GILGIT: Senator Talha Mahmood claimed to set a record by hunting an ibex with 54 inches horns in Passu valley of Hunza district here on Tuesday.

The lawmaker, who was accompanied by a local guide in the expedition, told reporters that Gilgit-Baltistan had the largest wildlife habitat in Asia and therefore, it could attract foreigners in large numbers for lawful hunting.

The wildlife department officials said Senator Talha had obtained the trophy hunting licence by paying the permit fee to the GB government for hunting ibex.

They said the lawmaker had been hunting animals in GB for the five years.

GB conservator (wildlife and parks) Yaqoob Ali Khan said more than 40 wildlife species had so far been hunted in the region under the 2018-19 trophy hunting programme.

He said people from within the country and the US and Europe got hunting permits.

The official said the wildlife department had auctioned the hunting licence in Oct last year under the 2018-19 trophy hunting programme.

He said the wildlife department was doing its best to check illegal hunting across the region despite being short staffed.

Meanwhile, the police arrested a man for illegally hunting an ibex in Passu valley of Hunza.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2019