QUETTA, Oct 22: One Levies man was killed during an armed attack on a camp of the staff of the Qatari minister for petroleum in Zamran area of Kech district on Tuesday.

Balochistan Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti told Dawn that the Qatari minister, who was to come to the remote area for hunting houbara bustard, had not yet reached the country.

Officials said the Qatari prince’s staff had reached the area early in the morning and were making arrangements with the help of local people for the hunting when a group of armed men stormed the camp and opened fire.

Levies personnel retaliated and an exchange of fire ensued in which the Levies man, identified as Mohammad Ayub, was killed.

The attackers took away two vehicles with them. One of the vehicles was found burnt a few kilometres away from the camp.

“They also took away some weapons of the Levies personnel,” sources said.

A government official said the attack was aimed at snatching vehicles and other valuables from the Qatari minister’s staff.

The home minister said the administration had started investigation and security forces were trying to find the second vehicle.

He said the federal government gave licences to the families of Arab rulers for hunting the migratory birds in different areas of Balochistan.

Houbara bustards migrate to Balochistan from central Asian states, Mongolia and Siberia when temperature there drops below the freezing point in November and December.

After flying for two weeks they reach Lasbela, Washuk, Khuzdar, Dalbandin, Zhob, Gwadar, Turbat, Panjgur, Dera Murad Jamali, Chaghai, Sibi and Pasni.

The rare species start their return journey to central Asian states in April.

“Hunting of houbara bustard is banned in Pakistan,” an official of the forest department said, adding that locals were not allowed to visit the areas allotted to the Arab dignitaries for hunting.