ISLAMABAD, Nov 6: The government has imposed a ban on the export of falcons to avert the imminent extinction of the precious birds in the country.

The decision was taken following a reported confiscation of as many as 250 rare quality falcons at the Multan Airport, an official source told Dawn on Tuesday.

“No Pakistani or a foreigner would be allowed to export any kind of falcon from the country. However, only those falcons would be allowed to be re-exported, which the visiting Arab Sheikhs bring with them for hunting”, the source added.

In order to avert a total, imminent extinction of the bird, the government has issued a special directive to customs officials at all airports to stay vigilant against the possible smuggling of falcons.

According to the source, the decision has been taken on the complaints non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have lodged with the wild life department that some unscrupulous people, holding fake licences, were involved in the export of the precious birds to foreign countries, particularly to the Middle East.

The government was said to have allowed the export of falcons only to those people, who held a valid NOC from the National Council of Conservation of Wild Life, and that too for hunting.

Under the United Nation’s Convention 73 on endangered species of flora and fauna, trade in birds, including falcon, is strictly prohibited.

The source said some Arabs had wanted to take abroad around 250 falcons (worth Rs100 million in the international market) through a special plane to the Middle East from Multan last week, but the Customs officials at the airport had stopped them and confiscated the birds.

Investigations, he added, had revealed that the licenses they had claimed to have obtained from the Pakistani Foreign Office had been found fake.

He said the Arabs had reportedly taken up the issue with high government officials and were insisting to be allowed the export of the confiscated falcons at any cost.

Another senior official, who requested not to be named, told Dawn that Arabs brought their own trained falcons, but they usually set free their old falcons and got the young ones, though costly, from local falcon traders.

He said local traders had invested millions of rupees in the trade in falcons, which were being exported to the Middle East.