November 16, 2003	Sunday	Ramazan 20, 1424

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DERA GHAZI KHAN, Nov 15: Hunting teams comprising foreign dignitaries were not allowed to operate for 24 hours by the local wildlife officials for lack of permission in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur districts.

As houbara hunting is otherwise banned in the two districts, foreign dignitaries, mainly members of royal families from the Gulf emirates, are given special permission to hunt the bird by the wildlife authorities on the direction of the Foreign Office.

Different teams are allotted different areas where they can hunt this migratory bird.

When local wildlife officials sought copies of the notification, three hunting teams, including the one led by the Dubai ruler, had no foreign or wildlife office permission in writing with them.

It took the authorities in Islamabad and Lahore some 24 hours to issue the notification on Friday evening, sources said.

Houbara falls in Schedule 3 of the Wildlife Act, which does not allow its hunting. However, foreign guests are allowed to shoot the bird under Schedule 1.

CHARITY: Thousands of wheat flour bags, ghee tins, and tons of dates are being distributed among the poor and needy people of the districts Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan on behalf of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, says a press release issued in Lahore.

Sheikh Khalifa has also sponsored medical camps, hospitals, educational institutions, roads, potable water schemes and other welfare projects for poor communities in other parts of Pakistan.

During the current year, construction of a hospital at Rojhan (Rajanpur), scheme for supply of water to Rojhan city and construction of a boat bridge over Indus have facilitated the people of this region.