RAHIM YAR KHAN: A team of the district wildlife department on Wednesday morning recovered 59 herons worth Rs1.2 million and arrested 15 people while hunting the birds in Cholistan.

Wildlife employees Kaleem Sarfraz, Ali Nawaz, Akhtar Husain, Abdul Ghafoor, Zaman Ajmal and Shahid Iqbal on a tip-off raided Kandair area of Cholistan near Manthar Sadiqabad and arrested 15 people who were hunting herons with a large net.

The wildlife team recovered 59 precious birds from them and presented all suspects with four herons in the court of Civil Judge Masood Ahmed.

According to Inspector Kaleem Sarfraz, the court imposed Rs30,000 fine on each person involved in hunting and they would be sent on judicial remand in case of non-payment of fine.

The suspects namely Biaz Khan, Hadayatullah, Balawar, Ashraf, Abdur Raheem, Jamshed, Asif, Zaneetullah, Walyaz, Falakbaz, Ibrar Ahmed, Sanaullah, Ajmeer and Gul Nawaz were residents of Laki Marwat (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and hunting herons for making them pet.

One of the suspects told reporters that they were hunting birds with the ‘cooperation’ of wildlife employees.

According to sources, all the arrested were not presented in the court and they were spared due to political interference.

However, District Wildlife Officer Ayub Sabir rejected the allegation and said all the arrested were produced in the court. All 59 herons were sent to Rahim Yar Khan Wildlife Park (zoo).

Sabir said 11 suspects had paid fine totalling Rs330,000 while four others were sent on judicial remand.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2015

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