Pak allows King of Bahrain, other royal members to hunt endangered bird species: report

Pakistan has issued special permits to the King of Bahrain and five others of the royal family to hunt 100 houbara bustards, an endangered bird species, notwithstanding growing criticism in the country against the move, according to a media report on Tuesday.

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

Quoting sources, the Dawn News reported that the permits have been issued for the 2019-20 hunting season by the foreign ministry's deputy chief of protocol, Mohammad Adeel Pervaiz.

The permit holders are King of Bahrain Sheikh Hamad bin Isa bin Salman al Khalifa, his uncle Sheikh Ebrahim, his cousin, who is also his interior minister, Lt Gen Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah al Khalifa and other influential people of the kingdom.

The allotted hunting area for the king is Jamshoro district (including Thano Bula Khan, Kotri, Manjhand and Sehwan tehsils) in the Sindh province, the report said.

The king's uncle has been allowed to hunt the migratory bird in Sujawal district of Sindh and his interior minister will hunt in Naushahro Feroze district in Sindh and Jaffarabad district in Balochistan, the report added.

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

In the wake of its dwindling population, the migratory bird is not only protected under various international nature conservation treaties, its hunting is also banned under local wildlife protection laws. Pakistanis are not allowed to hunt this bird.

It is the second permit for the Arab rulers after one issued to royal family of Qatar.

Last week, Pakistan issued special permits to Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani, his uncle, brother and seven other royal dignitaries of the oil-rich Gulf nation to hunt the houbara bustards.