Baloch govt allows Qatari prince to hunt houbara bustard

Balochistan authorities have issued a special permit to a Qatari prince allowing him to hunt the internationally-protected houbara bustard in the province.

According to Dawn, a wildlife department official confirmed that the Qatari royal family member had given 100,000 USD to the provincial government for hunting migratory birds in Balochistan.

Houbara bustards are indigenous to the Central Asian region and migrate to Pakistan every year in winter to avoid harsh weather conditions at home.

The Baloch government has set the limit for the hunting parties to 100 birds in a maximum period of 10 days. It, however, prohibited the use of shotguns and other inflammatory weapons. According to the permit, the visiting dignitary can hunt the birds with the help of falcons, The Express Tribune.

The permit has been given even though the Balochistan government has approved guidelines to ensure implementation of the law for the wildlife's protection.