March, 28 2005	Monday	17 Safar 1426

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PESHAWAR, March 27: The wildlife department’s inability to resolve a monetary dispute with village conservation committees (VCCs) in the Toshi Shasha area of Chitral district has affected its plan to arrange markhor trophy hunting in this area, official sources said. The Toshi Shasha conservancy, situated at a distance of 10 kilometres from Chitral town on way to Garam Chashma, spreads over an area of 4500 hectares and comprises 12 VCCs.

A permit for markhor trophy hunting in the area during the current shooting season was issued to a foreigner in January for $45,000 but the programme made little progress due to a monetary dispute between the department and VCCs.

“Trophy hunting in Toshi Shasha conservancy is stayed by a civil judge of Chitral after members of a VCC moved the court against wildlife department for non-payment of last year’s proceeds,” said a member of a local NGO. The court will take up the case on March 28.

Dr Mumtaz Malik, conservator wildlife department NWFP, when contacted, confirmed the report. However, he expressed optimism that the matter would be resolved in a few days and the trophy hunting would be completed before April 10—the end line of the current shooting season.

Official sources said if the stay was not vacated the authorities would have to make alternate arrangements to fulfil the government’s commitment with the foreign hunter and his local facilitator, who had paid US$45,000 for each of the four markhor trophy hunting permits issued for the Frontier province by the federal ministry of environment.

Mr Malik, however, said that the department would honour its commitment with the Spanish hunter who bought shooting rights for hunting a ‘Kashmir markhor — an endangered species which has shown growth in its population in Chitral.

The federal ministry of environment, in January last, had issued a total of 12 permits for markhor trophy hunting in different parts of the country, including four each for the Frontier province, Balochistan and Northern Areas.

“We have put in place an alternate plan to honour our commitment with the foreign hunter because it is the question of the country’s image, otherwise, people would not opt for trophy hunting again in Pakistan,” said the conservator. He said the government would allow him to hunt a markhor in any of the other game reserves available for the purpose.

Officials said that the Spanish hunter might be taken to district Kohistan to hunt the animal in Kaigah Nullah conservancy, where for the first time markhor trophy hunting would take place under a foreign funded conservancy project. As per the NWFP government’s arrangements, three of the four permits had been issued for shooting markhors in Chitral district and one in Kohistan district.

So far, an Italian hunter has materialized hunt in Chitral, whereas, a Pakistani-American is presently in the far off district to carry out the hunting. A third foreign hunter is stuck up in Peshawar as he has not been able to be in Chitral due to cancellation of flights as a result of inclement weather.

“Even if he reaches Chitral he can not embark upon hunting trip in Toshi Shasha conservancy because of the stay order, “said an official.