KARACHI, Feb 19: The provincial forest and wildlife department sacked a district game warden while a few others might also be ousted from the department, it is learnt here on Thursday.

Sources said that the Hyderabad district game warden, Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, had been sacked while the fate of some other people, who were managing different districts of the province, would soon be decided.

The government appoints its like-minded politicians as honorary district game wardens. Mr Shah being the leader of a political party, which is a coalition partner in the present government, was appointed as the Hyderabad district game warden.

According to the sources, Mr Shah had ordered almost the entire departmental staff nearly 15 people ranging from game watchers to the game inspectors (from BPS 1 to BPS 11) in the district to sit at home. It is said that the warden had selected around 15 other individuals at his own to carry out the work.

The sources claimed that the step had created unrest among the entire departmental staff, who despite being government officials were not allowed to perform their duties while some hand-picked people were given the powers to carry out these functions.

They said that the department had earlier informed the chief minister that some of the honorary district game wardens - including Mr Shah - had been misusing their powers in contravention of Sindh Wildlife Protection Ordinance (SWPO) 1972.

Under the government policy and SWPO 1972 rules, no honorary district game warden was authorized to suspend or appoint any staff, and the Sindh Wildlife Management Board had the powers to appoint or dismiss game inspectors and watchers, it added.

EXTENSION: The wildlife department moved a summary for the extension of one of its senior officials, Abrar Hussain Mirza, who is to be retired in the first week of March. Abrar Mirza is a close relative of former PPP MNA Dr Zulfiqar Mirza and a close friend of Asif Zardari.