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Special permits for hunting houbara issued to Qatari Emir, Bahrain King & royals

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KARACHI: The federal government has issued special permits to Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani and nine other members of the royal family to hunt the internationally protected houbara bustard during the 2019-20 hunting season, it has been learnt here reliably.

Among the permit holders are the emir’s uncle, his brother and other dignitaries of the tiny country located on the northern side of the Arabian peninsula along the coast of the Gulf. The allotted hunting areas are spread over three provinces — Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab — of the country.

The hunters can hunt 100 houbara bustards in a 10-day safari during the three-month hunting season between Nov 1, 2019 and Jan 31, 2020. The permit is person-specific.

Originally the inhabitant of the colder central Asian region, the houbara bustard, in order to avoid harsh weather conditions in its habitat, migrates southwards to spend the winter in a relatively warm environment here every year.

Keeping in view its dwindling population the migratory bird is not only protected under various international nature conservation treaties but its hunting is also banned under local wildlife protection laws. Pakistanis are not allowed to hunt this bird.

The federal government, however, specially invites royal Arab hunters to hunt it every year.

The sources said that according to the hunting permits issued by the foreign ministry’s deputy chief of protocol, Mohammad Adeel Pervaiz, the names of the Qatari hunters and the areas allocated to them are: Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani has been allocated the hunting areas in three provinces. The areas are Tharparkar district, including Mithi and Nagarparkar minus the protected area in Sindh; Mashkhel tehsil in Balochistan, and Jhang and Layyah districts in Punjab.

A former deputy prime minister Sheikh Mohammad bin Khalifa al Thani, who is also a brother of the father of the emir of Qatar, has been allocated district Loralai (less Duki area) in Balochistan.

Sheikh Jasim bin Hamad al Thani, who is a son of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani (father of the emir), has been given Musakhel and Drug tehsils in Musakhel district and Sani Shoran tehsil in Kachhi district in Balochistan.

A royal family member, Sheikh Fasil bin Nasser bin Hamad al Thani, has been allotted Diplo tehsil in Tharparkar district in Sindh and Qila Saifullah district, including Kakar Khurassan and Qamar Din Karez, in Balochistan. Another member of the royal family, Sheikh Khalid bin Thani al Thani, has been given Dadu city in Sindh to hunt the protected bird.

A ruling family member, Sheikh Fahad bin Abdul Rehman bin Hamad al Thani, has been allocated Mirpurkhas district in Sindh. Sheikh Mohammad bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Thani has been given Barkhan district in Balochistan.

Sheikh Thani bin Abdul Aziz Al-Thani has been allotted Surab tehsil in Kalat district of Balochistan. Sheikh Fasil bin Qasim bin Faisal bin Thani al Thani has been given Dera Bugti district in Balochistan. Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah Thani al Thani has been given Kech/Turbat district in Balochistan.

The sources said that earlier when the ruling Tehreek-i-Insaf Pakistan party was in the opposition, it used to criticise the federal government over this issue and at that time did not allow houbara hunting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where it was in the provincial government.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1522656
 
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Nothing has changed after Imran Khan has come in power :facepalm:

He was against this practice when he was not in power and now after coming in power, he is doing the same thing :facepalm: Is there anybody to call him out on his hypocrisy? Does he still has any shame left? How can he see himself in mirror?
 
CricketCartoons said:
Houbara meat must be really tasty that sheikhs come all the way to hunt them.
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I don't believe birds which are shot out of the sky can be eaten anyway, as they would need the kalima recited during ritual slaughter. Although with the sheikhs halal and haram might be different to our understanding so would need confirmation.
 
Another new KingKhan arises. The value of royalty decreases with every one that enters the market.
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
I don't believe birds which are shot out of the sky can be eaten anyway, as they would need the kalima recited during ritual slaughter. Although with the sheikhs halal and haram might be different to our understanding so would need confirmation.
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Not true. Hunted animals are halal and you don’t need to slaughter them in the Islamic way.
 
srh said:
Nothing has changed after Imran Khan has come in power :facepalm:

He was against this practice when he was not in power and now after coming in power, he is doing the same thing :facepalm: Is there anybody to call him out on his hypocrisy? Does he still has any shame left? How can he see himself in mirror?
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He is the biggest fake in Pakistan history. A true con-artist.
 
Mamoon said:
Not true. Hunted animals are halal and you don’t need to slaughter them in the Islamic way.
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Well, I have read Allah’s name have to be mentioned while hunting, otherwise it is not halal if the bird dies.
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
I don't believe birds which are shot out of the sky can be eaten anyway, as they would need the kalima recited during ritual slaughter. Although with the sheikhs halal and haram might be different to our understanding so would need confirmation.
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Actually , when hunting you can recite Kalimah before pulling the trigger and t'd be considered halal.
 
IAJ said:
Well, I have read Allah’s name have to be mentioned while hunting, otherwise it is not halal if the bird dies.
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Yes. When you pull the trigger, you have to recite the kalimah or recite Allah’s (SWT) name or make an intention in your heart that you are hunting the animal for food.

However, if the animal is not dead by your shot, you have to slaughter it the proper way.
 
Captain caveman said:
Just out of curiousity, why cant you read kalimah before electric shocking a cow to death and then doing zeba to a dead cow?

Back on topic, hunting for pleasure is SICK!!
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Also, these arabs only want to hunt these birds because they are rare and could become extinct. Instead of helping theses birds to grow in population, Pakistan.is helping them to become extinct - DISGUSTING!
 
Shame on Pakistan government they will always remain, slaves.

Pathetic and disgusting to say the least.
 
dhump said:
Shame on Pakistan government they will always remain, slaves.

Pathetic and disgusting to say the least.
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It is disgusting, but not sure they are doing it because they are slaves. Western govts provide arms to Saudis which are used to gun down people never mind birds. They do it because of financial reasons, which is also what I suggested for Pakistan's reasoning. Are western govts slaves to the Arabs?
 
Captain caveman said:
Just out of curiousity, why cant you read kalimah before electric shocking a cow to death and then doing zeba to a dead cow?

Back on topic, hunting for pleasure is SICK!!
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No some friend but Islamic law about whats halal while hunting for food is a little different than slaughtering raised animals for food. I mean the prophet liked to hunt(for food mostly) and so did Sahabah.
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
It is disgusting, but not sure they are doing it because they are slaves. Western govts provide arms to Saudis which are used to gun down people never mind birds. They do it because of financial reasons, which is also what I suggested for Pakistan's reasoning. Are western govts slaves to the Arabs?
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What west do with Arabs cannot be compared to Pakistan they give them some leverage but keep them on a tight leash. Look at Pakistan where Imran Khan and his predecessors took dictation from Prince Salman etc one day and from some other Sheikh another day.

You can differentiate between a slave and a businessman.
 
dhump said:
What west do with Arabs cannot be compared to Pakistan they give them some leverage but keep them on a tight leash. Look at Pakistan where Imran Khan and his predecessors took dictation from Prince Salman etc one day and from some other Sheikh another day.

You can differentiate between a slave and a businessman.
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Of course, the main difference will be that a businessman will have a lot more financial resources so won't be as beholden to pressure of the $$. In that light, perhaps the slave label isn't so disgusting or pathetic as you implied. A slave will take a morsel of bread from the master just to stay alive, we wouldn't necessarily call the slave disgusting though.
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
Of course, the main difference will be that a businessman will have a lot more financial resources so won't be as beholden to pressure of the $$. In that light, perhaps the slave label isn't so disgusting or pathetic as you implied. A slave will take a morsel of bread from the master just to stay alive, we wouldn't necessarily call the slave disgusting though.
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Slave a person and slave a nation are two different things now recalculate all the labels in this new light of argument.
 
dhump said:
Slave a person and slave a nation are two different things now recalculate all the labels in this new light of argument.
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How would you like me to recalculate? Do you want me to wish away Pakistan's substantial debts which are often bankrolled by these Gulf arab countries? Do you have a proposal to pay the debts off so Pakistan can tell them where to stick their money?
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
How would you like me to recalculate? Do you want me to wish away Pakistan's substantial debts which are often bankrolled by these Gulf arab countries? Do you have a proposal to pay the debts off so Pakistan can tell them where to stick their money?
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If a nation is so much in debt that they cant make their own decisions than what will you call such a nation? I will call them slaves.

Simple enough you explained it.
 
dhump said:
If a nation is so much in debt that they cant make their own decisions than what will you call such a nation? I will call them slaves.

Simple enough you explained it.
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You can call them what you like, everyone is entitled to their own vocabulary. But if being in debt equates with being a slave, then 80% of the western population are slaves.

Pakistan has been in debt for decades for one reason or another, if you want to argue that they shouldn't be, I am with you, but it is a bigger issue in itself than the Houbara hunting one. Pakistan authorities could say no by the way, but they obviously don't want to upset their sponsors.
 
Erdogan was right. Imran khan is slave and coward for allowing this practice so easily. Proving to be disaster for Pakistan where the direction to take stabled economy to the forward is still at standstill. What was the point of selective accountability at the worst possible time to cause damage on the economy and lose confidence from the investors? :facepalm:
 
mgtow said:
Erdogan was right. Imran khan is slave and coward for allowing this practice so easily. Proving to be disaster for Pakistan where the direction to take stabled economy to the forward is still at standstill. What was the point of selective accountability at the worst possible time to cause damage on the economy and lose confidence from the investors? :facepalm:
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What are you on about? Stop fabricating stuff. When did Erdagon say that? Provide a source. The economy is doing a lot better and heading toward stabilisation. Just because your godfathers were troubled, doesnt mean that Khan was wrong.
 
KARACHI: The federal government has issued special permits to King of Bahrain Sheikh Hamad bin Isa bin Salman al Khalifa and five other members of his family to hunt the internationally-protected houbara bustard during the 2019-20 hunting season, it is learnt here reliably.

Besides the king, the hunting party includes his uncle, his country’s interior minister, adviser on defence, cousins, and other people of the kingdom located on the northern side of the Arabian peninsula in the Gulf.

Originally belonging to the colder central Asian region, the houbara bustard migrates every year southwards to winter in a relatively warm environment here.

Owing to ruthless hunting by Arab hunters, the population of the migratory bird has declined because of which it is not only protected under various international nature conservation conventions, but its hunting is also banned under local wildlife protection laws. Pakistanis are not allowed to hunt this bird.

Under a code of conduct issued by the foreign ministry, a hunter can hunt 100 houbara bustards in a 10-day hunting spree during the three-month-long hunting season between Nov 1, 2019 and Jan 31, 2020. According to the special hunting permits issued by the foreign ministry’s deputy chief of protocol Mohammad Adeel Pervaiz and delivered at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the federal capital, the names of hunters and the areas allocated to them are: King of the Kingdom of Bahrain Sheikh Hamad bin Isa bin Salman al Khalifa has been allocated Jamshoro district (including Thano Bula Khan, Kotri, Manjhand and Sehwan tehsils).

The king’s uncle, Sheikh Ebrahim bin Hamad bin Abdullah al Khalifa, has been allowed to hunt the migratory bird in Sujawal district’s Shah Bunder tehsil.

The king’s cousin, who is also his interior minister, Lt Gen Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah al Khalifa, will hunt in Naushahro Feroze district in Sindh and Jaffarabad district in Balochistan.

The king’s adviser on defence, Sheikh Abdullah bin Salman al Khalifa, will carry out the hunting of the protected bird in Sujawal district’s Jati tehsil.

A cousin of the king, Sheikh Khalid bin Rashid bin Abdullah al Khalifa, has been given Tando Mohammad Khan, while his another cousin, Sheikh Ahmad bin Ali al Khalifa, will hunt in Hyderabad and Malir (excluding Malir Cantonment and Dhabeji areas) districts.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1524059/special-houbara-hunting-permits-issued-to-bahrain-king
 
I am disappointed with the govt, our birds are too precious to be killed by these losers. We are in the 21st century and do these morons not realise that preservation is the order of the day and killing for pleasure.
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
You can call them what you like, everyone is entitled to their own vocabulary. But if being in debt equates with being a slave, then 80% of the western population are slaves.

Pakistan has been in debt for decades for one reason or another, if you want to argue that they shouldn't be, I am with you, but it is a bigger issue in itself than the Houbara hunting one. Pakistan authorities could say no by the way, but they obviously don't want to upset their sponsors.
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Same as you said everyone is entitled to their own vocabulary. I don't think west takes dictation from Arabs like Pakistan just did to take a U-Turn about participating in the conference. You are repeating your narrative which is not convincing for me at all.
 
dhump said:
Same as you said everyone is entitled to their own vocabulary. I don't think west takes dictation from Arabs like Pakistan just did to take a U-Turn about participating in the conference. You are repeating your narrative which is not convincing for me at all.
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That is because west is rich enough to be in a position to dictate rather than feel obliged to listen to sponsor's voice. Even so there are differences in status. UK is a first world country, but our policies, defence in particular, are still subservient to the USA, hence we are often called America's poodle. I suppose in your language that would make us USA slaves.
 
KARACHI: The federal government has issued a special permit to Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to export 200 rare falcons from Pakistan to his country during the 2019-20 hunting season, it is learnt here reliably.

According to sources, the falcons of highly rare species — Saker and Peregrine — are used for hunting the internationally protected houbara bustard during winters in the country. Oil-rich Arab hunters keep a large number of falcons to pursue their houbara bustard hunting.

As falcons age with time, hunters need to change their aged falcons with younger ones that could hunt houbara bustard more efficiently. Hence, an export permit was requested by Qatar and duly issued by Pakistan.

Residents of colder central Asian region, falcons follow migratory birds, including houbara bustard, southwards during winters.

Keeping in view their dwindling population, trapping and trading of the falcon species are banned.

The sources said that by issuing falcon export permits the government was promoting and patronising underground black wildlife market as falcons could not be trapped, sold and purchased here legally. The falcons for export would have to be purchased from traders dealing in wildlife illegally.

The sources said that export permit (No: DCP (P&I)—18/6/2019-20 Falcons / Qatar), issued by the foreign ministry’s deputy chief of protocol Mohammad Adeel Pervaiz, stated that the embassy might export 200 falcons from Pakistan to Qatar for personal use of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Emir of Qatar.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1526182/qatars-emir-permitted-to-export-falcons-from-pakistan
 
KARACHI: The federal government has issued special permits to a top Dubai security official, who is a member of the royal family, to hunt the internationally protected houbara bustard in Sindh during the 2019-20 hunting season, it has been learnt.

The special hunting permits issued by the foreign ministry’s deputy chief of protocol (DCP) Mohammad Adeel Pervaiz were delivered to the Islamabad-based embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) so that these could be forwarded to the hunters.

DCP Pervaiz in one of his letter permits said: “The ministry of foreign affairs of Islamic Republic of Pakistan presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Islamabad and has the honour to state that the government of Pakistan has conveyed its recommendations to authorities in the province concerned for allocation of Umerkot District to Maj Gen Sheikh Ahmad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, deputy chief of police and General Security of Dubai, who is also a member of the ruling family, for hunting of houbara bustard during hunting season 2019-20.”

“The ministry of foreign affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the esteemed embassy of the United Arab Emirates the assurances of its highest considerations,” added Mr Pervaiz.

In another permit, the DCP said that Sheikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al-Maktoum had been allocated Badin district and Jungshahi and Dhabeji in Thatta district to hunt the houbara bustard during season 2019-20.

According to the code of conduct, issued along with the hunting permit, there is a limit of 100 birds that can be hunted within 10 days during the 2019-20 hunting season.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1529250/dubai-royal-official-allowed-to-hunt-houbara-bustard
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
That is because west is rich enough to be in a position to dictate rather than feel obliged to listen to sponsor's voice. Even so there are differences in status. UK is a first world country, but our policies, defence in particular, are still subservient to the USA, hence we are often called America's poodle. I suppose in your language that would make us USA slaves.
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One LBC radio presenter stated on radio that UK being poodle of USA was in good old days we are now the lap dog.
 
https://propakistani.pk/2020/01/09/spanish-hunter-pays-83500-to-kill-a-markhor-in-gilgit/

A Spanish hunter, Carlo Pasc,o has hunted a flare-horned Markhor in Gilgit after paying a permit fee of $83,500, making it the third time the national animal of Pakistan has been hunted this season.

The hunting fees for different local species were decided in November last year as the Gilgit-Baltistan Wildlife department auctioned off the permits for Markhor for $83,500. In 2018-19, the hunters paid $110,000 for hunting the animal.
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If the above is indeed accurate I find it truly disgusting.
 
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Abu Dhabi prince in Pakistan to hunt Houbara bustards after govt grants permission

THARPARKAR: A prince from Abu Dhabi on Tuesday arrived in the district of Sindh with his team to hunt for endangered Houbara bustards after the federal government granted them permission for falconry.

The meat of the Houbara bustard — also known as Asian Houbara — is considered to be an aphrodisiac, which is why Arab princes travel to Pakistan to hunt the rare migratory bird that arrives from Central Asia.

It is also one of the royals' favourite sports and, therefore, is seen as 'soft diplomacy' between Pakistan and the Arab world.

"The royal princes will hunt for the Houbara bustard," the deputy conservator for Mirpurkhas Division at the Sindh Wildlife Department Mir Aijaz Ali Talpur confirmed.

"The permission [for hunting] has been granted by the federal government," Talpur added.

The prince's delegation comprises six Abu Dhabi nationals and three Pakistanis, the Sindh Wildlife Department said.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the Houbara bustard as a vulnerable species, with a global population ranging from 50,000 to 100,000, according to Reuters.

Read more: 'Unprecedented, historic': Pakistan Customs recovers birds worth millions in Karachi operation

It has almost vanished from the Arabian peninsula and, per the Guardian, is considered to be at the risk of extinction.

In 2016, the Supreme Court of Pakistan lifted a ban on hunting the bird after the government argued it hurt relations with Gulf states, whose wealthy hunters traditionally travel to Pakistan to pursue the endangered species with falcons.

Critics, however, say hunting with falcons — a practice Arab nomads used to survive life in the desert and is now arguably the most elaborate blood sport in the world — is today a reckless hobby that threatens the Houbara bustard.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/324476-ab...houbara-bustards-after-govt-grants-permission
 
Abu Dhabi prince in Pakistan to hunt Houbara bustards after govt grants permission

THARPARKAR: A prince from Abu Dhabi on Tuesday arrived in the district of Sindh with his team to hunt for endangered Houbara bustards after the federal government granted them permission for falconry.

The meat of the Houbara bustard — also known as Asian Houbara — is considered to be an aphrodisiac, which is why Arab princes travel to Pakistan to hunt the rare migratory bird that arrives from Central Asia.

It is also one of the royals' favourite sports and, therefore, is seen as 'soft diplomacy' between Pakistan and the Arab world.

"The royal princes will hunt for the Houbara bustard," the deputy conservator for Mirpurkhas Division at the Sindh Wildlife Department Mir Aijaz Ali Talpur confirmed.

"The permission [for hunting] has been granted by the federal government," Talpur added.

The prince's delegation comprises six Abu Dhabi nationals and three Pakistanis, the Sindh Wildlife Department said.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the Houbara bustard as a vulnerable species, with a global population ranging from 50,000 to 100,000, according to Reuters.

Read more: 'Unprecedented, historic': Pakistan Customs recovers birds worth millions in Karachi operation

It has almost vanished from the Arabian peninsula and, per the Guardian, is considered to be at the risk of extinction.

In 2016, the Supreme Court of Pakistan lifted a ban on hunting the bird after the government argued it hurt relations with Gulf states, whose wealthy hunters traditionally travel to Pakistan to pursue the endangered species with falcons.

Critics, however, say hunting with falcons — a practice Arab nomads used to survive life in the desert and is now arguably the most elaborate blood sport in the world — is today a reckless hobby that threatens the Houbara bustard.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/324476-ab...houbara-bustards-after-govt-grants-permission
 
KARACHI: The federal government has issued special permits to Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and 14 other members of his family to hunt internationally protected houbara bustard during the 2020-21 hunting season, it is learnt here reliably.

According to sources, the other hunters include the emir’s father, brother, the Qatari prime minister, an adviser, the brother of a former prime minister and some members of the royal family.

The sources said that the clout of the Qataris in Pakistan could be gauged from the fact that while the official files, summaries, etc, move at a glacial speed in the country, the permission “requested” for a couple of additional hunting areas for the emir was given to him within five days after it was received.

They said the areas allocated to the emir’s father, on his desire, were also swapped with those that were earlier allocated to a relatively less important member of the royal family, within five days.

The sources said the permits issued by the deputy chief of protocol (P&I) at the foreign ministry on Oct 16 were delivered to the Embassy of Qatar in Islamabad so that these could be sent to the hunters belonging to the tiny Gulf state.

The sources said that according to the permits, Emir of State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani has been allocated Jhang district in Punjab and Kashmore and Matyari districts in Sindh. He wanted a couple of more hunting areas so his desire was communicated on Oct 22 and 26 and he was allotted the desired areas — Islamkot and Deplo tehsils in Sindh’s Thar desert. The emir’s father, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, had been allocated Bahawalnagar district, excluding Fort Abbas, in Punjab, but since he did not like the area, it was swapped with that of Sheikh Jassim bin Faisal bin Qasim bin Faisal Al-Thani, who was originally allocated Khushab district in Punjab.

The emir’s brother, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani, has been given Musakhel and Darug tehsils in Musakhel district of Balochistan.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdul Aziz has been allocated Jacobabad district in Sindh. Emir’s adviser Sheikh Mohammad bin Khalifa Al-Thani has been given Loralai district (less Duki area) in Balochistan.

Former prime minister’s brother Sheikh Falah bin Jassim bin Jabr Al-Thani and another relative Sheikh Fahad bin Falah bin Jassim bin Jabor Al-Thani have jointly been allocated Jhal Magsi district in Balochistan.

A royal family member, Sheikh Faisal bin Nasser bin Hamad Al-Thani, has been allotted Qila Saifullah district, including Kakar Khurasan and Qamardin Karez, in Balochistan.

The names of other royal family members and the areas allocated to them are: Sheikh Mohammad bin Ali bin Abdullah Al-Thani (Barkhan district); Sheikh Thani bin Abdul Aziz Al-Thani (Surab tehsil in Kalat district); Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah Thani Al-Thani (Turbat/Kech district); Sheikh Khalid bin Thani Al-Thani (Dadu city); Sheikh Fahad bin Abdul Rehman bin Hamad Al-Thani (Naseerabad in Balochistan); and Faisal bin Qasim bin Faisal Al-Thani (Dera Bugti district in Balochistan).

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2020

https://www.dawn.com/news/1596022/special-permits-issued-to-qatari-royal-for-houbara-hunting
 
Can someone enlighten us if this is an international norm?

I remember Imran Khan criticising govt for this when he was in opposition.
 
last_knight said:
Can someone enlighten us if this is an international norm?

I remember Imran Khan criticising govt for this when he was in opposition.
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What do you mean by an international norm? These birds are local to Pakistan so I would imagine that is why the Qataris are seeking permits to hunt them there.

Pakistan needs some sort of wildlife protection organisation to take this up at govt level, and also to publicise the issue worldwide to get other wildlife organisations involved.
 
How can they be endangered species when every year hunters have a bountiful harvest? Seems they are breeding enough to afford hunting during prime season.
 
CricketCartoons said:
How can they be endangered species when every year hunters have a bountiful harvest? Seems they are breeding enough to afford hunting during prime season.
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In which case it could be an ethical issue. Should hunting be allowed or banned? I know there was a ban on fox hunting in the UK, although not sure where we stand on that currently, I think the rules may have been relaxed somewhat.

Also in Australia they cull feral cats in the thousands, I had a discussion on here about it with gilly or some other Aussie if memory serves correctly.
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
What do you mean by an international norm? These birds are local to Pakistan so I would imagine that is why the Qataris are seeking permits to hunt them there.

Pakistan needs some sort of wildlife protection organisation to take this up at govt level, and also to publicise the issue worldwide to get other wildlife organisations involved.
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I meant to ask if other countries also allow these kind of special permissions under special circumstances, particularly to Royals from Gulf?

Or could it be a cover up for something more nefarious?
 
Since learning to capture birds as a teen, Muhammad Rafiq has amassed a small fortune in Pakistan trapping and trafficking falcons – including some endangered species – for wealthy Gulf Arabs.

A single falcon can fetch up to tens of thousands of dollars on the black market, which allowed Rafiq to renovate his family home.

“Every season, dealers come from Karachi and leave their contacts with us, and we call them back if we catch something,” said the 32-year-old, from a nearby coastal village.

He recently trapped a peregrine falcon during a one-week hunting mission.

“I desperately needed money,” he told AFP. “And God has listened to me.”

For years, Pakistan has stood at the nexus of the falcon trade, both as a source of the birds of prey, and then as a destination to hunt with them.

Falcon poaching is officially banned, but demand for the birds is rising, according to the World Wildlife Fund in Pakistan.

It estimates that up to 700 falcons were illegally smuggled out of the country last year alone, often by organised criminal networks.
Their destination is normally Gulf countries, where falconry is a treasured tradition.

Owners treat the birds “like their own children”, said Margit Muller, the director of Abu Dhabi’s falcon hospital, which treats 11,000 falcons annually, a number that has more than doubled in the past 10 years.

One conservationist told AFP an Arab falconer usually owns around five to six hundred birds, most of which will be captured in the wild in Pakistan or Mongolia.

Wild birds are prized over those bred in captivity because they are believed to be better hunters, though there is no evidence to support those claims.

‘Pimps for the Gulf’

Every winter, lavish hunting parties from the Gulf flock to Pakistan’s sprawling deserts, where they are given permits to use their falcons to hunt houbara bustards, a migratory bird wrongly prized as an aphrodisiac and classified as vulnerable by conservationists.

These excursions have cast a spotlight on the deep ties between Pakistan and its allies in the Gulf.

For decades, the Gulf states have propped up Islamabad’s ramshackle finances with generous loans, with one of the expectations being that they can continue to use Pakistan as a hunting playground.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and two other royals were granted permission to catch bustards by Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government in December last year, a soft diplomacy tactic that Khan had openly disagreed with when he was in the opposition.

The government also presents falcons as gifts to world leaders.

“Our officials are working like pimps for the Arabs,” a government official requesting anonymity told AFP.

A brief ban on the bustard hunts was overturned in 2016 by the Supreme Court, but conservationists are now pushing for the export of falcons to be regulated in an ongoing case at the Islamabad High Court.

Demand rising
Every year, falcons escape the harsh Siberian winter and fly thousands of miles to warmer regions, including southern Pakistan.

During the migratory season, wildlife traffickers descend on villages along the Arabian Sea coastline, offering fishermen cash to briefly abandon their boats and try their hand at poaching.

“We pay them in advance, send food to their families and if they catch a bird that is precious, we happily give them motorbikes,” said one trafficker who spoke to AFP on the condition of anonymity.

A range of tactics can be employed – sticky liquids, net traps or, most commonly, using smaller birds as bait.

Poachers especially target the peregrine falcon, whose populations remain stable – but also the saker, which is endangered.

Bob Dalton, a veteran falcon conservationist, helped oversee the rehabilitation of dozens of falcons seized by Pakistani authorities in October, with officials estimating the cache to be worth well over $1m.

“The illegal trade is growing, there is more money being spent, more pursuit from the Gulf,” he told AFP.

“With the exception of one or two species, most falcon populations are in decline or on the point of being unstable.”

Regulating the market
With continuing efforts to curtail rampant poaching failing, some officials in Pakistan have suggested regulating the falcon trapping market, inspired by a scheme involving another rare native species, the markhor – an elusive mountain goat with striking twisted horns found in Pakistan’s mountainous north.

Every year, foreigners shell out tens of thousands of dollars for a handful of trophy hunting permits, providing a financial incentive for communities to prevent poaching.

Naeem Ashraf Raja, the director of biodiversity at the ministry of climate change, said markhor numbers have rebounded as a result of this controversial conservation method.

With hunting parties set to descend on Pakistan again over the next few months, Kamran Khan Yousafzai, the president of Pakistan’s Falconry Association, said the country desperately needs to implement a sustainable wildlife programme.

“Arab falconers can’t resist coming to Pakistan. They have been coming to these hunting grounds for generations, and unless they face any real problems, they are not going to search for new destinations.”

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021...e-gulf-hunts-fuel-pakistan-falcon-trafficking
 
GWADAR: Eleven members of royal family of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) arrived in Panjgur area of Makran division on Saturday to hunt houbara bustards, according to sources.

The official sources said members of the UAE’s royal family reached Panjgur airport aboard a special plane and were led by Shaikh Khalifa Saif-al-Nahyan and Sultan Saeed Ahmed. They were taken to their palace in Piry Jhalak by road amid tight security.

The delegation was received at the airport by Panjgur’s Deputy Commissioner Abdul Razzaq Sasoli, tribal elders Haji Attaullah Baloch, Haji Zahid Hussain, Haji Farooq-uz-Zaman and senior military and civilian officials.

The hunting party, equipped with hunting gear and falcons, would hunt houbara bustards during their stay in Panjgur under licence issued by the foreign ministry, the sources said.


Members of the UAE royal family, who visit Panjgur regularly for hunting the bird, have launched several development projects in the district, including water supply schemes and health facilities for deserving and underprivileged people of Panjgur town.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2021
 
last_knight said:
Can someone enlighten us if this is an international norm?

I remember Imran Khan criticising govt for this when he was in opposition.
Click to expand...

He wasn’t happy.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Never thought I would see the day when hunting of the endangered Houbara Bustard would become a 'pillar of our foreign policy'. 1/2</p>— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/690766619925188608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
IK has been once again blackmailed into allowing Arabs to hunt rare bird species. This is truly humiliating !
 
Gents, please understand the fact that the proceedings from the licenses issues go towards preservation of extinct species.
 
saeedhk said:
IK has been once again blackmailed into allowing Arabs to hunt rare bird species. This is truly humiliating !
Click to expand...

Actually he is in the process of reviewing the permits for UAE nationals which has been a longstanding agreement set up by the previous govt.
 
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Syed Mohammad Tayyab on Friday informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that Pakistan had issued permit to the UAE government for export of falcons as part of goodwill and friendly gesture.

He was responding to a petition filed by former Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) chairperson Dr Anisur Rehman against issuance of permit for the export of 150 falcons to Dubai.

The federal government has reportedly issued special permit to Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum for the export of 150 rare falcons from Pakistan to Dubai during 2019-20.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah was hearing the petition. He asked the DAG to satisfy the court on export of the falcons.

The DAG told the court that the UAE government had sent a written request for falcons and Pakistani government gifted it to the friendly country in order to strengthen brotherly relations and in the larger national interest.

He said it was not a commercial activity.

Counsel for the petitioner adopted before the court that the government had not been empowered to grant permit or permission for export of falcons.

The counsel said falcons had been declared endangered species. Grant of permission is in violation of Pakistan Trade Control of Wild Fauna and Flora Act 2012, besides the law highlighted in the judgment of the IHC of May 21, 2020 in which the court had ordered relocation of miserably detained animals to the natural habitat.

On court’s query, an official of the ministry of climate change told the court that import of falcons had been banned since 2005.

Justice Minallah observed that the government had issued the permission prima facie in violation of the law adding that if this was indispensable, the government should have issued relaxation or amended the law beforehand.

IHC chief justice remarked that the government was bound to protect the endangered species and this matter might be sent to the federal cabinet.

The court extended the stay order against export of falcons till four weeks and adjourned the hearing.

Falcons are protected under various international nature conservation conventions, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES). Trade in falcons is banned under local wildlife protection laws.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2021
 
GILGIT: An American citizen has hunted the highest-rated Astore markhor, a rare species in Gilgit-Baltistan, after paying $61,500 as a licence fee during the current hunting trophy season.

Edward Joseph Hudson hunted the markhor near the Dashkin-Mushkin-Tarbuling (DMT) conservation area in Astore, according to the Gilgit-Baltistan wildlife department.

The horns of the hunted animal were measured at 41 inches.

For the trophy hunting programme of 2020-21, the Gilgit-Baltistan wildlife, environment and forest department has auctioned only four permits for Astore markhor, 18 for blue sheep and 150 for Himalayan ibexes.

The trophy hunting programme starts in November and ends in April. Foreign, national and local hunters hunt the trophies in conservation areas of Gilgit-Baltistan after getting licences.

The American hunter, Mr Hudson, paid $61,500 to obtain the licence of hunting the highest-rated Astore markhor.

Last month, another American, Jo**s***eph Bradford, hunted a Kashmir markhor with 40-inch horns in Chit*ral’s Toshi Shasha conservation area with a bow, making a record as it was the first trophy hunting performed with a bow. He had paid around Rs13.12 million for the permit.

According to sources, local community receives 80 per cent of the income obtained from the permit fee as its share which is spent on their collective development and self-employment of jobless youth through the village conservation committees.

The trophy hunting programme began in the 1980s. It is carried out under the Convention on Interna*tional Trade of Endangered Species of Wildlife and is allowed only in the notified areas of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Any person found involved in illegal hunting is caught and penalised.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2021
 
Bad move by Imran Khan. For Trophy Hunting the Markhor Pakistan gets alot of money, which has helped increase the population of the Markhor significantly.

It does not seem like Pakistan is getting money for this. A goodwill gesture is not good enough, if the Arabs want to hunt the Houbara they need to pay a lot of money. And this needs to be transparent like the money that is received for the Markhor.
 
Gabbar Singh said:
He wasn’t happy.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Never thought I would see the day when hunting of the endangered Houbara Bustard would become a 'pillar of our foreign policy'. 1/2</p>— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/690766619925188608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Click to expand...

Haha, but Imran Khan is Donald Trump lite! :91:
 
Gharib Aadmi said:
Bad move by Imran Khan. For Trophy Hunting the Markhor Pakistan gets alot of money, which has helped increase the population of the Markhor significantly.

It does not seem like Pakistan is getting money for this. A goodwill gesture is not good enough, if the Arabs want to hunt the Houbara they need to pay a lot of money. And this needs to be transparent like the money that is received for the Markhor.
Click to expand...

Not everything should be transparent. You must trust the govt. They must be doing something right and getting some benefit for the country.
 
Pakistani Hunting Outfitter and Galt Big Game Hunter Charged with Conspiring to Smuggle Endangered Ladakh Urial Trophy into the United States

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday against Pir Danish Ali, 43, of Pakistan, and Jason Keith Bruce, 49, of Galt, charging both defendants with conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act, to make false statements, and to smuggle goods into the United States, and charging Bruce with smuggling and violating the Endangered Species Act, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. The indictment was unsealed upon Bruce’s arrest this morning.

According to court documents, Pir was the CEO of a hunting outfitter and guide company based in Pakistan, and Bruce was a recreational big game hunter who hunted as a client of Pir’s company. Beginning in February 2016, Pir and Bruce conspired to hunt a Ladakh urial, an endangered wild sheep, in Pakistan and smuggle the resulting trophy from Pakistan to the United States. (“Trophy” means a whole animal, or a readily recognizable part of an animal, that is prepared for display.) Shortly before the hunt, Pir told Bruce that a recent survey had shown a local population of only 180 animals. The defendants agreed that the export of the Ladakh urial trophy would be achieved through bribery and fraud by declaring it to Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) as a different species and presenting forged documents purporting to be issued by Pakistani authorities. Bruce paid Pir $50,000 for the hunt, during which he shot a Ladakh urial.

On March 29, 2018, Bruce flew into San Francisco International Airport from Pakistan carrying eight trophies in his personal baggage, including the Ladakh urial trophy. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents stopped him and alerted the FWS. After the FWS seized the trophy, Pir and Bruce conspired together to lie and did in fact lie to the FWS agents. Further investigation revealed that, between 2013 and 2018, at least 25 hunters who had hunted with Pir’s company presented forged documents to import at least 97 hunting trophies into the United States.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine T. Lydon is prosecuting the case.

If convicted of the conspiracy, Pir and Bruce face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of the smuggling charge, Bruce faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and if convicted of the violation of the Endangered Species Act, Bruce faces a prison term of up to one year and a fine of up to $50,000 or both. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

...
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/p...lt-big-game-hunter-charged-conspiring-smuggle
 
Many of the houbara hunting trips have a very ugly side to them.
I know it quite well from both sides; one of my closest friends grew up in RYK and his family members were involved first-hand, and also certain senior Emiratis from my ex workplace would be invited to join royal hunting trips as a courtesy. It was "hunting birds" officially, but in reality, a lot of Haram acts were part and parcel of it....
 
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