CHITRAL, Dec 24: The provincial wildlife department has booked two villagers from Broze over a bid to poach a Kashmir markhor in Dumoon jungle.

Divisional forest officer of Chitral Imtiaz Hussain told Dawn on Monday that a case had been filed with the local sub-divisional magistrate against Fazle Shah and Lateef Khan.

He said a rifle seized from the two by community watcher Mehrab Gul would also be produced in the court.

President of village conservation committee, Broze Jehangir Jigar said the illegal hunting of wildlife, including markhor, was highly discouraged in the local pastures by the community.

He said around 80 per cent of the income generated by the sale of markhor hunting permits went to the welfare of the community and that was why the local residents felt themselves bound by duty to protect animals.

Mr Jigar said the committee had appointed community watchers to check markhor poaching in the area.

He demanded cash prize for watcher Mehrab Gul for risking his life to protect markhors against poaching.

CALL FOR END TO VIOLENCE: Speakers at a seminar here on Monday called for end to gender-based violence, saying many women in the district end their life after being subjected to hostility.

NGO Legal Aid Programme for Human Rights organised the seminar to create awareness of gender-based violence among the office-bearers of Parent-Teacher Councils of local government schools.

Among speakers were coordinator of Abdul Wali Khan University’s Chitral sub-campus Dr Inayatullah Faizi and LAPHR chairman Niaz Ali Shah.

The two said schoolchildren could force their parents to act against gender-based violence, which had been forcing women to commit suicides in Chitral.

Later, an action plan was made against gender-based violence on the basis of feedback given by participants, including the principals of government schools and representatives of civil society organisations.