KARACHI, Jan 15: A top army official and several senior civil officials poached more than 100 partridges in the Pai Forest Game Reserve which has been closed for hunting for three years, it is learnt.

According to the sources, the poachers - including Lt-Gen Imtiaz Shaheen, Chief Irrigation Engineer Ghulam Nabi Mughal, Moro Exen Manzoor Magsi, medical superintendent of a Nawabshah hospital, Dr Nisar Shaikh and local influentials Anjum Shah, Shahryar and others - also tried to poach crocodiles in a nearby wildlife sanctuary.

The sources said that the Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) had registered a case under sections 7, 14, 16, 17 and 33 of the Sindh Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1972 which prescribes long prison terms and imposes heavy penalties on poachers.

They said that SWD deputy conservators Ghulam Rasool Channa and Saeed Akhtar Baloch, who reached the spot, informed the poachers that not only the Pai Forest Game Reserve was a closed area, but Saturday was also not a hunting day, and even the entire Sakrand Taluka was closed for hunting this year.

The sources said that even in normal circumstances the Pai Forest Game Reserve was a high profile hunting ground and a special permit had to be obtained from the provincial chief executive for hunting there.

They said the poachers shot partridges in compartments 95, 76, 39, 38, 37 and 58 of the game reserve during the killing spree which lasted more than hours. Over 300 shots were fired and more than 100 partridges were poached. Exact number of the partridges could not be ascertained as the poachers were surrounded by a heavy contingent of police and army personnel.

Sources said that the numbers of the 12 vehicles used for the poaching were: Land Cruiser (BB 7955); Land Cruiser (051214); Land Cruiser (BC 7103); Land Cruiser (88 7961/2506); Toyota jeep (E 0072); Corolla (AFG 223); Mazda pickup (AP 0072); Datsun pickup (KL 1594), Datsun pickup (CB 9243); Corolla (AB 7214); Toyota pickup (G 0433) and police mobile (SP 5591).

Responding to Dawn queries on Thursday, Sindh Wildlife Conservator Hussain Bux Bhagat said that a case had been registered against the poachers, majority of whom were senior officials, and legal action was being taken against them.

He said the poachers, besides violating the game laws, had also threatened the senior game officers who tried to perform their duties. He said that poachers also tried to poach crocodiles in the near by the Deh Akro Wildlife Sanctuary -that has recently been declared a Ramsar Site and is protected under the Ramsar Convention - the highest conservation status that a wetland could get internationally.

Mr Bhagat said the poachers also misbehaved with and threatened the wildlife staff when it tried to stop them from poaching on crocodiles. The sources said that after the incident a local operative of an intelligence agency in Nawabshah had directed the local wildlife staff to make arrangements so that two of his friends - senior police officials posted in Punjab - could also enjoy a safari in the Pai Forest Game Reserve.