QUETTA, Dec 19: Levies Force arrested on Sunday seven Arab nationals and five Pakistanis for illegally hunting houbara bustards in Panjpai area of Quetta district. Dawn

“Yes, Levies Force has arrested 12 persons for hunting in Panjpai area without obtaining a permit from the federal interior ministry,” Home Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani confirmed to .

“Seven men belonging to the United Arab Emirates were released after a warning,” the official said, adding that a case had been registered against the Pakistanis.

The sources said that five local men had invited the Arabs to hunting in the area.

Several areas in Balochistan have been reserved for hunting for the ruling families of Arab countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.