KARACHI: The federal ombudsman has directed the foreign affairs ministry to provide information to a complainant, who had asked if the ministry had issued any houbara bustard hunting permits between 2012 and 2016, by March 31, it is learnt.

The directive, issued by ombudsman Salman Faruqui on a complaint mad by social activist Naeem Sadiq on March 10, saying that the foreign secretary was providing false information he (complainant) had sought under the Freedom of Information Ordinance (FIO) 2002 and Article 19A of the Constitution, so appropriate action be taken against the secretary.

In his complaint the activist said he had approached the foreign secretary on Feb 15,2016 asking him, under the FIO, if any permit for houbara bustard hunting had been issued between 2012 and 2016 and if yes, copies of such a permit be provided to him.

The ministry’s deputy chief of protocol, Naeem Iqbal Cheema, in his March 2 reply to the activist said “the ministry of foreign affairs has not issued any permit / licences to any Pakistani or non Pakistani individual or organisation for hunting of houbara bustard between June 2012 and February 2016.”

Unsatisfied with the ministry’s answer, the complainant submitted the complaint “against foreign affairs ministry for holding back and providing false information under the Freedom of Information Ordinance 2002 and Article 19A of the Constitution” with the ombudsman on March 10.

Referring to a Supreme Court judgement, the complainant says the judgement had mentioned that the Foreign Office on Nov 1, 2014 through letters to the embassies of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain had allocated areas in Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab for hunting of houbara bustards for 15 dignitaries for the 2014-15 season. A code of conduct issued by the ministry’s deputy chief of protocol was also sent with the permits.

The complainant submitted documents, including newspaper clippings, to prove that houbara bustard hunting permits had been issued by the federal government.

Ombudsman’s adviser Shahid Humayun in his March 17, 2015 communication to the foreign secretary refers to ombudsman Faruqui’s order and says: “in terms of Regulation 12 (8) of Wafaqi Mohtasib (Investigation & Disposal of Complaints Regulations 2013) you are called upon to redress the grievance and reply, including rebuttal, within seven days, with a copy to the complainant.”

The hearing of the complaint is set for March 31.

Published in Dawn, March 31th, 2016