LAKKI MARWAT: The wildlife department seized several partridges from a passenger bus in Lakki city on Sunday, thus foiling a bid to smuggle precious birds to Punjab.

“After receiving information that precious birds were being smuggled to Lahore, the divisional wildlife officer Rehmatullah Khan Marwat formed a team,” said an official, adding the team led by range officer Meer Aslam Khan stopped a passenger bus on main bus stand in Lakki city and seized 19 black and brown partridges from the vehicle.

“The birds’ smugglers had handed over the partridges to bus driver to transport them to Lahore,” said the official, adding partridges were in high demand in Lahore and other cities of Punjab and were kept in houses as pets.

The official said investigation had been started after registration of case under relevant sections of Wildlife Act.

Meanwhile, office-bearers of Jamaat-i-Islami have condemned the attacks on election candidates and asked the caretaker government to take stringent measures for their security.

Talking to journalists on Sunday, JI’s district shura member Inamaullah Khan and city chapter emir Abdul Hameed Jami said anti-Pakistan elements were trying to sabotage the general elections.

They said the recent wave of terrorism seemed to terrorise political parties and poll candidates. They condemned the attacks on election gatherings of Haroon Bilour and Akram Durrani and said that caretaker governments had failed to provide foolproof security to the election contenders.

The JI leaders also condemned the firing attack on Senator Sirajul Haq in Dir, saying political workers would not surrender to the terror threats and would continue electioneering with full enthusiasm.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2018