'Bird hunting' ban affects relations with Arabs: Pak

The Pakistan Government has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court to reconsider its judgment on the ban over hunting a bird named 'houbara bustard' by foreign dignitaries, as it is affecting the country's relation with the Arab states.

According to the Dawn, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the petition pleaded that the matter concerns the foreign relations as falconry has been a significant part of its relations with Middle Eastern countries.

The petition stated that permits to hunt the bird were given only after following a strict procedure, issued by the Foreign Ministry

On August 19, Pakistan's apex court had ordered both federal and provincial governments to deny the grant of licences and permits to hunt the endangered bird.

Falconry is not a sport but has been recognized as a cultural heritage of Arabs by the UNESCO, the petition added.

The provincial governments of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, under respective wildlife laws, have the statutory power to remove any category of wildlife from the list of the protected animals. And these laws have not been stuck down by the apex court as unconstitutional after the ruling, the petition argued.