APD | Pakistan allows UAE royals to hunt rare houbara bustard

By APD writer Muhammad Sohail

The government of Pakistan has issued special permits to United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and four other members of the ruling family to hunt the internationally protected bird houbara bustard during the 2019-20 hunting season, local media reported Wednesday.

According to sources, besides the UAE president, the names on the hunters’ list include his brothers and another member of the royal family in Pakistan’s three provinces of Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab.

The sources said that the hunting permits were issued by the foreign ministry.

The sources said that while all the special hunting permits were person-specific and only one person could hunt under these permits. Earlier this month, Sheikh Mohammad of the UAE hunted the migratory bird prior to meeting Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad, added the sources.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)