RAHIM YAR KHAN: A wildlife team arrested five people involved in illegal hunting and seized four slaughtered chinkara deer, two rifles and a four-by-four vehicle on Tuesday.

Assistant Director Sultan Anjum told Dawn they received an information about hunters involved in illegal hunting in the Cholistan wildlife reserve area near track 15.

Taking swift action, the six-member wildlife team reached the reserve area near Gupala dune track 12 and traced the vehicle. After chasing the vehicle the team arrested Dr Muhammad Anwar, Saeedullah Niazi, Muhammad Hasan, Pir Bakhsh and Zulfiqar.

A challan was filed as per the Punjab Wildlife Act 1974, Amended 2007, under sections 9, 18 and 21. Later on, a case was compounded under section 38 for Rs1.15 million fine.

Anjum further said the accused were influential but they would face legal action.

On the other hand, an FIR has been registered against a hunter involved in illegal hunting who held wildlife employees hostage a day earlier.

According to the FIR registered by Manthar police, Allah Wadhaya and an unidentified man were hunting deer on their motorcycle with a rifle near Toba Noonwala when a wildlife team chased them. They attacked them with batons and escaped towards their home in Chak 233-P.

In the village, they held the official team hostage. Later police recovered them.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2024