provincial governments,” the three-judge bench said during the hearing.  In his remarks, the chief justice said that “These birds are our assets.”

In its ruling last year, the Balochistan High Court cancelled all permits granted to foreigners – including Arab royals – for hunting the rare bird. The court also had cancelled all allotments of areas to the royal families for hunting.

Earlier this year, the federal and provincial governments filed appeals, challenging the judgment. However, in September 2014 the petitioner approached the Supreme Court against issuance of illegal hunting permits to royal visitors from Gulf countries for hunting houbara bustard, locally known as Tiloor.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Justice Dost Muhammad Khan raised questions over the federal government’s authority to issue such permits.

Defending the government, Additional Attorney General Amir Rehman, argued that the licences were issued to dignitaries from Gulf States to strengthen foreign relations. Citing international reports, he contended that the houbara bustard was not an endangered species.

The licences were issued to royals from Arab countries not only against the Pakistan laws, but also against international treaties that Pakistan honours as a signatory, Justice Qazi Faez Isa retorted. Subsequently, issuing a short order in the petitioner’s favour the court dismissed all pleas opposing restriction on the hunting of houbara bustard in the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2015.