BSF complained about bird hunting at Pakistan border

Islamabad: The hunting of Houbara Bustards by Arab royal families in Pakistan has led to friction along the Indo-Pak frontier, with the BSF complaining about the firing, a media report said on Wednesday.

A few days earlier, there was firing in the area adjoining Shahgarh Bulj. After these incidents, the BSF sent a protest note to the Pakistan Rangers.

In an annual migratory trend, thousands of Houbara Bustards from cold climates come to the desert areas of Pakistan every winter.

However, the presence of this rare and internationally protected species has “major diplomatic implications” for Pakistan. The bustards, prized for their meat with purportedly aphrodisiac qualities, are hunted mostly by Arab royals.

“The Arabs hunt birds in the country with the permission of the government of Pakistan,” said Foreign Office spokesman Moazzam Khan. He said the government issues permits to certain dignitaries not for monetary benefits but as a gesture of goodwill.

This includes two permits for 135 falcons for the royal family of Saudi Arabia, five permits for 200 falcons for Bahrain’s royal family, two permits for 250 falcons for the United Arab Emirates and three permits for 230 falcons for the royal families of Qatar.

Each permit allows a maximum of 100 birds to be hunted. Currently, Bahrain’s Sheikh Abdula Bin Salem al Khalifa is camping with trained falcons in Bahawalpur. UAE’s Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Bin Jaiyad al Nelyan and Sheikh Sultan Bin Jaiyad al Neyan are camping to hunt houbara bustards in Shakhar and Sangad areas.