Pakistan

Watch: Smuggled falcon refuses to let go of Imran Khan

Twitter has a field day as video shows PTI chiarman releasing endangered birds in Peshawar

Web Desk November 03, 2015

PHOTO: PTI

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government seems to be on the forefront of a crackdown on illegal hunting and smuggling of rare birds as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan was filmed releasing Saker falcons on Tuesday.

In a video released on Twitter, the PTI chairman is seen releasing the endangered birds, initially with some difficulty, which were prevented from being smuggled to Karachi from Peshawar on Sunday.

Houbara bustard: K-P govt refuses hunting permits to royaltyldlife officials

PTI Chairman @ImranKhanPTI releases recovered falcons from smugglers at CM House Peshawar #KPKUpdates pic.twitter.com/xKk74XgKtd
— KP Updates (@KPKUpdates) November 3, 2015

The PTI chairman released the falcons as K-P Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, Jahangir Tareen and other PTI leaders look on with glee.

While some praised the PTI chief, others took the opportunity to turn it around into commentary on the cricketer-turned-politician’s recent divorce.

“Fly, Reham. You are now free,” wrote one Twitter user.

'Fly, Reham. You are now free.' pic.twitter.com/FgQ6AyH3wH
— Rimmel Mohydin (@Rimmel_Mohydin) November 3, 2015

Another said, “Birds just keep clinging to Immy Bhai, no matter how much he tries to get rid of them.”

'Birds just keep clinging to Immy Bhai, no matter how much he tries to get rid of them.' https://t.co/7pCWzE47ZD
— Hasan Zaidi (@hyzaidi) November 3, 2015

Earlier, a tweet said the PTI chairman would release the falcons in air.

#PTI Chairman @ImranKhanPTI reaches CM House, Peshawar. Will release smuggled falcons in the wild. pic.twitter.com/dYhBYVE47k
— PTI (@PTIofficial) November 3, 2015

At least two Saker falcons were prevented from being smuggled to Karachi from the city on Sunday. “The birds were netted in Afghanistan and were then smuggled to Peshawar,” Wildlife Sub-divisional Forest Officer Sardar Ali told The Express Tribune.

Caught mid-flight: 22 rare Saker falcons seized by wildlife officials

“The owner was trying to transport the falcons to Karachi where buyers from Gulf countries gather to buy these illegally netted birds of prey.” He added the pair seized is worth at least Rs6 million and was found in a house in Ittehad Colony in the city. “The smuggler has been arrested.”

Peshawar is considered the biggest black market of Saker falcons in the world; they are falcons mainly used in Arab falconry.

COMMENTS (18)

Nouman | 8 years ago | Reply @Uzair: I respect your opinion. The point I want to make here is that everyone has different thresholds for every aspect of his/her life. IK may not have been very good in dealing with his marriage but that doesn't mean that he would have been a corrupt politician. Tell me a name of single person who is 100% sincere with his country, talking about Pakistanis. Even Einstein talks about relativity I have my opinion that makes me feel that IK is relatively way better than all other our respected politicians.

Dervaish Khan | 9 years ago | Reply Thanks God that the falcons were not siezed by punjab govt otherwise, they would have been in captivity at Raiwend palace or on the way to Riadh

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Spooky | 9 years ago | Reply Some how Birds just love IK.

AA | 9 years ago | Reply @abdullah: Falcons live on higher structures, in cities of hills. They hunt birds, rodents and other small animals. In US cities Peregrine falcons are a common site. These falcons were not need to be taken to the wild to release, they are very good flyers and find their way around. For Mr. Ch. Allah Daad, tamed or untamed, a wild animal caught in the wild will always return to its natural hunting habits, only animals or birds born in captivity lack the survival skills learned from their parents. Taming does not take those skills away, it only subjugate them for a while.

abdullah | 9 years ago | Reply @mad.falcons dont live in grassy areas.its like i will leave you in the middle of the ocean and claim you drink water so you can live all your life there.imran is always short of sense please dont be senseless like him.only support if its right.never be a slave to a politician.

bilal | 9 years ago | Reply Good to see that we have a humane Gov't in KPK

AFK | 9 years ago | Reply First positive and bold move from any celebrity in right direction to rescue felcons in pakistan from exintingtion. I hope this move would be appreciated by everyone rather than painting it also into a political debate or for petty personal gain.

xulfjan | 9 years ago | Reply @Ch. Allah Daad: chudry sahib, may be good idea to come up with really a smart one from you!

Ch. Allah Daad | 9 years ago | Reply Once Falcons are scared and tamed by humans they cannot survive in wild. Smugglers will follow them and capture them once again. Stupid drama.

Raisani | 9 years ago | Reply It's called more loyal than the king himself.

Im the Dim | 9 years ago | Reply @Adam: That would require a brain. When did Im the dim have one of those?

Usman | 9 years ago | Reply @Adam: Less pathetic than killing them, or your comment for that matter, or the political stunt providing unwanted shadow to Lahoris in the form of Metro flyovers, or the Metro ISB political stunt. Do you want me to go on?

Uzair | 9 years ago | Reply I have not been a fan of IK due to his pandering to the right wing apologists and the murderous thugs called the TTP, but this is a good move and I laud the wildlife protection steps being taken. Making snide remarks on his private life is just not sporting behavior, and even as an opponent of Khan I want to register my anger at these twitter users for their insensitive comments.

MAD | 9 years ago | Reply @Adam: Kindly take a look at the 2nd picture of the bird in flight. It was released in a grassy area.

Adam | 9 years ago | Reply how pathetic this political stunt is?. Why release falcons in a city like Peshawer?. They should be released in wild or in forets.

Fahim | 9 years ago | Reply It was more loyal than you know who

Tribune | 9 years ago | Reply Well, for the first in my life, i can some reality to a proverb.. "A bird in hand is better than TWO in the Bush".. Anyways, precious entities must be preserved and govt shud take such steps on educate ppl on this matter.

ironMan! | 9 years ago | Reply thumbs up.

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