KARACHI, Jan 24: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has allowed some people to hunt partridges in the Nara game reserve on Sunday, it has been learnt.

According to sources, the Nara game reserve, where hunting is rarely allowed, is an exclusive area and only the chief minister, who is also the chief game warden of the province, has the authority to declare it open for hunting.

The sources said the hunters had approached the chief minister for permission and he obliged them. The hunters had obtained a special hunting permit besides the normal shooting (hunting) permit to hunt in the game reserve, they added.

The sources said that following the permission given by the chief minister, Sindh Wildlife Secretary Mushtaq Memon had issued a notification and the Sindh Wildlife Department had issued the relevant hunting permits.

Responding to Dawn’s queries, the SWD’s Sukkur representative, Taj Mohammad Sheikh, said permits had been issued to two parties, one of which was led by a former member of the national assembly and Pir of Ranipur, Abdul Qadir Shah, and comprises his two sons, Ahmed Nawaz Shah and Ahmed Faraz Shah.

He said the second party is led by Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi (alias Raja Sain) and comprises Umer Mustafa Shah, Rashid Mustafa Shah, former wildlife minister Hassan Ali Chaniho, Pir Bux, Nazar Mohammad, Fakharuddin and Syed Mukhtar Hussain Shah. The third party comprises two members of the Sindh assembly, Fasih Ahmad Shah and Dr Ahmed Ali Shah. However, according to Deedar Hussain Bhagat, who is the chief of the SWD raid party that patrols the area, this hunting party has cancelled their safari and only the two other parties were expected to hunt in Nara on Sunday.

Last Sunday, Federal State Minister for Information Syed Sumsam Ali S. Bokhari had hunted in the Nara game reserve.