LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday sought para wise comments from the federal government on petitions challenging issuance of permits to foreign dignitaries belonging to Qatar for hunting houbara bustard, an internationally protected bird.

Earlier, the World Wildlife Federation in its report stated that overall population of houbara bustard had been decreasing over past 20 years as its hunting should be stopped.

The federation expressed concern about backwardness and lack of economic development in the areas where hunting had been allowed.

After examining the report, Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah directed the federal government to submit its para wise comments on the petitions and adjourned hearing till June 15.

Advocate Sheraz Zaka and Kaleem Ilyas had filed the petitions pleading that the authorities had been issuing hunting permits to foreign dignitaries misinterpreting a judgement of the Supreme Court.

They said the apex court in its judgment had observed that the government while giving permits in a particular area must take into consideration as to what steps had been taken by the licensee(s) to economically develop the hunting areas. They asked the court to put a ban on the hunting of the protected bird.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2017